Denis Marier wrote:
Tell us how you replace the packing while the boat is in the water.

Same way you would out of the water, except with a little more care &
advance planning

It's really not a big deal, *if* you have good enough access that
reaching the packing gland itself isn't a major endeavor. Since this is
such a key part of the boat, I don't understand why so many boat
builders put so much stuff in the way. Maybe good access to key
mechanical parts is not a big selling point for many buyers.

Unless you already have big problems with the packing, you should be
able to take the nut off & check out the threads carefully without much
(if any) increase in leakage. You may even be able to pull the first
packing ring or two before entering "hurry up" mode. Anyway, it would be
a good idea to have somebody else standing by on board & an emergency
bilge pump handy, just in case.

In any event, once you get the packing nut off & check the threads,
(assuming you don't have huge problems already), that is the time to
double insure that you have the right size packing, puller(s), wrenches,
etc etc, to get the whole thing re-assembled with dispatch. Pre-cut the
new packing, angling the cuts like a pro and checking the fit.

Now pull out the old packing rings, and push in the new ones. The first
new one may be difficult, but if it's the right size it will
considerably slow down the inflow when shoved into the gland. Don't
worry about seating it perfectly, just get it in & alignd & pushed in
enough to start the next ring. By the time you've got 2 new rings in
(remember to offset the cuts like a pro), the leakage should be just a
trickle. Now you're home free... seat the new rings as far down as you
can, continue to add packing rings until no more can fit in. Write down
in the maintenance log how many you put in.

When putting in new packing, I like to leave the nut a little bit loose
until I can run the engine. 1 drip every 3 seconds when running should
be about the most leakage; when the engine is stopped there should be
only very slow leakage or none (as the original poster stated).

BTW you should also know in advance if your packing gland has a lantern
ring. This complicates matters somewhat, they can get jammed and cause a
big delay, which might necessitate a haul-out after all.

Easy as pie!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King