I tightened my rudder stuffing box nut a quarter turn because i would get a seep when sailing or motoring. Then i turned the wheel to check for stiffness. Everything okay until i noticed the black rubber stuffing box hose would move maybe 5 degrees or so and had water seep when wheel was turned. Well i tightened the hose clamps around the black hose-they were already tight. What would make this happen and seep water. Packing is good and water is coming up from the bottom. Could my rudder tube be loose or working around? Any thoughts?
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Stern tube
Carl, I had seepage from beneath the stern tube in my Catalina 27, tightened up the hoses,launched her and when I put her into gear the stern tube just let go. Looked like a firehose- more water than my pumps, bilge and manual could handle. Pulled her and there was a mutli-thousand dollar repair relacing the stern tube. (CUtting and replacing the prop shaft; dropping the rudder,etc. It seems that something had shifted the prop shaft a little and it slowly was wearing away the stern tube through friction until it gave way. I hope that is not your problem, but it is worth looking into. I would not have liked that stern tube going ten miles offshore! Roger Dennis
Carl, I had seepage from beneath the stern tube in my Catalina 27, tightened up the hoses,launched her and when I put her into gear the stern tube just let go. Looked like a firehose- more water than my pumps, bilge and manual could handle. Pulled her and there was a mutli-thousand dollar repair relacing the stern tube. (CUtting and replacing the prop shaft; dropping the rudder,etc. It seems that something had shifted the prop shaft a little and it slowly was wearing away the stern tube through friction until it gave way. I hope that is not your problem, but it is worth looking into. I would not have liked that stern tube going ten miles offshore! Roger Dennis
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