Sailing Jibsea · video

What this video covers

The owners of a 45-foot custom aluminum sailboat haul out at a Panama marina to replace a worn carbon-faced shaft seal.0:34 The existing seal showed signs of compression and minor leakage, prompting an upgrade to a silicone-based bellows system, which offers a 10-year service life compared to the standard five-year rubber version.8:32 Because the hull lacked pre-marked sling positions, a marina diver assisted in positioning the straps to avoid the propeller shaft and transducer.6:07 During the installation, the crew removed the coupling and carbon-graphite flange, replaced the bellows, and compressed the new unit 18 millimeters against the stainless steel shaft.14:45 After re-launching, the crew performed a sea trial to verify the seal’s integrity and ensure the carbon-graphite flange seated properly against the stainless steel flange.13:37 The process included burping the system to remove air bubbles and applying Loctite to the coupling set screws.13:43

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