Water leak at shaft entry into hull

[Hartley18]

:eek: I have a Hartley half cabin 18' with inboard 186 red motor with prop and shaft. The boat has been restored (fibreglass over wood)(or at least I thought) and when we put it into the water it leaked. The water trickled in around where the shaft enters the boat. Basically now we have removed the shaft and taken the brass housing off. It has revealed some wood rot ( minimal), a crack which has allowed the water to travel in and along and come out. The plan is to clean out all the timber and silicone that needs to go and bed in some new timber and drill a hole for the shaft. What type of timber ? Do we epoxy the timber in and fill the cracks ?
Does this sound ok and any suggestions on what stuff to use and how to do it ?

:( Frustrated !!!

[Aberdeen]

:eek: I have a Hartley half cabin 18' with inboard 186 red motor with prop and shaft. The boat has been restored (fibreglass over wood)(or at least I thought) and when we put it into the water it leaked. The water trickled in around where the shaft enters the boat. Basically now we have removed the shaft and taken the brass housing off. It has revealed some wood rot ( minimal), a crack which has allowed the water to travel in and along and come out. The plan is to clean out all the timber and silicone that needs to go and bed in some new timber and drill a hole for the shaft. What type of timber ? Do we epoxy the timber in and fill the cracks ?
Does this sound ok and any suggestions on what stuff to use and how to do it ?

:( Frustrated !!!
Hi Hartley 18
Depends somewhat on how far the rot has spread?
If you don't find the answers I would suggest you might contact Ted at Duck Flat Wooden Boats........ http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/index.php

They have been really helpful with any enquiry I've made

[scottyk]

post some pics for us all if you can?, might help the advice to be more accurate.
scotty

[Hartley18]

Scotty,
have you got an email as I am having trouble getting the photos onto this site from my file. I can email them to you to view. Hartley18

[scottyk]

I got your photos mate, unfortunately they are just too big to put on the site and I have tried to re-size them but it just makes them too small. From what you sent me I gather that you have removed the old stern gland and dug most of the rot out?
If that the case I would cut the area around the rot to a nice rectangular shape witha jig saw and then expoxy a piece of hardwood slightly bigger than the cutout, which is suitable to house your stuffing box/stern gland. Make sure you clean out the glue on the underside and then glue a new piece of marine ply on the bottom and then cut out for the stern gland.
Pay particular attention to sealing all parts before glueing them or after to stop water betting into in. Hope that helps
scotty

[Ashore]

Dont forget to get the stern gland perfectly square to the shaft or you will have bigger problems than you started with

[STEPHEN MILLER]

as already stated you got to get the stern gland lined up spot on and when you have it going it should still leak a bit of water through the gland nut as the water lubricates the gland packing if you dont have water coming through it the packing wont last long:cool:

[Ashore]

as already stated you got to get the stern gland lined up spot on and when you have it going it should still leak a bit of water through the gland nut as the water lubricates the gland packing if you dont have water coming through it the packing wont last long:cool:

Not true Stephen it is better to run modern packing without water leaking through , one of the big problems with water leak is that the salt deposits left by the water can increase erosion on the shaft at the gland as they act as an abrasive espically if using teflon packing. I know some recomend to allow a leak while running and tighten the gland when moored but this is not the best way correctly fitted and tightened packing does not need to allow a leak while running

The major problems with gland packing are allowing leak , over tightening, wrong packing material, not replacing in the recomended matianence time frame , not removing all the old packing when renewing ( some only replace the first 2-3 turns or don't manage to remove all of the last turn of packing) , cutting the packing turns too long or too short, not setting the packing gaps at 60 deg, using the wrong size packing, not cutting the ends of the packing turns at 45 deg



Rgds

[Aberdeen]

HARTLEY BOAT PEOPLE -
Interested in Hartley Boats, owned or own one, like them,building or thinking of building etc........ all welcome at a new group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hartley_boats/

Regards
Aberdeen

[packratbob]

i'm having the very same problem with a hartley vixen 17 with inboard 186. seems to have one long crack abt a foot long front and back of the shaft entree. I found the leak when cleaning the inside of the hull with water.