Sailing Catalpa · video

What this video covers

Lee, captain of the 50-year-old sailboat Catalpa, identifies a significant oil leak in the vessel's Paragon gearbox while anchored in Ambon, Indonesia.1:25 The gearbox loses approximately 600 milliliters of oil over 50 nautical miles of motoring.1:02 Lee traces the leak to a worn O-ring on the gear selector piston, which sits against a brass bush inside the housing.14:11 After removing the top cover plate and the selector assembly, he discovers a spring-loaded ball bearing that provides the tactile "click" for gear shifting.11:02 He cleans the brass bush and the internal bore using valve grinding paste to remove surface imperfections and improve the seal.16:36 Lee replaces the perished O-ring with a spare found in the boat's inventory, noting that the previous owner likely encountered this recurring issue.15:51 He reassembles the unit by carefully tracking the orientation of all components, including washers and the retainer clip.10:02 The repair aims to stop the oil loss without requiring immediate machining of the housing.

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