Replacing the stern gland, Gävle, 10 June

On the post about the start of the 2019 season, I was showing Belisama being lifted, antifouled, and put back to waters. At the time, I did not do a good job in purging the stern gland (the seal on the propeller shaft), and a few days after getting back to waters, we got into a crisis with hundreds of litres of waters in the hull.

What sounded at the time as a major crisis that could jeopardise the start of the season, ended-up smooth and easy as we happened to be passing Gävle...

Belisama on the good care of Christer in Gävle Fliskärvärket

I will never forget the few days when water was getting it by 100 litres everyday, and I had to pump twice a day to keep her afloat. Not fun at all, as it even initially corroded the fresh water pump that took me hours to get back on.

Flocon-de-mer, the beautiful OVNI 395 owned by Florence and Christophe wintered in Gävle couple of years go. In fact, we mets on the sea, as they were departing from Gävle (in 2016) and we were passing by. Two OVNIs meeting by chance just around the corner of an island was kind of weird... But when we had to take Belisama out of water to fix her sphincter problem, I remembered that Flocon-de-mer was there, and I decided to get there to fix the problem. As you know, if you have been in the Baltic, early June is clearly the time where you cannot get a mechanic to look at your problems, or a marina to take care of you. Tyvär!

Yet, in Gävle, Christer recognised our boat as an OVNI, remembering Flocon-de-Mer, and managed to put us in his schedule and get Belisama out of water for a few hours in order to change the stern gland. Thanks Christer!

Christer getting his cart under Belisama to get her out

Belisama and Christer crew getting Belisama on the cradle

Belisama uplifted in Gävle

The minute we were out of water started the race against time for replacing the stern gland. For doing so, I had watched all youtube videos I could find, and contacted Flocon-de-mer and Cybèle 17 for advice, all very useful indeed. 

Changing the gland on the paper looks straight forward. Decouple the propeller shaft from the transfer gear box, change the gland and recouple. Youtube even tells you that you can do this while in water. I did not want to challenge myself to this extend... So we went out, and spent a good hour to disconnect the shaft from the transfer box. I had a hub extractor, but it could not fit to do the job. We ended-up pulling the shaft out by gently hitting it back. 

The transfer box connector.

Funnily, when disconnecting the plate from the transfer box, we could not get the bolts out in order to fit the hub extractor. It seems that there are some tricks on the side of the bolt to allow them to get out... Once this achieved, fitting back a new stern gland to the shaft was a piece of cake with the orange protection on the picture.

Should you need to do it, here is my advice:

• Get the boat off water
• Disconnect the plate from the propeller of the transfer gear box
• Get a hub-extractor to disconnect the propeller shaft from the plate. If you don't have such an extractor, gently use a hammer on the propeller to get it out.
• Remove the guiding block from the shaft.
• Fit the new gland on the shaft ( picture below).

• Insert back the guiding block on the shaft.
• Fit back the shaft plate to the transfer box.
• Reconnect the propeller shaft to the plate by gently hitting the propeller with a hammer to get it in. 
• Lubricate the gland by inserting grease all around as on the picture below.

• Once back in the water, press the gland by hand. You should hear the air getting out and see the water getting through. All done by then. 

End of the day in Synskär, on the SXK buoy...