An odd fix...

Hey all, I have an odd one I'm scratching my head over. I must apologize up front for my lack of knowledge in this field. I'll do my best so please bear with me!

On my recently purchased used 34' sailboat (which has been on the hard for years) I just pulled my prop and shaft. While off, I also wanted to tend to the failing, cracking epoxy around my cutlass bearing carrier. I was never quite sure why it was there to begin with. I always assumed this was perhaps once a bad leak and this was the prior owner's way of fixing it. There are no bolts/screws attaching either the cutlass bearing carrier or the stuffing box to the hull, just epoxy and 5200 coming out of those holes. I'm assuming this is all epoxy, could be poly.

As I gradually removed this epoxy/cabosil build up (which pretty much fell off on it's own), I noticed my cutlass bearing carrier was not flush with the surface of the hull. The top end of it was bedded in a thickened epoxy, tilting it towards the ground. Which would mean that the entire stern tube, stuffing box, shaft, split coupler, engine, etc..are all at this angle. It is a little over 12" between the cutlass bearing carrier and the stuffing box in the hull.

I can only assume that when the vessel was new and the hole was drilled for the shaft that someone drilled it at the wrong angle and this was the fix? Possible?

I am also pretty sure that since the prop is setting at an angle not originally intended by the designer (Lyle Hess), that the vessel isn't seeing it's full potential when under power?

I would love to hear from anyone that can help me understand why this odd fix. And better yet, how to correct the situation. The attached pics are much larger, please click on them. Thanks in advance!!

 

I forgot to mention that this vessel has the original engine and engine mounts that this production vessel come equipped with. So there was no swap to a different engine that would possibly create an angle issue. Hope this helps...

 

not likely there will be any noticeable performance difference, nor much affect from that small of an angle change.

If this is a production hull, this most likely was a production accommodation made after it was discovered the mold was not quite right at this location. Usually not very many of each model are made so they will just use the mold as-is until they have to make another one when the original wears out. Or it may have been designed around a different, perhaps lower profile, engine installation, but once production got underway the engine of choice was no longer available and they substituted a different engine/drive system for a less costly installation.

you might see if they is an owners group for this particular boat model, or similar ones made from the same hull lines, and see if anyone knows the history of this installation.

As long as you get the repairs done properly, and make sure the drive shaft is balanced, there should not be any consequences of it. I have always found that good sailboat hulls are not terribly pleasant when under power, they just were not designed for being driven by a prop. Motor sailors are different of course, but they do not sail as well as a boat designed as a pure sailboat. I think that is what Lyle Hess would not have compromised.

 

It's not uncommon for the "fair body" at the end of the appendage to not be in alignment with the cutlass fitting flange. It's also possible a repower (like Petros mentioned) has forced a shaft angle change.

It's probably polyester, rather than epoxy. A quick check is the color. Hit the suspected areas with a 80 - 100 grit pad, making it fairly smooth, then wipe it with some water. If it has a green or blueish tint, it's likely polyester, if it's milky, off white or yellowish, it's epoxy. Of course these has to be done of solid laminate, not an area that's busted up and fractured, which will look milky, regardless of resin type.

 

This is a production vessel. I'll contact the builder today with a barrage of questions. I'll know more (hopefully) when I contact the builder and it was something on their end and not an alter from one of the owners.

In the meantime, what would be your recommendations for a proper fix?

If it's not an engine issue and the mistake is in the hull design, then shouldn't I glass in the void, while fairing/blending around the curve? I would think this should do it and you wouldn't even know there was anything wrong. Or is it best to just cut and shape a stainless steel wedge for under the cutlass fitting flange? Possible weld the two together? Or a G10 wedge?

 

It's not a hull design flaw, it's simply a business decision by a cutlass manufacture. You can cast custom shaped flanges on the back of every cutlass you make or you can simply cast them all, with a perpendicular flange and let the builder make a "fair body" to it. The business choice is several model, typically of differing diameters and perpendicular flanges or hundreds of models with the same diameters but flanges to every shape and angle necessary.

The proper fix is to align the shaft and cutlass, after removing the goo and fractured laminate surrounding the flange of the current setup. This may require you "cast" a new fair body around the flange base, but this is also typical and pretty easy.

Access what you have, in regard to how the boat was originally equipped and see if this is what you have (probably not) then make the appropriate adjustments. Which of the dozen or so Lyle Hess production designs do you have? What year, model, etc? The prop opening looks like it could be a Bristol Channel Cutter. If it is, she should have a 27 HP, Yanmar 3YM30 in her.

 

It's 1999 34' Falmouth Cutter with a Yanmar 3JH2E. I've been in touch with the builder of these vessels and he assures me the engine is the original one. It even has the yanmar dealer placard on it from Cape Town, South Africa (where these vessels were originally built).

My plan at this point is to remove the cutlass flange and check the condition of the bronze stern tube. The builder told me that if it's no good, to just hammer it out and replace with a fiberglass one. If I'm able to remove the stern tube (never done it before), I still have plenty of adjustment with my engine mounts that I probably could correct that shaft angle, not quite sure until I can remove the tube and see what kind of room there is in there to work with.

If it is what it is and the engine is staying at that angle, I love PAR's idea of a cutlass manufacturer making a custom flange.

This is my first time working on a shaft alignment project so thanks for all the information given so far.