My stuffing box has developed a leak. Mechanics have told me that it is a Dripless and that a fibreglass sleeve has failed and needs to be replaced. This is not anything I can do myself and getting available expert labour may mean that I cannot sail for the rest of the season. Can I replace the Dripless with a traditional box rather than have mechanics try to repair the Dripless? Where might I find one? How heavy are they if I need to ship one? Other suggestions?
Others disagree, but I have always been in favor of the traditional packing style stuffing boxes for reasons such as this. Isn’t there a NS30 in Connecticut that someone is parting out?? You could possible get the whole set up.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
Sounds like your problem is with the tube that the dripless bearing mounts to rather than with the bearing itself. I think the best solution would need to be done out of the water since the seal, dripless or not, needs to slip up the shaft, or worst case the shaft needs to be pulled. To get you to haul out may be possible to plug the leak in the in the fg sleeve. If you can tell where the leak is you can use underwater epoxy. Here is one product, but there are others. To prep try to clean the substrate as much as possible, with bronze wool. This stuff when mixed is a thick paste that you push into and around the crack. Once you are out of the water you can decide what next.
