Shaft log, forward bearing

[dar636]

Hi All. I have been chasing a water leak and am pretty sure at this point it’s coming from the shaft log on the port engine. It fills up in the void between the mid cabin bunks and then drains into the engine bilge via limber hole. See the attached drawing mark up. Also the external pic from the last haul out. So, who has changed these? It looks like they come out from the exterior, I can see the retaining bolts Does anyone have drawing or picture of the bearing and retainer? Tools used, etc?Thx in advance

 

[Captain Ralph]

I have never witnessed a bearing in the shaft log,,, in a Hatterass.
Usually a flange bolted on the the hull form or a large thru-hull nipple screwed in, then a short hose then the shaft gland.

On other boats (and maybe Hatterass), a fiberglass tube, glassed in place then the hose/gland.

I have witnessed bearings in the logs on other mfg's but not Hatts.

Sorry, I just can not make out your pictures to see what you have.
When I zoom in, I loose all resolution.

 

[Cricket]

On our old ass 50c has fiberglass tube that runs into the engine room from the boat bottom. A few years ago they started to sort of break down so we ended up sleaving them with bigger frp tubes. In this case it looks like a piece of the tube is missing. Pretty sure in one of the "InToDeep" Youtube videos he had a shaft tube leak created from the shaft hitting the tube from being severely out of alignment. While doing the repair (replacing the frp shaft tube) there was a cutless bearing at the hull bottom glued into his shaft tube just like in the photo.

 

[Steve Mannshardt]

Have you checked for a leak at the rudder shaft packings? Water from rudders will make its way to the engine room bilge. 53’ YF.

 

[Timeless72]

Have you checked for a leak at the rudder shaft packings? Water from rudders will make its way to the engine room bilge. 53’ YF.

I have the same issue. Looks like a shaft log leak but actually a rudder slowly making its way into that area.

 

[dar636]

The rudder posts are not the problem in my case. They are easily visible in the lazarette and are dry as a bone.

 

[dar636]

Here are some better res pics I hope.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Any high-res pictures of the insides of the shaft log/bilge area?
Something we can zoom into and see something?

 

[dar636]

So I’m pretty sure I found the leak. I’ve opened up the flooring in the mid stateroom to expose the shaft log as it exits the port engine room. The tube is the shaft log, this is looking down and forward (towards the paneling). The shaft log has an open void/gap/defect on the bottom side. It’s the dark spot in the first pic, the gap in the second. Looking up from below. I don’t know if these pics will upload with any resolution. The website could better, really. I’m two weeks away from getting a fiberglass repair done, but no haul out required and no bearing replacement!!! Yeah. I’ve got other work to do while it dries out. I’ll report the final repair!

 

[Cricket]

Sort of an oddity that the hole is a random failure. Is there a not so hard way to inspect the other shaft tube to see if the same thing is on the horizon? Does it look like the shaft wore a hole in the FRP tube or another anomoly?

 

[Captain Ralph]

Sort of an oddity that the hole is a random failure. Is there a not so hard way to inspect the other shaft tube to see if the same thing is on the horizon? Does it look like the shaft wore a hole in the FRP tube or another anomoly?

Excellent thought. On that long of a log, after many years of the engine mounts settling just a bit, I can see a shaft rubbing cattywampus easily.
A closer inspection of the cutlass and total alignment may be in need.
An other thought, a wobbling shaft, shaking the tube at the gland, may be causing some fatigue at this point also. Further call to attention to shaft run-out and alignment checks.

 

[Timeless72]

If it helps, we had a log leak a couple years back. The bulkhead around the log had become soft and vibration created small cracks. Drying out over winter, swelling each season, etc. Fortunately, repairs were done from the engine room side as the shower pan is on the other side.

 

[dar636]

To me it looks like this was a failed prior repair as there was an access hole where I cut out the flooring. The fiberglass wrapped around the shaft has a end gap where it lifted up or wasn't smoothed well into place before the resin set off. I don't think it was the shaft rubbing from the inside (I may be wrong). I was feeling all around that tube while underway Monday, everything was running smoothly. I'll have a chance to look again after the repair is done before closing all back up.

Whomever cut out the flooring screwed and epoxied the panel back down earning many curse words and wonderment as to WHY would anyone glue down a panel that can be screwed in place... it was tough to cut through the epoxy.

The starboard side shaft log exit from that engine room is under the mid head and will require removing teak and holly flooring to gain access. Not something I'm looking forward to. I hope it doesn't leak on my watch.

 

[Captain Ralph]

I don't think it was the shaft rubbing from the inside (I may be wrong).

Previous issue, previous repair (attempt).
The shaft may be in better alignment these days.

 

[Cricket]

Have you figured out what's going on the the shaft tube where it exits the hull, since it's not round something has to be broken off? What's the other side look like?