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01-14-2016, 05:56 PM
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#1
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Veteran Member
City: Nacogdoches
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 43
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First Vessel!
The admiral and I are excited about closing on our first vessel, an Endeavour TrawlerCat 44, but now we are starting to realize the logistical challenges we face in taking delivery and getting started cruising.
The sea trials revealed a port main that is slightly out of alignment. Is this something that I should rush to get corrected, or is it likely that a few days of shakedown/training cruises in the St. Lucie River will do it no harm?
Thanks
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01-14-2016, 06:06 PM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
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Well . . . congratulations (I guess) on closing, and now being able to tackle all the challenges which lie ahead. No thoughts on the "port main out of alignment," but perhaps some of our experts (Ski?) will be able to shed some light on that.
__________________
John
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01-14-2016, 06:25 PM
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#3
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Guru
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,834
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Congratulations on your new boat!
On the alignment question, I would want to determine the extent of the problem before postponing the repair. Bad alignment can cause excessive wear on stern bearings, shaft seals and also damage the transmission. Repairs tend to get more expensive the longer you postpone them.
Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
"Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters
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01-14-2016, 07:08 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Galveston, Texas
Vessel Model: 24" El Pescador
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 744
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Congratulations!!
Always fix "stuff" that has the potential to break "other stuff".
This sounds like a matter of how out of align is it.
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01-14-2016, 07:11 PM
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#5
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Guru
City: Bethlehem, PA
Vessel Name: Lady Kay V
Vessel Model: 1978 Hatteras 53MY
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,098
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Congrats..... and how did we get to this "slightly" out of alignment diagnosis? You said sea trials..... Was there a vibration and the sales guy made the diagnosis? Was there measurements taken whilst on the hard? We did haul for the survey right?
Broad statements like "slightly out of alignment" scare me. If it is just that, yeah, no rush, just take it easy. But if these diagnoses are made by "professionals" who benefit from making the deal happen I get worried. If a knowledgeable, IMPARTIAL, tech took measurements and reported that, OK.
Flags....
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01-14-2016, 07:18 PM
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#6
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Veteran Member
City: Nacogdoches
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 43
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While doing the sea trials the surveyor told me that the shaft seal needs to be replaced and that the engine may be out of alignment. The port shaft seal is slinging water. How the surveyor determined that the port main may be out of alignment I don't know.
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01-14-2016, 07:21 PM
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#7
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Guru
City: Bethlehem, PA
Vessel Name: Lady Kay V
Vessel Model: 1978 Hatteras 53MY
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,098
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jacks88
While doing the sea trials the surveyor told me that the shaft seal needs to be replaced and that the engine may be out of alignment. The port shaft seal is slinging water. How the surveyor determined that the port main may be out of alignment I don't know.
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OK that's better. The surveyor was working for you, normally speaking. Shaft seals are routine maintenance, no big deal. Learn how to do it. Determining alignment is a reasonably involved procedure.
Did you query him as to why he said that?
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01-14-2016, 07:23 PM
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#8
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Guru
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,834
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I would find a boat mechanic for real answers.
Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
"Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters
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01-14-2016, 08:09 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
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The shaft seal may be wearing out prematurely due to misalignment. My port shaft turned out to be bent, indicator was chewing out packing in the gland yearly. Not something I would leave once diagnosed.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
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01-14-2016, 08:40 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Maine Coast
Vessel Name: Tortuga
Vessel Model: Nunes Brothers Raised Deck Cruiser
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 889
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Get your feeler gauge out and check the alignment. it will take less than an hour. If measurements left to right or top to bottom are more than 0.003"-0.004" it could use a bit of tweaking.
The measurements are easy to do.
1. Loosen (not remove the coupler bolts and open the coupler by 0.03" or so.
2. Put a 0.01" feeler in the bottom and push the coupler against it until it is tight.
3. Remove the feeler and measure the gap at the top and note the difference between top and bottom.
4. Repeat 2 and three for the two sides of the coupler.
5. Rotate the shaft and repeat 2-4 again.
Compare results of 1-4 and 5. Differences indicate either a bent shaft or an out of true coupler.
If the results are quite different side to side or top to bottom (>0.004") the engine needs to be aligned. This is best done by someone who knows how to do it. It isn't hard, but it is a fussy job.
Don't forget to retighten the coupler bolts when you are finished.
As the owner of a wooden boat that is hauled for the winter every year I do this every year.
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01-14-2016, 09:37 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Powell River, BC
Vessel Name: Northern Spy
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 26
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,075
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An open reading at 180° (the bottom) may also indicate a sagging shaft if it is overhung (a long thin shaft)
Not a problem if this is the case; just need to account for it.
I would hope that any professional aligning shafts would use dial indicators at a minimum, and optilign preferred. That said, it is not rocket science and close is probably good enough.
Not slagging TDunn, sounds like he knows his boat well. I commend him for doing his own alignment checks annually.
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01-14-2016, 11:54 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: Seattle
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,142
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Unless I felt comfortable with checking myself per TDunn's excellent explanation, I would have it done ASAP and repaired if necessary. Fro experience I can that little problems quickly grow to big problems and the cost progression is geometric, not linear.
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02-07-2016, 07:37 AM
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#13
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Veteran Member
City: Nacogdoches
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 43
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Boat is in the yard for new shaft seals, shaft alignment, and a new cutlass bearing. No sense putting it off. Gonna have the new name put on as well, going with "Aint Bad" for now.
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02-07-2016, 07:44 AM
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#14
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Moderator Emeritus
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jacks88
Boat is in the yard for new shaft seals, shaft alignment, and a new cutlass bearing. No sense putting it off. Gonna have the new name put on as well, going with "Aint Bad" for now.
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Good. Glad to hear that you are taking care of it. :-)
__________________
John
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02-07-2016, 11:00 AM
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#15
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Guru
City: Inside Passage Summer/Columbia River Winter
Vessel Name: Alaskan Sea-Duction
Vessel Model: 1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 8,050
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Congrats!!! How about some pics! BTW welcome to TF
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02-07-2016, 12:20 PM
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#16
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Guru
City: Cape Cod
Vessel Name: Slip Aweigh
Vessel Model: Prairie 29
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,219
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Sounds like a fine mess you've gotten us into Ollie!!!!
Enjoy. And post pics. It's nice to see new places and new boats.
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02-07-2016, 10:33 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Bayview
Vessel Name: Puffin
Vessel Model: Willard Vega 30
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,444
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Just as a reminder, alignment should be done in the water to be most effective.
__________________
What kind of boat is that?
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02-08-2016, 09:33 AM
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#18
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Guru
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jacks88
Boat is in the yard for new shaft seals, shaft alignment, and a new cutlass bearing. No sense putting it off. Gonna have the new name put on as well, going with "Aint Bad" for now.
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Wifey B: Aint or Ain't?
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02-09-2016, 05:40 AM
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#19
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Veteran Member
City: Nacogdoches
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 43
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Pictures will have to wait until we get her out of the yard. Only thing I have thus far is one shot my wife took during the survey haul out. Besides, these Trawlercats aren't much to look at, a profile only a mother could love (or perhaps in this case the original designer). Seems like everything I purchase these days has a serious case of the butt-uglies. Could say something about my crumbling taste . . .
Aint will have NO punctuation.
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02-09-2016, 06:01 AM
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#20
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Enigma
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,565
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Greetings,
Mr. 88. " Could say something about my crumbling taste . . ." OR your practicality.
__________________
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