The Albin 36 Classic Shaft Log Tube

[damar]

Our trawler is a fix-er-upper. When I got this trawler - one of the things I tackled was to clean the bilge which was a suzzy yaucky mess. One of the first things I encountered after I cleaned the bilge was that the layer(s) of fiberglass that is covers the material that is in the skeg, was loose (not bonded down to the hull bottom) on one side. Without to much hassle I removed about 70% of this fiberglass. This was an area from the engine room forward bulkhead - back aft to under the forward part of the engine. After cleaning the bilge I did a fair amount of grinding of all the surfaces and including where the removed fiberglass was. Over a lengthy period of time I let the skeg dry out after which I refiberglassed the area over the skeg.

One day when I was down in the lazarette and looking around the water tanks - I found that area to be a mess, also. I measured the size of the tank and lazarette hatch and found that by rotating each tank 90 degrees - I could get the tanks out. To do this I had to drop the rudder. In the process of disconnecting the water lines from the tanks, probably about 3-5 gallons spilled into the bilge. The following day I saw water dripping out of shaft bearing at the aft end of the skeg. This I didn't like because where water came out (the trawler was on the hard) - water can also come in when it was in the water.

Last winter - working down through the aft cabin floor hatches and after a huge amount hours of fiberglass cutting, drilling, chiseling I got the 71" long shaft tube out. Even though it was stainless steel, there was numerous holes corroded through the tube.

At this point I still have not installed the new tube but have the new tube in hand. Now that it is winter here I have to wait for warmer weather to install this tube, as there will be a lot of fiberglassing to do.

As anyone ever encountered this before? Bye the way - my skeg was filled with wood chips/ fiberglass mixed in resin aft - where the shaft tube was and was filled with cement in the engine room area. Does this surprise me? Yes and no. I new this boat was a fix-er-upper and I really didn't know what to expect. But I'm glad I found this.

[jleonard]

Yes I knew the keel was filled with cement as mine (40 ft) is also. One friend of mine drilled and tapped for a plug thru the outside of his keel to let the water drain every winter. He fixed his inside to keep bilge water from entering the keel in the area you described, but it took like 6 seasons of draining until no more came out.
I also had a "drip" comming from under the are where the skeg met the keel. I also drill/tapped for a pipe plug and after 4 seasons I think it's finally dried out. My entry point was from an original bilge pump mounting in thebilge. That of course is now resolved.
"Porous" stern tubes are common among Taiwan built trawlers of this era. Many MTOA members have talked about this in the various boards. Knock on teak mine seems ok so far and I also don't think mine is anywhere near 6 feet long.
Look at it this way, you now have an opportunity to fix it permanently. Hopefully you have a way to make sure the replacement tube is inline properly.

[psneeld]

jleonard - if you don't mind me asking...where did you drill and tap a drain in your keel?

I'm doing an overhaul of everything below the waterline so I would appreciate anyhting that will improve the job.

I also posted a thread on how to remove the stuffing box...any insight? Looks to be stainless lag bolts...yes? no?

Thanks...

[jleonard]

Never changed the stuffing box so can't comment on that. I did put in a dripless though but that's all inside stuff.
The plug is under the stern tube. It is a 1/4 inch NPT , bronze with a allen socket.

[psneeld]

Never changed the stuffing box so can't comment on that. I did put in a dripless though but that's all inside stuff.
The plug is under the stern tube. It is a 1/4 inch NPT , bronze with a allen socket.

Thanks!

[C lectric]

Damar,
Yes, it has happened before. Not to me but to my brother in law on his '81 36' Classic. This would have been about 1986 or 1987. His was called a Grand Mariner but they were the same boat, just rebranded for Canada.
The builders used poor quality S.S. although to be fair even the best S.S. can and will rust if the oxygen is cut off when the metal is wet. Oxygen is a MUST and almost impossible in situations like this and water will get in sooner or later.
Take your time and do a good job and the boat will serve you well.
He sold his many moons ago but it still serves someone else well although no longer in the beautifull condition he kept it in. I haven't seen it for a few years.