1978 chb 34'

[Lepet]

Hi! New to group!
I have a couple corroded bolts on my stuffing box housing flange. It is bolted thru a fiberglassed beam. Need to replace them. Must I haul out to do so? Any related advice would be appreciated. Thanks. Bill

 

[FlyWright]

I wouldn't mess with a corroded prop shaft log without having the boat out of the water, at least in the slings suspended over the water. It just isn't worth the risk of the worse case scenario.

 

[tiltrider1]

I am going to assume your stuffing box is bronze, the bolts are covered in green purplish crud, and they are really the adjuster studs with nuts on them.

Did I get that right or are we talking something else?

 

[Lepet]

Thanks. I rather felt that was the case. I just had it hauled for paint, new prop shaft and cutless bearing a year ago. Big mistake to have not addressed the issue then.

Perhaps if I install a 1,000 GPM bilge pump,......

 

[Lepet]

More of a greenish bluish crud. But you got it right. However, the flax is compressed by a 4" nut. My problem is mounting bolts. Haul out time. Sigh.

 

[Peter B]

More of a greenish bluish crud. But you got it right. However, the flax is compressed by a 4" nut. My problem is mounting bolts. Haul out time. Sigh.

Hard to believe you have the prop shaft changed and they didn't address the bolts you mention, and the packing. I would recommend you get a marine service person to inspect before you go to the trouble of hauling out again, within a year of it all being redone. They would have had to do the stuffing box repack when they changed the prop. If those bolts were that bad, they should have dealt with them then, and probably did. They also probably didn't use flax packing, but the synthetic material which is a teflon/fibre mix, (? Gore-Tex https://www.emarineinc.com/GFO-Packing-1-8-in-4-mm-2-foot). It should be good for 5 years, with just the odd minor tightening up.
I have a '75 CHB 34, and had the prop shaft done about 7 years ago, and only had to tighten the stuffing box about 3 times in that time. I don't do a huge mileage, mind.

 

[Lepet]

Thanks. They did not deal with it; I presumed they did. The packing is good at any rate. No dripping after I snugged up nut.