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wrote:
I know I musta asked this before but why does just about every sailboat
have an auto-bilge pump? Does this mean that almost ALL shaft packings
leak like a sieve? With most boats being hauled at least every two
years you'd think they'd repack em if they were a problem. Is it a
matter of access to the packing nut? I Cant be the only person who is
so lucky that in the 12 yrs I have had my boat that I have never needed
an auto-pump? 2 yrs ago, I repacked it but found the old packing that
was 20 yrs old was in great shape.
So.......if the problem is access to the packing nut being difficult,
why not put the packing gland on the outside of the hull so that
whenever she is hauled it could be tightened. It could even be
tightened by a diver. Maybe even have a backup on the inside. At
least eliminate the fear of a bad auto-switch causing boats to sink.

Why spend any money on safety or assurance, or even insurance at all?

A lot of sailors are gold platers - gotta have everything,
especially anything justifyable as safety related, you know,
ballistic parachutes, etc.

Most are safety concerned, and value having means aboard to handle
forseeable events like the prop shaft just dissapearing out of the
boat, or a hose cracking, or a rock perforating the hull.

There is no panacea, so we take along Carter's little liver pills,
too, along with band aids and aspirin.

Mine has never been roused to anger, as they say. But the pump is
there, if ever it is needed, even if it only ends up being a minor
convenience. It's noise would wake up a drunk if water snuck in at
night. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Oh, aren't they a requirement?

Terry K