[Alberg30] stern tubes

[Brian and Elaine Timmins]

Two years ago, I took mine apart and it was a "normal" set up using only one piece of hose. I've only owned the boat for six years so I don't know if someone had done this before. I find it hard to believe that Whitby would have set up the connection as you describe. On the other hand, I do know a brain dead person that did something similar to fit two mismatched hose barb fittings. I also can see the point to trying to move the packing nuts up toward the engine, although I believe the shortest hose is the best hose.
Regards,
Brian     Free Spirit    #497
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: R.C. Alley 
  To: public-list at alberg30.org ; member-list at alberg30.org 
  Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 1:35 PM
  Subject: [Alberg30] A4, stern tubes


  1. Alva Windham, now commodore of the Solomon Island YC, inquired of me today if I knew if anyone had an Atomic 4 they wanted to sell--he's looking for one to rebuild.  He tells me that he once had an A30, named Dolphin. He left the Assn. in the late 1980's.  If you have an A4 for sale, or know where there is one in rebuildable condition, please contact him directly at windham at chesapeake.net or send the information to me.

  2. I removed the stern tube, stuffing box, hose, and clamps from Nevermore today; the engine is out and I am taking advantage of the opportunity to replace, rebuild, and repaint without the joy of lying on my belly in the cockpit and working beyond fingertip reach (in the rain).  What I found was troubling if not positively dangerous. The stern tube is about 1/8th inch OD larger than the stuffing box hose flange OD. For some reason, a previous owner had  used standard exhaust hose (two pieces, one over the other) on the tube which flares down to one piece (only) on the stuffing box, all about 10 inches long. Its been in the boat at least since I bought it in 1991, and is quite ready for replacement.  

  The standard way to do this is to purchase a thick wall hose which is sold particularly for this purpose, in lengths of about 4 inches. If used, this would have put the stuffing box back closer to the deadwood by about 3 inches, and may have been beyond the reach necessary to tighten the gland nut when necessary.  The problem,(as I see it) is that exhaust hose is not the proper material to use, and using two thicknesses of exhaust hose means that the clamps never actually bear on the inner hose, and, as the outer hose gets old and stiff, it may leak and fail--and you can't fix it without pulling the boat.

  Any comments from y'all?  I'd like to know if this is the normal way Whitby did this, or was this the braincramp of a lesser genius?

  RA
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