I’m leaving my love for a week to sail aboard my other love, the Lewis R French. Elizabeth’s stuffing box has been leaking an uncomfortable amount, and her auto bilge pump wiring and operation isn’t what it should be. So it is time to tackle the dreaded in-the-water shaft packing renewal procedure.

I imagined a gushing fire hydrant, both electric bilge pumps screaming to stay above water and someone stationed at the manual bilge pump ready to pump into the night to save our sinking girl. Madly rushing to remove the old packing, get the new packing cut, greased and installed, all the while fumbling with tools, dropping them into the ever deepening bilge water, and eventually losing complete control as the engine began to get its feet wet. However, the removal of the packing nut proved a major let down. A small steady stream of sea water fell into the bilge, barely enough to brush ones teeth with.

I used a combination of flax and drip-less moldable packing. I followed the instructions and tips found here, and found the job to take about as long, and to be as easy as changing the oil. One thing I did learn after a few failed attempts of scratching at it, is that the packing removal tool works like a cork screw. You screw it into the old packing, then pull back on the T handle, and the entire strip of packing comes out very easily. The aroma of the old packing reminded me of a vintage merlot from Bourgandy I once drank. I fashioned some simple packing-pushers out of a small bit of PVC pipe I had. It worked well enough. It’s a messy job with the grease, and latex gloves would’ve been a good idea.

Right now there is no drip, and the gland nut is slightly hand tight. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes after a few more hours on the engine underway.