Good Surprise

My project yesterday was to left the flooring behind the engine and check out the stern gland (stuffing box). Arnold started the engine and put the gear into reverse to start rotation of the propeller shaft then I descended on the prop shaft area with a light expecting to see water streaming out at the rate of one liter every ten minutes. I was pleasantly surprised to see only the odd drop or two of water being flung from the rotating shaft. After ten minutes of running I put my hand on the collar of the stuffing box and found it to be only slightly warm, which to me seemed ideal. I squirted 10 shots of grease into the box but saw no need to tighten the packing. While the engine was running I slid back the engine housing and showed Arnold the Racor fuel filter and vacuum gauge. The fuel was clean and no vacuum was being registered. After running the engine for another 15 minutes we shut it down and there was not enough water under the stuffing box to mop up with a sponge. I checked the fan belts and found them to be OK. I forgot to check the oil levels but will do that before our departure.

Before starting the job I had emptied most of the storage under the navigation seat to get to the big wrenches needed to tighten the packing. I took the opportunity to dry out the area (which takes on bilge water when the boat rolls to port), wash out the metal tools, then spray the tools with "Inox", a WD-40 like product that I had purchased in New Zealand. I paid particular attention to the fine set of tools for engine work - particularly on the fuel system - that Reg had given to me before departing Fremantle.

After that Arnold and I had a look with a light into the space under the cockpit. We looked at the autopilot linear drive, the quadrant used to inform the autopilot of the angle of the rudder, the rudder post and the connections to the arm used to turn it, the emergency steering fitting at the top of the rudder post, and the cockpit drain hosing and clamps. We were peering over the double stack of batteries so we could not get our heads into the area for a good look. However, Arnold saw where the rudder post enters a metal sleeve which must have a bearing and a seal at the join. This join is at about the waterline. We think that the lower end of this sleeve would be firmly sealed and bolted. That is the way we would build it and besides, if it were leaking down there it would leak all of the time, whether or not the boat was on the move.

I have never had the rudder dropped but every time that the boat has been out of the water I've checked the propeller shaft and the rudder and have found no movement and slop. The next time we are in a rough seaway I will have a look at that rudder post area and try to see all the way down using a mirror looking for leaks. However, Arnold agrees that it is unlikely that any leak from the rudder post would account for the amounts of water that we ship at times.

Until I have positive evidence of a serious problem in the drive train or rudder assembly, hauling off the boat for these purposes before Australia is off the table.

Last night I turned my attention back to the front of the boat. Today I plan to clear out the entire forecastle, including the sail lockers. I will also empty the chain locker and the upper floor of the area so that we can see the entire section. I will then use a water hose to try to simulate sea water cascading over the bow. I am particularly interested in the edges between the underside of the deck and the vertical sections of the chain locker. This is a hard-to-seal area that just might present an opening to a heavy sea.

This morning Arnold presented a possibility that I've known about but seemed too obvious, simple, and unlikely to account for the volume of water being shipped. However.... This boat sits very low in the water. We figure that the waterline is at about the level of the seats in the main cabin. This puts the top of the wash basin in the head on the port side of the boat at about 18" above the waterline when the boat is level. When the boat heels to port we know that water wells into the wash basin and must occasionally spill over the counter and onto the floor because we always see water there. Several times during our passage Arnold and I saw enough water coming up through that drain - actually spurting up like a geyser at times - to shut the drain valve off for a while, but only for a while because reaching that valve to open and shut it is a pain and we did not think that it was a serious problem. However, it is possible that there has been a steady trickle of this water into the bilge amounting to more that we had thought. From now on shutting off the head wash basin drain valve will be standard procedure in a rough seaway, particularly when heeled to port.

On the brighter side it looks like Arnold and I will be reunited with our cousins on Saturday. Elsa is flying in from Houston on Friday and by either good planning or good luck will be staying in a hotel within walking distance of this yacht club. We may get to see her on Friday if she is able to settle into her hotel room early enough. Cousin Annie from San Diego expects to visit us with her husband Joe and son Matthew in Saturday.

The photos are of the Racor filter and vacuum gauge under load and the bilge area behind the engine housing the prop shaft and stuffing box.