Hi
I have a Roberts 25 about 25 years old with a 23 hp Kubota engine. Have owned her for 12 months and it is my first yacht. The stern gland is dripping about 4-6 drops a minute at present. Not a big deal but I can't really tighten it anymore so think it is going to need repacking.
Probably a silly question but is it possible to repack without getting the boat out of the water?
I used too do mine in the water.I had very little clearance between shaft and tube.Also heard of people going overboard and sealing where shaft comes out.However i think maybe it could be a bit embarrassing if you had a lot of water intake and sunk boat.Also adding 1 ring will sometimes do the job
I tried it once. Only got as far as removing the lock nut, water poured in, and then I couldn't get it back on. Ended up with a leak I couldn't stop. Slept on the boat (wife bought me a few beers and a feed) and pumped out every hour or so until the morning when I got a boatyard to fix it.
It may be able to be done by an experienced person, I doubt many would try it, but to do it properly to get a reliable gland you have to dismantle the gland and remove all the old packing. Water pisses in at many litres a minute. Any cockups, you can't pump as fast as the leak. Boat sinks.
Some boatyards will do a quick slip and do it with the boat on the slip.
In your case where you don't know exactly what size and the number of packing rings your boat has I would suggest saving this job till she is on the slips.
Repacking afloat is fairly easy if you have plenty of room to operate at the gland, lot of yachts don't. Have the correct number and size of packing rings cut to length. Dismantle the gland and remove the packing, may need an implement for this like a big straightened out fish hook. The water does rush in. Arrange the packing rings so the joins are 90 degrees out or so and re assemble. Don't over tighten. The tricky bit is getting the correct type and size packing material.
It is also a good idea to cut the packing at an angle so that the join isn't a straight edge.
A tip i got from a greek diver in corfu many years ago. Place plastercine between shaft and hull, you dont need to fill space up just an "outer ring" till water stops then remove and replace packing. Do not leave boat while doing this. When finished putting boat in gear would tear out the plastercine. Remember, all
these "short cuts" are done at your own risk!
