[alberg30] Re: Rudder stuffing box

[Marjorie Goettle]

From: Marjorie Goettle <mgoettle at erols.com>

We found out that we had a rudder stuffing box the hard way.  When we
loaded up to go south in '95, we "pulled a stupid" -- we stored several
5 gallon jerry jugs of diesel and water in the lazerette.  On the first
all day motor, we found that we were taking several gallons of water an
hour into the bilge.  When we stopped motoring, the water accumulation
stopped also -- we latter realized that the leak stopped as the stern
came up.  It never leaked under sail the next day either, but leaked as
we motored to a friend's dock.  The shaft stuffing box was dripping
normally, but we saw a thin stream of water coming down from behind it. 
We went into Yankee Point Marina off the Corrotoman.  They traced the
leak to the rudder stuffing box.  We said, "What rudder stuffing box?". 
Anyway, they pulled just the stern of Jubilant out of the water, and had
their smallest man re-stuff and tighten it.  There was lots of cursing,
but the job got done without hauling the boat, and quite cheaply -- good
people. We tested the job by motoring the next day -- no leak! We moved
the jerry jugs to the side decks anyway.  It has never leaked again.

Marjorie: Jubilant #435

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