28TE stern tube construction

[Nancy]

More questions re: the filled keel:

Is the keel filled all the way to the bow?
Do your boats have garboard drain plugs in the keel? If so, where does that water (and goo) come from?

[Pitou]

If the gear mounts are still in the boat, which I think that they would be and things were well marked at removal, you may be able to just reinstall the gear in order to get the alignment for the shaft log from bearing housing to gear. Hoping that's the case and I bet it is and then the rest will fall together.

More questions re: the filled keel:

Is the keel filled all the way to the bow?
Do your boats have garboard drain plugs in the keel? If so, where does that water (and goo) come from?

Once the keel is filled and leveled with the rest of the bilge it will look like Rob's initial picture from TR. The hollow keel will be filled and leveled with the bilge and you will no longer have water to drain from the keel and the garboard drain in the keel can be removed as it will have no purpose. As far as where will the water go without a keel pocket .. at rest it will flow forward of the shower sump where there is a low spot in the cabin bilge and once underway it will flow to the transom where a new third bilge pump will discharge it. For winter layup I had a garboard drain plug in the transom.

[Pitou]

I just reviewed my pictures from when my gear and engine were out and there were no separate gear mounts. It looks like the engine and gear will need to go back in. As far as glassing in the keel pocket .. it can be done, but you'll need someone flexible and willing. I had my shaft seal replaced with the engine in, it just takes someone small enough and willing. Either way this project will take focus.

Here are some pictures of my bilge with the engine out:

CIMG0111.JPG

CIMG0112.JPG

CIMG0114.JPG

CIMG0110.JPG

[Nancy]

All very informative - thank you. We'd have to put the engine and gear back in, install the glass (not sure focus is the word I'd choose - lol), and then somehow paint. It would be nice, but the odds of it happening are not high. Yes, it would provide a cleaner and drier bilge, but we're in fresh water, and this is by no means an easy project.

[WillieC]

How odd. Were they all originally that way, flopping in the breeze, or did some of them miss a crucial step, say between Friday end of shift and Monday morning?

[Sisu22]

That's pretty much what my '94 looks like in there (without the glass fill) . I definitely don't have that fiberglass 'floor' like the clean one posted above. I can try to take some pictures when I'm out there next (probably this week).

Sounds like a serious project... what are you doing with the engine while its out?

[Ben423]

The stern tube should be installed such that it is essentially an integral part of the hull. One that is 4' long and supported only at one end would not be acceptable practice and I agree that it was probably an oversight on the part of the builder not to either fill the keel or add a support near the inboard end of the tube. To be clear, the tube should never come in contact with the shaft but vibration is transferred to it via the shaft seal whenever the engine is running, so it's important that it be properly supported. Given the shape of the keel, filling it with thickened resin after the tube is installed makes sense. Also, you can mock-up the correct shaft angle based on your Cummins engine documentation instead of reinstalling the engine. This should be fairly easy since you already know exactly where the outboard end of the tube should be. Over the years I built hundreds of sailboats, and a few powerboats as well, and we always used a mock-up to align the shaft log.

[Nancy]

Thanks, Ben. We will certainly be providing stern tube support one way or another.

Sisu, the engine needs nothing - it's in excellent shape. It had to come out to work on the stern tube and the transom . . . the core needs some love.

[Pitou]

Nancy, As an aside ..
In the 31 TE series we have the same keel pocket as your 28 and the stern tube only comes out of the rear of the keel a very short bit. It then runs unsupported to the gear and the length of shaft is a much longer run than on the 28. I'd climb aboard and take some measurements and get you a picture, but it will be a few more weeks as I'm in a walking cast as of last Monday ...

[Nancy]

Kevin, what?! No glassed in keel and no tube support in the 31? A 2006 no less. Based on all the discussion in this thread, that seems weird.

Uh oh, walking cast . . . mysterious pirate injury?

[WillieC]

I'm in a walking cast as of last Monday ...
kevinS
"drinking rum before 10AM makes you a Pirate, not an Alcoholic"


hmmm....

[Pitou]

Kevin, what?! No glassed in keel and no tube support in the 31? A 2006 no less. Based on all the discussion in this thread, that seems weird.

No support necessary as the tube only extends 5 or 6 inches out of the keel, just enough to attach the Tides dripless shaft seal. Maybe it's something to consider. Did the longer stern tube make access to shaft seal service a bit easier than having it buried deep under the engine in the keel filled boats? In the 31 the keel is directly under the rear cockpit hatch making it easy to put your hands on things shaft seal related.

Uh oh, walking cast . . . mysterious pirate injury?

The boat is on the hard, the pirate hat has been put away and it happened after 10 a.m.. I wish that I had been on the boat!

[RobS]

I'm in a walking cast as of last Monday ...
kevinS
"drinking rum before 10AM makes you a Pirate, not an Alcoholic"


hmmm....

Good one Willie!

[RobS]

What Kevin is explaining sounds very much like the Command Bridge setup. Here's a shot. The shaft log ends down in the keel bilge. The difference is that in these other boats the seal assembly is not under the engine and therefore there is overhead access to service the shaft seal assembly. In the 28 it would be impossible to access. In the 28 it needs to be mounted above the bilge floor level so it is accessed from the sides. If it were down inside the keel bilge it would not be accessible from the side or overhead. The right way (which Albin finally figured out) will be to glass in the keel bilge like the later boats like I pictured initially. This will also help keep a cleaner bilge.

[Serenity]

Speaking of engines out and stern tubes, does anyone have a clue to what the white pvc tube does for enjoyment?

DSCN1524.JPG

It is on the port side of the stern tube.