Taking in water while underway

[Alctel]

This is less alarming than the title may suggest, but when underway I seem to be taking on some water in the bilge.

I can't replicate the effect while running the engine under load in dock, and it doesn't seem to be coming from the Keel boats, and in fact seems to be coming from the stern. It's not the shaft stuffing box - I have a PSS and have checked while underway and that area is dry still.

Could it be the rudder? The yard dropped it while replacing my shaft and I am wondering if the rudder stuffing box needs tightening. Has anyone ever done this before?

 

[Doug4bass]

While commissioning, the yard broke off a thru-hull near the stern ,that while not underway, was above the waterline. But when under power the boat squatted and took on water. Maybe something to consider.

 

[Redbeard33]

If its real bad repack your rudder stuffing box, I have the same problem but its only while underway and not enough to have moved it to the top of the to do list.I had someone else at the helm and crawled back to see for myself, constant but very slow trickle.....

 

[Jim Legere]

If the H36 rudder is like the H37C (I suspect it is), there are three 9/16" bolts to tighten the packing follower. There are a bit awkward to get at as they are under the steering quadrant (Edson radial), but get in there and snug them up - see if the water ingress goes away. I would also check all hoses back there while you are at it. Someone from the yard might have dislodged something.

 

[rardiH36]

I had similar experience about a year ago. Below is a link to the thread. As Jim suggested, snugging up on the compression collar screws is a start. And for good measure, tightening the hose clamps for the rubber tube fixed in my case. A pic of my rudder shaft arrangement is in the link.

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=164333

 

[Alctel]

Thanks chaps, i'll get on that before my next outing.

 

[tmjb]

Thanks chaps, i'll get on that before my next outing.

I was looking at that the other day on mine (new to me - not in the water since '97) and thinking that I hope I don't have to get to that soon.

How do you reach it with enough access to tighten the nuts etc?

My concern is that, since my boat has not need in the water for so long, that may have adversely affected the packing (dried out, no lubrication, etc)

 

[Alctel]

So I checked, and three out the four compression collar screws were loose, one to the point of only being halfway in! The collar had a visable gap between the two flanges! Ive tightened all but the last one at the back which im trying to work out how to get at.

Do you have to undo this to drop the rudder? I'm wondering if the yard forgot to tighten these up when they dropped the rudder recently.

 

[Capt jgw]

That's real likely. The shaft stuffing box is just like the old style prop shaft box. Needs to be tightened periodically, but not as often as the prop shaft. They probably did loosen it to ease getting the rudder back in. At least they didn't just force it and tear up the packing (hopefully).

 

[rardiH36]

So I checked, and three out the four compression collar screws were loose, one to the point of only being halfway in! The collar had a visable gap between the two flanges! Ive tightened all but the last one at the back which im trying to work out how to get at.

Do you have to undo this to drop the rudder? I'm wondering if the yard forgot to tighten these up when they dropped the rudder recently.

I am 6'3" and my arms also weren't long enough to reach the farthest-most bolt.

I don't know if your rudder post assembly is the same as mine. See the picture attached. If so, by removing the through-bolt linking shaft stop ring against teflon/delron, then removing the wood screws securing the plywood sheet to the interior deck under the rear lazarette, then the plywood sheet can be raised up. Access is then OK to all the compression collar screws. While at it, the adjusting the quadrant steering wires can be done with more ease than from underneath.

A long time ago, I queried "Ask All Sailors" with the question: "Will a rudder sink?" The general response was yes. So before I started the above, I dug out about 30' of old line and tied a heavy chunk of some metal to its center. Then dropped weighted section off the stern of my boat. I maneuvered the line under my rudder. Then tied off both ends to my stern cleats to snug the bottom of the rudder upward. This ensures that rudder doesn't drop down any when the stop ring set screw is removed.

 

[Alctel]

Thanks for the help, mine is the exact same as yours.

I managed however to reach the backmost screw, after an hour of wiggling around on my front and tightened it - it was a cm raised out of the hole!

I am going to write the shipyard a nasty email.

 

[pvtpotter]

Be sure to write a nasty email to the shipyard!

))

Thanks for the help, mine is the exact same as yours.

I managed however to reach the backmost screw, after an hour of wiggling around on my front and tightened it - it was a cm raised out of the hole!

I am going to write the shipyard a nasty email.