Leaking Stern Gland Flooding Engine and Back Cabin....

[DHutch]

Your also right to get the heat a dehumidifiers in and get it all dried out as fully as you can as well.

- You often find the once you've pumped all the water out engines/electrics they will work fine shortly afterwards.

- But then over the next fortnight, month, year, everything starts to rust and go give issues. If you havnt got it nice and dry.

 

We once left a small outboard leaning against a wall half way between the tidelines.

- It was recovered shorly after it was subbmerged, fully cleaned and rinsed in fresh water, and with carb and plugs cleaned out with petrol, ran find for the next fortnights holiday. Putting in 2hours flat out runing minimum each day.

- However the following year, after a 50 weeks in a (dryish) garage, it gave no end of greif. Corrouded points, coils, stop switches and the like!

 

It now runs perfectly. And of cause the salt water wont have helped. But if i had my time again i would have taken it to bits once we got back from the holiday and done a full service on it. Rather than doing that during the first two days of the holiday with half the tools, and spares at salcombe prices!!

 

 

Daniel

[hscott]

Thanks for that - we've taken advice from RCR who have been absolutely superb throughout, and we're having the starter motor (which ironically was brand new in August last year....) reconditioned, and the engine thoroughly serviced and looked at and dried out as much as we can. It's obviously a major priority for us this week...keep realising just how fortunate we've been....

[hscott]

Update for anyone who'd like it....

 

Engine totally serviced yesterday, and full inspection done - fortunately, she's been given a clean bill of health and everything seems in good working order - we've been incredibly lucky.

 

Seems the stern gland doesn't need re-packing either, and the electrics haven't been damaged (Although I know that any problems may arise in 12mths), however the engineer seemed to think it's as sound as it can be given the near miss we've had.

 

THank you all for your advice - what a week this has been - just about coming back down to earth and thanking our lucky stars that we found it when we did...

[DHutch]

Does sound like you where lucky, caught it in time, and took the right actions.

- Were going down to emilyanne this weekend, having not been aboard for nearly 2months.

 

 

Daniel

[blackrose]

Update for anyone who'd like it....

 

Engine totally serviced yesterday, and full inspection done - fortunately, she's been given a clean bill of health and everything seems in good working order - we've been incredibly lucky.

 

Seems the stern gland doesn't need re-packing either, and the electrics haven't been damaged (Although I know that any problems may arise in 12mths), however the engineer seemed to think it's as sound as it can be given the near miss we've had.

 

THank you all for your advice - what a week this has been - just about coming back down to earth and thanking our lucky stars that we found it when we did...

 

Try to do something about sealing the pipe penetrations through the bulkhead. I don't mean to be a harbinger of doom, but you can't rely on bilge pumps and since there's a fair chance you'll have leaks in future, if these could be contained in the engine bay at least the clean up operation won't be so bad. Also it might prevent your boat from sinking.

Edited January 5, 2008 by blackrose

[andy1]

You could always drill a few holes in the bottom to let the water drain out

[wonderdust]

hscott if the gland does not need repacking and it was dripping, how long was your boat left unattended for this amount of water to get in without anyone noticing its rear slowly sinking ?