Soooooooo, when we were coming up the Chesapeake towards Washington DC, the dripless shaft seal wasn't dripping, it was gushing! A little disconcerting to say the least, but we lowered our RPMs, adjusted our heading, checked the bilges more often, and continued on our way.
We found a yard that allows DIYers and we hauled out yesterday here at the Dennis Point Marina & Campground. It's in a lovely, quiet spot on the St. Mary's River, far from the big city. The view from our cockpit is idyllic. The staff is laid back, yet friendly and helpful. Folks come here to relax, camp, fish, and maybe do a little crabbing.
We come here to work.
First we removed the propeller.
And the propeller hub.
Then this flange thing.
And finally the shaft.
And the cutless bearing.
All to get to the leaky shaft seal you saw in the first photo.
It has taken us 8 hours to get this far. Now to decide which type of shaft seal will fit (dripless again, or traditional), order the new parts, and re-install everything. And paint the bottom again and install new anodes.
I'm telling you, the fun never ends here on Thistle!
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