Jeva
Member
Does anybody know if it's possible to source imperial sized cutlass bearings in Greece?
Thanks All
Thanks All
You'll save money though if you can buy it in England.
Which part of Greece? Both chandleries in Leros could obtain just about whatever you want. There are many UK boats berthed on the island and it would be surprising if none of them ever ordered Imperial components. They certainly do inch shaft anodes.
Some metric sizes are extremely close to imperial. I have digital dial caliper which converts metric to imperial with the push of a button. Many do. Set it at 25 mm then switch it to inches. The difference from one inch is tiny, too tiny to matter. Ditto 3mm and 1 1/4 inch. Write down the difference and set your caliper to the difference, and see if it is enough to worry about. Would you throw away a bearing with only that much wear?
Some have cut a slice out, and wrapped a shim around them, for many more years of use.
This totally unnecessary. Cutless bearings are made in precise sizes of OD and ID to give the right clearances in the housings. Using the "near" equivalents is just not necessary. Order the correct size from the supplier after measuring the bearing housing and shaft ACCURATELY. In Europe, and particularly the UK there are many reputable suppliers of the correct sizes so no need to bodge..
This is the kind of thinking which makes one totally helpless when things go wrong in remote areas.
This is the kind of thinking which makes one totally helpless when things go wrong in remote areas.
The OP was not in a remote area and was doing routine maintenance. a boat that would need to replace a cutless in a remote area I would suggest is badly prepared as it is not the sort of item that fails just because you are remote.
Of course one may at times have to "bodge", but it is completely unnecessary in normal circumstances. You can avoid the need to bodge by doing things properly and using the correct materials in the first place.
BTW only a very tiny minority of sailors go to "remote" places so your advice as you try to give here is mostly useless to the majority of sailors (and often dangerous)!