I went 29 years with stuffing boxes and, other than the occasional tweak, they were fine. But in 1993 we re-engined and had to replace both shafts with Aquamet 22 due to the increased horsepower. Somehow, while everything was apart, the supplied nuts and bolts of the stbd. muff coupling were lost, misplaced or stolen. Unknown to me all 8 on this coupling were replaced with ordinary steel. So the following year we left Ft. Lauderdale for Cay Cay. Sometime in the middle vibration began increasing. At Cat Cay I dove on the propellers, expecting to find some line wrapped around a prop. Instead, the four bolts at each end of the muff coupling had simply disappeared. Only the center four were retaining the stub shaft and propeller. The other shaft was fine. Fortunately I had my dive gear. I had eight new bolt assemblies flown in, replaced the stbd. side bolts, and returned to the yard in Ft. L. for hauling, replacement, and relaunch, all at their expense. The remaining ordinary steel bolts disintegrated as I unfastened them. Unfortunately I did not think to have the entire shaft and stub pulled and checked for damage. I probably should have, since for the next several years that stuffing box leaked, and no packing or tightening could stop it for long--like daily. Meanwhile the yard went belly up, so no additional recovery. When I gave up and installed the dripless seals the leaking problem was solved. I don't remember whether I had the shaft trued at that time. Anyway, no problems since.
