Stuffing Box Re-packing Hunter 280

[Miken]

I am planning to re-pack my stuffing box (yes it needs it) in the spring when the boat is on the hard. I was debating whether it was better to do it in or out of the water, and decided on the latter. My concern is something leaking when I launch it. I would appreciate hearing any suggestions on packing the box and any other info, or recommendations, sailors have.
Thanks
Mike

 

[jssailem]

Mike
It is not a worry. Just do it on the hard. Snug up the nuts as instructed. Make sure you have a sponge, a bucket, and that your bilge pump is in good working order.

When you put the boat in, if you use a crane, just have it kept in the crane, while you go aboard and inspect the stuffing box. If you see more water than a trickle/drips, then tighten up the nuts a little til you get the proper tension (about 1-3 drops while the shaft is turning - dry when sitting). If the shaft seal is leaking a lot (buckets) and tightening the nuts does not control the leak, then something is wrong and since you are in the slings have the crane lift the boat back out.

If you use another method to launch, then use that method to pull the boat back out of the water.

The odds of your boat sinking are less than 0.05% if you are prepared.

Check out this info from MaineSail. Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box - Marine How To

 

[JoeWhite]

Have someone who has done it to show you how. It is an art and must be done correctly. I pack it with 3 rings of Gore and add lanocoat then screw on the nut. It may leak some at first, but eventually slow down. Your boat will not sink in any case.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

What I’m about to suggest is the exact opposite of what others have written - proving only that when you choose to repack is largely personal preference and there is no “wrong way”.
I prefer repacking in the water for one reason, that being I can tell immediately how tight to tighten the packing nuts. When I did it on the hard, it was a guess and if I guessed wrong, either of two things would happen:

Either I tightened it too much which isn’t a good thing because when you loosen it later, the packing doesn’t expand to the correct size, or
When it isn’t tight enough, water leaks in because I’m invariably unable to fit the yard’s schedule into mine And no one inspects the gland. Not a crisis because it won’t sink the boat but I like to keep the boat as dry as possible.
moral of the story - either way works.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

The yard is not going to stand around while you fiddle with the gland, unless you're going to pay for their time.

1) follow Main Sail's article TO THE LETTER.
2) if you do not understand something in the article FULL STOP. Come back to this posting for info.
3) if something does not seem right while working FULL STOP. Come back to this posting for info.
4) do not ask the guy next to you for information. Chances are he's out on a day pass. Come back to this posting for info.

When I say come back to this posting for further info, if someone posts something which is pure baloney, a few hundred other people will chime in to correct the error.

The worst thing that will happen is that you might drip while the shaft is at rest. Avoid overtightening as only this MAY cause problems.

I always replace mine in the water and currently am on a quest to beat @Terry Cox 's record of seven years between changes.

2005 Hunter 36 Bilge

Hi everyone, My bilge seems to be wet most of the time. I live about an hour away from the Marina, and every weekend when I arrived at the boat there was water in the bilge, sometimes quite a lot. I'd pump it out with a hand pump only to have a wet bilge again the following weekend. On the...

forums.sailboatowners.com

See post #20

I also run my packing dry without any leakage but that's another story. As far as you're concerned for now, 2 or 3 drops per minute while under way and ideally nothing while stopped.

 

[dLj]

The yard is not going to stand around while you fiddle with the gland, unless you're going to pay for their time.

Wow, you run in some tough neighborhoods! I've never had a problem with the yard letting the boat hang in the slings while going through all through hulls and checking for leaks. That includes adjusting the packing gland if needed.

I've not been charged extra for this, it's just part of putting a boat in the water. At least that's been my experience.

dj

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Wow ! That sounds like the kind of yard I'd like to be at. I'll bet their prices are a fair bit cheaper than ours as well.

Just to haul out, leave it in the sling for 30 minutes and no seconds is $325.00 for 31 ft. It's called a half lift. That allows for a zinc change, check the cutlass bearing, thruhulls and whatever. They start to drop the boat at exactly 30 min. and one second because there's another boat waiting its turn to come out This goes on from 08:00 to 17:00, seven days a week during the tolerable weather. They might add an extra 10 minutes during off season.

 

[jssailem]

I've not been charged extra for this, it's just part of putting a boat in the water. At least that's been my experience.

You board the boat.They lower you into the water, while you go below and inspect the thru hulls and stuffing box. They do not want you sinking in their marina.

Such activity takes less than a couple minutes. Your leaking you announce the condition. You act upon the problem. If not solved they haul you out charge another haul.

Or you can pull to the side and work on the leak. Resolve the problem and all is good. If not they drop the slings and pull you out. Your bilge pump should be able to handle the trickle from the stuffing box.

 

[Dalliance]

As others said, look up MaineSail’s instructions on this site and follow them to the letter.
I re-pack on the hard and then fine tune it after splash if needed. A newly packed stuffing box will not let in enough water to sink your boat unless it’s really loose and left that way for an extended time. Checking bilge pumps, float switches, hoses and through-hulls should be on your pre-splash checklist anyway.
I’ve never re-packed the stuffing box in the water, but would not be afraid to (Again, look to MaineSail.), it’s just more convenient not to have to mop up water that gets in while you are doing it.

 

[jnorten]

Kind of different reasoning, but I like doing it in the water. I feel like the modest stream of water entering the boat flushes out any small packing chunks or other crud I leave behind in the stuffing box.

On my Catalina 30, the stream entering the boat will not sink it (same as other folks have stated). The first time I did this in the water (second time overall), yes I was really scared. It was a non-event.

The first time I changed it, I did it on the hard. My yard usually launches the boat while I'm at work. I was able to pay them about $60 to inspect and adjust the stuffing box as necessary. I had them do this once; it is NOT hard to do. Access is often the toughest thing.

Cheap Harbor Freight dental-style picks help A LOT. Also, if you have a 1" prop shaft and 1" stanchions, then wrap the strips of packing around a stanchion and pre-cut them to the perfect length (this might be a MaineSail tip, I cannot recall).

 

[Tom J]

I've not been charged extra for this, it's just part of putting a boat in the water. At least that's been my experience.

Never had a yard give me a hard time about checking for leaks, etc. As a new owner, I was originally encouraged to take my time and be thorough. Any boats waiting their turn would be happy for the same consideration.