Shaft Log

[MikeP]

"Oh great finally most owners know that you should not sink because of dockside water hook up because your pumps can more than keep up."

Here's what I observed when replacing the packing on our 53MY's shafts...

The 2000 GPH bilge pump CAN more than keep up with the water flow that NORMALLY results from repacking the shafts. However, the limber holes (tube, actually) that connects the aft portion of the eng room bilge with the front portion - which isolates the bilge area directly under the engine - will not.

This means that if you are too pokey with your work, the bilge will fill enough to overflow into the engine bilge (sump) and then again to the forward bilge area. This can create quite a mess if there is any oil in the engine sump and also cause a big problem locally if that is then pumped overboard with the bilge water. As long as you proceed at a reasonable pace, it's not an issue but it is something to be aware of.

As far as dripless stuffing box or shore water-line failures - as long as the bilge pump is working properly, it should be able to handle both issues. But again, the limber hole size will limit the water that can transfer to where the bilge pump is located and quite a mess could result. FWIW, dripless packing - like the Gore stuff will totally eliminate stuffing box water incursion if it is properly installed.

[Angela]

The 2000 GPH bilge pump CAN more than keep up with the water flow that NORMALLY results from repacking the shafts. However, the limber holes (tube, actually) that connects the aft portion of the eng room bilge with the front portion - which isolates the bilge area directly under the engine - will not.

This means that if you are too pokey with your work, the bilge will fill enough to overflow into the engine bilge (sump) and then again to the forward bilge area. This can create quite a mess if there is any oil in the engine sump and also cause a big problem locally if that is then pumped overboard with the bilge water. As long as you proceed at a reasonable pace, it's not an issue but it is something to be aware of.

Just curious, not challenging by any means, but truly curious....If the 2000 gph pump can keep up with the incoming water flow (and I now know it can), how does that compartment under the stuffing box overflow into the engine sump? Maybe this is a question I really don't want to know the answer! I wonder whether we're not all set up the same. My ER bilge pumps are located under the stuffing boxes in that compartment (oh thank God!). So, if the pump is keeping up with the incoming water, I don't get water flowing elsewhere or overflowing that compartment where the pump sits. Are other folks' set up differently? I sure can see what a mess that would make for water to spew into the engine sump and then over flow that! Yeesh!

[MikeP]

Ang, the bilge pumps on the 53MY - well, at least our 1980 model - are in the forward portion of the eng room bilge, not the aft portion where the stuffing boxes are located. I assumed - incorrectly, obviously - that it was set up the same in all Hatts of similar design. You are right, in your case the water would never get to that level as long as the pump was working.

[davidwigler]

"Ang, the bilge pumps on the 53MY - well, at least our 1980 model - are in the forward portion of the eng room bilge, not the aft portion where the stuffing boxes are located. I assumed - incorrectly, obviously - that it was set up the same in all Hatts of similar design. You are right, in your case the water would never get to that level as long as the pump was working."

Ditto. Mine are also in front of the engines. Keep us posted Ang on your solution.

[Angela]

Ditto. Mine are also in front of the engines. Keep us posted Ang on your solution.

Huh.....I think I like mine aft of the engines best, especially now that I've seen the great benefit. I can't image having bilge pumps in the compartment forward of the engines. I've got sea strainers for toilets (now for air conditioning) there. Sure is interesting to see the differences in these boats that we often think are the same!

[MikeP]

I would ASSUME it's the greater length of the 58 that allows the bilge pump to fit where yours is. I don't think there's any room for it in that location on our 53 due to the engine sea water intake/strainer.

[DCMY #92]

I've also repacked the glands in the water many times on our 41 and have the same risk of incoming water at the gland overcoming flow through the limber tube. To provide some relief if a delay occurs in repacking I keep a shop rag (or old tee shirt) and a couple of flat blade screwdrivers nearby. Wrapping the rag around the shaft and temporarily stuffing a portion of it into the glad won't stop the flow but slows it considerably. I leave the screw drivers inserted like nails (wedges) so the rag will stay put against the pressure. It's not pretty, but it beats flooding the engine sump.

[Angela]

I would ASSUME it's the greater length of the 58 that allows the bilge pump to fit where yours is. I don't think there's any room for it in that location on our 53 due to the engine sea water intake/strainer.

Mike, I think you are right and until this past weekend, I always thought the ERs were the same on both models. As much as I complain about how small and cramped my engine rooms are, I went in Mario’s over the weekend to take a peek at his shaft log, and good grief, I don’t even know how he would get to it in a hurry he had to do so - everything is really jammed in there on the back side, and his engines are smaller than mine. Another telling sign of how the hulls of the 58MY differ from the 53MY/58YF, although they look very similar. My space back there is even greater since we removed the internal sea strainers.