Shaft Log Seeping

[Martyn]

I've discovered a tiny seep/leak at the shaft log where it is glassed through the hull, before it reaches the PSS dripless. Bilge pump turns on once every 3 hours or so so its not urgent, but definitely annoying.

Getting access to this area is very difficult and means taking up the sole in areas that have never been lifted before, but aside from hauling out I think it will be necessary to open the area properly to work on it.

Does anyone have any advice on ways to fix this without hauling? Would underwater epoxy putty be a solution?

I am also thinking about the idea of using a compressor to blow positive air pressure through the shaft to dry out/empty the shaft for a long enough period of time to be able to perform a proper repair.

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

[Loren Beach]

IF.... you or a friend can dive under it and temporarily seal the shaft alley from the outside, you might be able to glass it over on the inside. (with no water forcing its way thru the repaired area.)

 

[Pete the Cat]

I would probably be concerned enough about that to haul the boat. I would also wonder how it got there--is this a layup problem or has there been some really bad alignment or vibration problem in the shaft (is it bent?). There are epoxies that claim to work under water, but I would really not be comfortable with them to laminate with them. I would want to end up with two things: 1. An understanding of how this came to be (or at least my best theory) and any actions to fix that if indicatec and 2. some roving structural reinforcement in a dry environment in the down tube.

 

[JSM]

Had this exact problem on our boat ( discovered one day after taking delivery !) the bilge was filling over night. Turns out the shaft was riding in the bottom of the log and had worn a hole in it. I tried packing epoxy putty around the area where the log exits the hull, it only slowed it a bit until we could haul the boat. Once the boat was out of the water I was able to pull the shaft and the stuffing box and see what the problem really was.
I agree with Pete the Cat that the only way to properly fix this is to haul the boat so that you can find out what the root cause of the problem is and go from there.
From you pic it looks like the stern tube has possibly been painted black. Maybe from a previous repair ?

 

[Kenneth K]

Your shaft log looks a lot like mine so that may be the original work.


If you pack anything into the opening from the outside, you'll lose the ability to motor. If you use epoxy, you'll have to drill or scrape it out during the permanent repair. If you still want to jam something in the opening (from the hull side), this was recommended to me after my PSS failed.

Gardner Bender 1 lb. Plug Duct Seal Compound DS-110 - The Home Depot

Gardner Bender Duct Seal Compound Plugs is a dough-like material that is easy to handle. This material helps seal and protect gaps, holes and conduit openings against dust, moisture, drafts and noise.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Martyn]

Had this exact problem on our boat ( discovered one day after taking delivery !) the bilge was filling over night. Turns out the shaft was riding in the bottom of the log and had worn a hole in it. I tried packing epoxy putty around the area where the log exits the hull, it only slowed it a bit until we could haul the boat. Once the boat was out of the water I was able to pull the shaft and the stuffing box and see what the problem really was.
I agree with Pete the Cat that the only way to properly fix this is to haul the boat so that you can find out what the root cause of the problem is and go from there.
From you pic it looks like the stern tube has possibly been painted black. Maybe from a previous repair ?

Thank you! I was hoping there'd be an easier solution. I still feel like if I can apply an air hose to the shaft seal nipple and blow air through the shaft seal and stearn tube to keep it dry for 4 hours or so, I can apply the epoxy putty in a dry environment and that might do the trick. The nearest haulout is a 37 hour sail/motor south of me so its a bit complicated.

What was your ultimate fix? Did you re-glass the tube area?

 

[Martyn]

Had this exact problem on our boat ( discovered one day after taking delivery !) the bilge was filling over night. Turns out the shaft was riding in the bottom of the log and had worn a hole in it. I tried packing epoxy putty around the area where the log exits the hull, it only slowed it a bit until we could haul the boat. Once the boat was out of the water I was able to pull the shaft and the stuffing box and see what the problem really was.
I agree with Pete the Cat that the only way to properly fix this is to haul the boat so that you can find out what the root cause of the problem is and go from there.
From you pic it looks like the stern tube has possibly been painted black. Maybe from a previous repair ?

Thank you! I was hoping there'd be an easier solution. I still feel like if I can apply an air hose to the shaft seal nipple and blow air through the shaft seal and stearn tube to keep it dry for 4 hours or so, I can apply the epoxy putty in a dry environment and that might do the trick. The nearest haulout is a 37 hour sail/motor south of me so its a bit complicated.

What was your ultimate fix? Did you re-glass the tube area?

 

[paddlingctdoc]

I had the same issue on my 30+. I noticed the bilge pump going off every few hours. At one point, I had the yard doing some work call me to say that the bilge was flooding with water and that the boat needed to be hauled to keep it from sinking. The log tube had essentially cracked away from where it was glassed in. It was a very expensive repair because they essentially had to remove the engine and hot water heater to gain enough access to glass in a new log tube. It's not clear at all how the crack happened. It is something that should be fixed. If the crack widens (as it must have with my boat), you can take on a lot of water in a hurry.

 

[JSM]

What was your ultimate fix? Did you re-glass the tube area?

The hole was in the tube. I fixed it by waxing a piece of flexible plastic and wrapped it around the outside of the tube so as to maintain the outside diameter of the tube. The plastic was held in place with hose clamp. I then layed in small strips of glass to fill the hole. After it cured I used a broom handle wrapped in sandpaper to smooth out the inside of the tube.
So far the repair has held solid for the last seven years.