Replacing prop shaft with skeg in way?

[Tim Good]

Ok so decoupling a propshaft and drawing it out to replace the whole shaft should not be too much of a job. However, having never done this before, if a boat has skeg sat right behind the prop, how exactly is the prop shaft meant come out?

Don't tell me you have to remove the or lift the engine?

 

[macd]

Depends entirely on the geometry of log/skeg...and maybe internal geometry.
On my old Rival 32 the skeg made it impossible simply to withdraw the shaft after decoupling. This left two options:
1. Unbolt the cutless bearing housing, which allowed sufficient angle to wiggle the shaft around the skeg. This obviously wouldn't help if your boat has a P-bracket.
Or 2: remove prop, rope-cutter, then withdraw shaft forwards under engine (then back again to remove from boat); again, this worked for me but might not if room is tight under the engine. In my case, there was no need even to remove the shaft flange.

 

[Hypocacculus]

We have to remove the skeg.

 

[Tim Good]

We have to remove the skeg.

:disgust:

 

[sailorman]

Mine is rudder or engine out

 

[Tranona]

You have to look at the individual boat to determine the best way. Some boats have the shaft offset by just enough to draw the shaft out the back. Others, as suggested allow enough wriggle room if the stern tube bearing housing and stuffing box are removed first. Detachable skegs are rare as most are bonded into the hull. so the final option is lifting the engine enough to draw the shaft forward.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Mine was engine out. However, I had an Aquadrive fitted and when the coupling is removed I now have two shafts which allow both sections to be withdrawn with engine in place. So, if you thought something like Halyard's Aquadrive shaft coupling was a good idea, you may be able to rough cut the shaft, remove the two sections, final cuts etc and install new sections with new couplings. A bit of a kerfuffle, I agree, however, you could have an opportunity here.

 

[prv]

I've also seen one where the skeg had a small hole in it to allow the shaft to be passed right through.

In summary, the designer ought to have considered the issue, and if he didn't then it may well be an engine-out job.

Pete

 

[Scarboroughsloop]

If you are replacing the shaft you can cut the shaft as it comes out. Then on some boats you can take out the cutlass bearing which gives enough space to replace the full length new shaft. Then replace the cutlass bearing over the new shaft.

 

[rob2]

Used to work on a T24. The shaft end went into a cutless bearing in the rudder skeg, so it seemed to need the engine out to pull the shaft inboard. We got around it by sawing the shaft off just behind the prop and fitting a sleeve to reinstate it.

Rob.

 

[pessimist]

Engine out, I'm afraid (Rival 41)

 

[fortynine]

Friend of mines colvic had a hollow skeg, he just made a hole front and back and withdrew the shaft through the skeg, glassed it up when finished. If your skeg is foam filled you would have to drill through and replace the foam before glassing up.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Engine out or rudder out for us.

 

[cmedsailor]

Drop the rudder and pull (Beneteau 361). Otherwise engine out.

 

[michael_w]

My old Oyster has the engine beds, stern tube and P bracket ever so slightly offset so the shaft just clears the skeg. An added bonus is that the boat runs straight under power, with minimal corrective helm.

(smug git)

 

[davidej]

My old Oyster has the engine beds, stern tube and P bracket ever so slightly offset so the shaft just clears the skeg. An added bonus is that the boat runs straight under power, with minimal corrective helm.

(smug git)

You don't need to have an Oyster to be a smug git. My moody 31 had the same arrangement.

Came in useful when I bent the shaft a week before my annual cruise.