"
VOLTAGE REGULATOR: This boat has a generator instead

Sorry can't help with this one

LEAK: The boat is plywood lapstrake. Where the bottom-

My father has a 26 foot Hutchinson runabout. It leaks a bit pretty much all
the time just like yours but its not plywood.


SHAFT PACKING: The packing around the prop-shaft
was leaking a few drips. This, I believe, is normal. But at
one point the packing nut came totally apart (still on the
shaft of course). We just tightened it up better and it
stayed fine the rest of the day.

I don't believe this is normal, I have fixed shafts that did this and
stopped the leak with new packing material. On the other hand its pretty
minor. The nut coming off is not minor but I don't know enough to say if
you had a one time accident or if its a sign of a problem. I would check
the packing nut from time to time to see if its loosening up on its own.



RETRIEVING TO THE TRAILER:

We have exactley the same problem with the trailer that you do. We tie the
boat to the post as tight as possible but the bow seldom rests against the
post when all is said and done. If its not within a couple of inches we
back into the water and do it again. Our post is located a bit further
forward in relation to length of the trailer so if we don't have the boat
snug on the post its still snug on the trailer. If its possible to set your
trailer up so that the sweet spot is 6" to a foot long getting the boat on
the trailer will be easier. We do have rollers in the center.



Any help or ideas with these issues will be
greatly appreciated as has all the previous
advise that got us this far has been.

Gary

Pics: http://tinyurl.com/4coae