On 11 June 2019 at 03:29 Stephen Davis <flyboyscd@...> wrote:

 

Hi Jose,

I’d also be interested in some of these seals, as water intrusion in spite of good bow thruster maintenance has been an on going problem for us. On our 31 day passage from Panama to Hawaii we had fairly bad leakage, and I built a mountain of modeling clay I had on hand around the shaft to stop it. That will completely stop the inflow for about 10 days until the clay gets saturated, and you have to pull it off and put some more on. I’d recommend everyone keep some on board for emergency repairs on long passages, as it beats the heck out of bailing water several times a day. The best solution might be your new seals, and I’d love to give them a try. 

Regards,

Steve Davis

Aloha SM72

Ko Olina, Hawaii

On Jun 10, 2019, at 9:59 AM, CW Bill Rouse < brouse@...> wrote:

Jose,

I too am interested in the source and part number.

Best,

Bill Rouse

720 Winnie St.

Galveston, Texas 77550

832-380-4970

My Calendar  

Yacht School

On Mon, Jun 10, 2019 at 9:35 AM ianjenkins1946 < ianjudyjenkins@...> < ianjudyjenkins@...> wrote:

Hi Jose,

In your original email you write of  having bought two seals and " installing them". Presumably you only installed one, replacing the 60-80-12 that Amel fitted ?

 Incidentally, to save you the  hassle of buying  a number of seals and then sending  them on, I'm happy to buy direct, in which case could you let me have the part number ?

 Equally, I'm happy to add to your own order if that helps to speed up supply.

 Thanks,

 Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302 Greece

 

---

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> on behalf of ianjenkins1946 <ianjudyjenkins@...> <ianjudyjenkins@...>
Sent: 10 June 2019 07:46
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Stuffing box drainage path

 

Hi Jose,

 This solution sounds really useful. We are definitely interested. Please contact me on    penazen@... so we can arrange payment and post.

 Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece

 

---

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> on behalf of Jose Venegas via Groups.Io <josegvenegas=icloud.com@groups.io>
Sent: 10 June 2019 02:12
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Stuffing box drainage path

 

Dear friends:

After I bought Ipanema 10  years ago we had two years of struggle trying to prevent the leak of water through the bow thruster.  About 8 years ago we had a long discussion on this forum about the bow truster seals which I had changed several times following all the recommendations given by Amel, including adding a third bottom donut seal to increase the pressure.  It was all at no avail.  So, before our transatlantic on 2012 I came up with a brute force solution adding an extra removable sealing system that was wrapped around the shaft and had to be secured after the bow thruster was fully retracted.  This worked very well during the trans Atlantic passage (not a single drop of water) and gave me the security of knowing that in addition of the sealing effect, the shaft was being held by one redundant mechanism. 

As we came back to Boston, we kept using the method but it became very inconvenient to mount and dismount the contraption every weekend when we left and came back to Constitution Marina.

My interpretation of the problem was that due to uneven wearing of the surfaces that guide the bow thruster up and down motion, it resulted in a misalignment between the shaft and the sealing surfaces.  This misalignment  caused a small deviation  of the shaft from the centerline which pushed the lip seal sideways and, because the Amel recommended seals are made of a hard material, it opened a point of water entry. 

I proceeded to test my hypothesis and ordered two special seals made of silicone from a soft seal manufacturer (SSP Inc).  It took several months to get them due to the small number of units I ordered (just 2) but, after I installed them three years ago, I had no more leaks and my bilge has been dry ever since.  The cost for the two seals was $72.50 and, more importantly I have not had to change them or the donut seals since I installed them. I have checked them and the donut seals and they are all still in good shape.

As I am preparing Ipanema for our long term cruise, I am ordering a few spares to carry with me and I will be happy to order some extra ones for any body that wants to try them.

I missed taking pix before installation but here are pictures of them installed, before and after adding the top donut.

Cheers,

Jose Gabriel Venegas

Ipanema SM2K 278

Boston

<UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17976.jpeg><UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17977.jpeg> 

 

 

On 11 June 2019 at 08:10 CW Bill Rouse <brouse@...> wrote:

Danny,

I believe that yours is adjusted and operated perfectly.

Best,

Bill Rouse

720 Winnie St.

Galveston, Texas 77550

832-380-4970

My Calendar  

Yacht School

On Mon, Jun 10, 2019 at 2:54 PM Danny and Yvonne SIMMS < simms@...> wrote:

Hi all,

I find it hard to understand why vessels built the same have such different experiences. Some never leak and some cant stop leaking.

However there may be a clue from many previous posts discussing how to get the right amount of lift by the electric retraction system. This seems to show an expectation that this motor will lift the thruster to its full retracted position allowing the insertion of the retaining pin. The retaining pin has a threaded adjustment so it can be made to suit where the motor has lifted the thruster to. However, the foam seals, to work, need pressure applied beyond that which the motor can achieve. (those who try may explain the number of burnt out motors). I have mine adjusted so the motor lift stops with the seals in contact. However at this point I have a "half hole" situation for the pin. I achieve the insertion of the pin by a strong sideways pull on the lifting cable and the tapered end of the pin assists this as I push it in. This results in good pressure on those foam seals. I have at times left a marina and motored down harbour with the thruster lifted but the pin not in and had significant leaking which immediately stops when I do the final lift and insert the pin. This confirms my experience that good pressure on the foam seals is needed for them to work. The lip seal is important too but without the foam seals working properly there is a huge hydraulic water pressure upwards as the boat pounds into a seaway that overcomes the lip seal.

That's my take on this.

Regards

Danny

SM 299 Ocean Pearl

On 11 June 2019 at 03:29 Stephen Davis < flyboyscd@...> wrote:

 

Hi Jose,

I’d also be interested in some of these seals, as water intrusion in spite of good bow thruster maintenance has been an on going problem for us. On our 31 day passage from Panama to Hawaii we had fairly bad leakage, and I built a mountain of modeling clay I had on hand around the shaft to stop it. That will completely stop the inflow for about 10 days until the clay gets saturated, and you have to pull it off and put some more on. I’d recommend everyone keep some on board for emergency repairs on long passages, as it beats the heck out of bailing water several times a day. The best solution might be your new seals, and I’d love to give them a try. 

Regards,

Steve Davis

Aloha SM72

Ko Olina, Hawaii

On Jun 10, 2019, at 9:59 AM, CW Bill Rouse < brouse@...> wrote:

Jose,

I too am interested in the source and part number.

Best,

Bill Rouse

720 Winnie St.

Galveston, Texas 77550

832-380-4970

My Calendar  

Yacht School

On Mon, Jun 10, 2019 at 9:35 AM ianjenkins1946 < ianjudyjenkins@...> < ianjudyjenkins@...> wrote:

Hi Jose,

In your original email you write of  having bought two seals and " installing them". Presumably you only installed one, replacing the 60-80-12 that Amel fitted ?

 Incidentally, to save you the  hassle of buying  a number of seals and then sending  them on, I'm happy to buy direct, in which case could you let me have the part number ?

 Equally, I'm happy to add to your own order if that helps to speed up supply.

 Thanks,

 Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302 Greece

 

---

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> on behalf of ianjenkins1946 <ianjudyjenkins@...> <ianjudyjenkins@...>
Sent: 10 June 2019 07:46
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Stuffing box drainage path

 

Hi Jose,

 This solution sounds really useful. We are definitely interested. Please contact me on    penazen@... so we can arrange payment and post.

 Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece

 

---

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> on behalf of Jose Venegas via Groups.Io <josegvenegas=icloud.com@groups.io>
Sent: 10 June 2019 02:12
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Stuffing box drainage path

 

Dear friends:

After I bought Ipanema 10  years ago we had two years of struggle trying to prevent the leak of water through the bow thruster.  About 8 years ago we had a long discussion on this forum about the bow truster seals which I had changed several times following all the recommendations given by Amel, including adding a third bottom donut seal to increase the pressure.  It was all at no avail.  So, before our transatlantic on 2012 I came up with a brute force solution adding an extra removable sealing system that was wrapped around the shaft and had to be secured after the bow thruster was fully retracted.  This worked very well during the trans Atlantic passage (not a single drop of water) and gave me the security of knowing that in addition of the sealing effect, the shaft was being held by one redundant mechanism. 

As we came back to Boston, we kept using the method but it became very inconvenient to mount and dismount the contraption every weekend when we left and came back to Constitution Marina.

My interpretation of the problem was that due to uneven wearing of the surfaces that guide the bow thruster up and down motion, it resulted in a misalignment between the shaft and the sealing surfaces.  This misalignment  caused a small deviation  of the shaft from the centerline which pushed the lip seal sideways and, because the Amel recommended seals are made of a hard material, it opened a point of water entry. 

I proceeded to test my hypothesis and ordered two special seals made of silicone from a soft seal manufacturer (SSP Inc).  It took several months to get them due to the small number of units I ordered (just 2) but, after I installed them three years ago, I had no more leaks and my bilge has been dry ever since.  The cost for the two seals was $72.50 and, more importantly I have not had to change them or the donut seals since I installed them. I have checked them and the donut seals and they are all still in good shape.

As I am preparing Ipanema for our long term cruise, I am ordering a few spares to carry with me and I will be happy to order some extra ones for any body that wants to try them.

I missed taking pix before installation but here are pictures of them installed, before and after adding the top donut.

Cheers,

Jose Gabriel Venegas

Ipanema SM2K 278

Boston

<UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17976.jpeg><UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_17977.jpeg> 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Danny,
I understand very well how the system SHOULD work and, if everything is new, the seals should work as designed.  Unfortunately, wear can change the system and, in my case nothing worked to stop the leak, including several adjustments of cable tension, and increasing compression by the pin.  As I said in my previous e-mails, I believe the problem occurs because the wear of the surfaces between the hull and the thruster that guide its motion result in a misalignment between the trunk and the seal, causing a lateral force on the lip seal which makes it incompetent allowing water intake.  The misalignment also results in the sealing surfaces between the donut seals and the hull are no longer parallel affecting its sealing action.   Following Amel instructions and wasting seals, money and time I realized that the problem could be corrected by designing a seal that would be made of a softer material and have lips that could maintain the seal in the presence of misalignment.   That solved the problem 3 years ago and I have had a dry bilge ever since.!!
In my design, I used two seals in series: a silicone wiper below and a silicone u-cup on top. This results in a slight protrusion of the seal above the horizontal fiberglass surface, as it can be seen in the pix I sent before.    I used silicone glue to secure the seals in place and was planning to add washers to secure them to the fiberglass, but after several months of procrastination, I realized that the glue was sufficient to keep the seals in place.  3 years later, using the thruster twice per week, almost every week during 6 months each summer, including a Marion to Bermuda race the seals are still working as new.  Since I add silicone grease to the trunk every year and, given the number of times (~50/year) that I use the thruster,   I am expecting that they will last a very long time.  So far I have serviced the thruster every year but have decided not to change any of the seals, including the donut seals, which looked in excellent condition.

I just received the quote from the seal manufacturer and it is as follows:

10 pcs. Silicone wiper $ 31.65ea.

10 pcs. Silicone u-cup  $ 32.50ea.

This it will be about $65 per set plus shipment and It will take  14-17 business days to ship from the order

so far I have received requests from:

Bob Ross, sv Nomad, Trinidad (1 set) 
Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece (?sets)
Chuck_Kim_Joy (? sets)

Steve Davis Aloha SM72  Ko Olina, Hawaii (? sets)
Mark, Cream Puff - SM2K - #275 (? sets)
Dan Taylor (2 sets)

Gerald Bassin Jetlag, SM113 (2 sets)

Since I want to place the order this week I will appreciate if each of you can e-mail me directly with your e-mail, the number of sets you want and the address two where it should be shipped.   
We still need to figure out the cost of shipping to each one of you and how you will transfer me the money, but given that is something we can figure out later.

Jose 
Ipanema SM2k 278, Boston

On 14 June 2019 at 05:32 "Jose Venegas via Groups.Io" <josegvenegas@...> wrote:

Danny,
I understand very well how the system SHOULD work and, if everything is new, the seals should work as designed.  Unfortunately, wear can change the system and, in my case nothing worked to stop the leak, including several adjustments of cable tension, and increasing compression by the pin.  As I said in my previous e-mails, I believe the problem occurs because the wear of the surfaces between the hull and the thruster that guide its motion result in a misalignment between the trunk and the seal, causing a lateral force on the lip seal which makes it incompetent allowing water intake.  The misalignment also results in the sealing surfaces between the donut seals and the hull are no longer parallel affecting its sealing action.   Following Amel instructions and wasting seals, money and time I realized that the problem could be corrected by designing a seal that would be made of a softer material and have lips that could maintain the seal in the presence of misalignment.   That solved the problem 3 years ago and I have had a dry bilge ever since.!!
In my design, I used two seals in series: a silicone wiper below and a silicone u-cup on top. This results in a slight protrusion of the seal above the horizontal fiberglass surface, as it can be seen in the pix I sent before.    I used silicone glue to secure the seals in place and was planning to add washers to secure them to the fiberglass, but after several months of procrastination, I realized that the glue was sufficient to keep the seals in place.  3 years later, using the thruster twice per week, almost every week during 6 months each summer, including a Marion to Bermuda race the seals are still working as new.  Since I add silicone grease to the trunk every year and, given the number of times (~50/year) that I use the thruster,   I am expecting that they will last a very long time.  So far I have serviced the thruster every year but have decided not to change any of the seals, including the donut seals, which looked in excellent condition.

I just received the quote from the seal manufacturer and it is as follows:

10 pcs. Silicone wiper $ 31.65ea.

10 pcs. Silicone u-cup  $ 32.50ea.

This it will be about $65 per set plus shipment and  It will take  14-17 business days to ship from the order

so far I have received requests from:

Bob Ross,  sv Nomad, Trinidad (1 set) 
Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece (?sets)
Chuck_Kim_Joy (? sets)

Steve Davis Aloha SM72  Ko Olina, Hawaii (? sets)
Mark, Cream Puff - SM2K - #275 (? sets)
Dan Taylor (2 sets)

Gerald Bassin Jetlag, SM113 (2 sets)

Since I want to place the order this week I will appreciate if each of you can e-mail me directly with your e-mail, the number of sets you want and the address two where it should be shipped.   
We still need to figure out the cost of shipping to each one of you and how you will transfer me the money, but given that is something we can figure out later.

Jose 
Ipanema SM2k 278, Boston

Hi Jose,

Well done for finding a solution to your leak problem. However your comment about the wear from use has triggered this question. Do you have the Amel designed retrofit anti twist system. This is a vertical 25 mm tube mounted beside the thruster. There is a bracket mounted on top the thruster motor that engages with this. The Amel service agent in Fort Lauderdale (his name escapes me) told me he had a lot of work fitting these in the 2000's 

Regards

Danny

SM 299

Ocean Pearl

On 14 June 2019 at 05:32 "Jose Venegas via Groups.Io" <josegvenegas@...> wrote:

Danny,
I understand very well how the system SHOULD work and, if everything is new, the seals should work as designed.  Unfortunately, wear can change the system and, in my case nothing worked to stop the leak, including several adjustments of cable tension, and increasing compression by the pin.  As I said in my previous e-mails, I believe the problem occurs because the wear of the surfaces between the hull and the thruster that guide its motion result in a misalignment between the trunk and the seal, causing a lateral force on the lip seal which makes it incompetent allowing water intake.  The misalignment also results in the sealing surfaces between the donut seals and the hull are no longer parallel affecting its sealing action.   Following Amel instructions and wasting seals, money and time I realized that the problem could be corrected by designing a seal that would be made of a softer material and have lips that could maintain the seal in the presence of misalignment.   That solved the problem 3 years ago and I have had a dry bilge ever since.!!
In my design, I used two seals in series: a silicone wiper below and a silicone u-cup on top. This results in a slight protrusion of the seal above the horizontal fiberglass surface, as it can be seen in the pix I sent before.    I used silicone glue to secure the seals in place and was planning to add washers to secure them to the fiberglass, but after several months of procrastination, I realized that the glue was sufficient to keep the seals in place.  3 years later, using the thruster twice per week, almost every week during 6 months each summer, including a Marion to Bermuda race the seals are still working as new.  Since I add silicone grease to the trunk every year and, given the number of times (~50/year) that I use the thruster,   I am expecting that they will last a very long time.  So far I have serviced the thruster every year but have decided not to change any of the seals, including the donut seals, which looked in excellent condition.

I just received the quote from the seal manufacturer and it is as follows:

10 pcs. Silicone wiper $ 31.65ea.

10 pcs. Silicone u-cup  $ 32.50ea.

This it will be about $65 per set plus shipment and  It will take  14-17 business days to ship from the order

so far I have received requests from:

Bob Ross,  sv Nomad, Trinidad (1 set) 
Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece (?sets)
Chuck_Kim_Joy (? sets)

Steve Davis Aloha SM72  Ko Olina, Hawaii (? sets)
Mark, Cream Puff - SM2K - #275 (? sets)
Dan Taylor (2 sets)

Gerald Bassin Jetlag, SM113 (2 sets)

Since I want to place the order this week I will appreciate if each of you can e-mail me directly with your e-mail, the number of sets you want and the address two where it should be shipped.   
We still need to figure out the cost of shipping to each one of you and how you will transfer me the money, but given that is something we can figure out later.

Jose 
Ipanema SM2k 278, Boston

On 14 June 2019 at 08:17 "Jose Venegas via Groups.Io" <josegvenegas@...> wrote:

Danny, I am not sure if my system is original or retrofit.  It does seem to have an anti-twist vertical tube mounted beside the thruster.  All I know is that when I bought Ipanema (Nike before) in Florida, (about the same time you bought Ocean Perl) The previous owner did not mention it.  However, we got a lot of water in while we sailed the boat from Florida to Georgia, even though the owner had just changed the seals on her. 

Jose Ipanema SM 278 

On 14 June 2019 at 09:32 "Jose Venegas via Groups.Io" <josegvenegas@...> wrote:

Danny,

Bi-annual seal change for little use seems excessive compared with over 3+ years of heavy use without changing ANY seals but...
if it is working for you it's fine with me.

Hopefully will be heading your way in 2021.

Jose
SM 278 Ipanema



 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io [mailto:main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io] On Behalf Of Jose Venegas via Groups.Io
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2019 1:32 PM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Bow thruster seals

Danny,
I understand very well how the system SHOULD work and, if everything is new, the seals should work as designed.  Unfortunately, wear can change the system and, in my case nothing worked to stop the leak, including several adjustments of cable tension, and increasing compression by the pin.  As I said in my previous e-mails, I believe the problem occurs because the wear of the surfaces between the hull and the thruster that guide its motion result in a misalignment between the trunk and the seal, causing a lateral force on the lip seal which makes it incompetent allowing water intake.  The misalignment also results in the sealing surfaces between the donut seals and the hull are no longer parallel affecting its sealing action.   Following Amel instructions and wasting seals, money and time I realized that the problem could be corrected by designing a seal that would be made of a softer material and have lips that could maintain the seal in the presence of misalignment.   That solved the problem 3 years ago and I have had a dry bilge ever since.!!
In my design, I used two seals in series: a silicone wiper below and a silicone u-cup on top. This results in a slight protrusion of the seal above the horizontal fiberglass surface, as it can be seen in the pix I sent before.    I used silicone glue to secure the seals in place and was planning to add washers to secure them to the fiberglass, but after several months of procrastination, I realized that the glue was sufficient to keep the seals in place.  3 years later, using the thruster twice per week, almost every week during 6 months each summer, including a Marion to Bermuda race the seals are still working as new.  Since I add silicone grease to the trunk every year and, given the number of times (~50/year) that I use the thruster,   I am expecting that they will last a very long time.  So far I have serviced the thruster every year but have decided not to change any of the seals, including the donut seals, which looked in excellent condition.

I just received the quote from the seal manufacturer and it is as follows:

10 pcs. Silicone wiper $ 31.65ea.

10 pcs. Silicone u-cup  $ 32.50ea.

This it will be about $65 per set plus shipment and It will take  14-17 business days to ship from the order

so far I have received requests from:

Bob Ross, sv Nomad, Trinidad (1 set) 
Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece (?sets)
Chuck_Kim_Joy (? sets)

Jose 
Ipanema SM2k 278, Boston

On 14 June 2019 at 15:37 eric freedman <kimberlite@...> wrote:

Hi Danny,

I would also like 2 sets of seals.

Sounds like a great idea and they can be changed while the boat is in the water.

Fair Winds

Eric

Kimberlite Amel Super Maramu #376

 

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io [mailto:main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io] On Behalf Of Jose Venegas via Groups.Io
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2019 1:32 PM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Bow thruster seals

 

Danny,
I understand very well how the system SHOULD work and, if everything is new, the seals should work as designed.  Unfortunately, wear can change the system and, in my case nothing worked to stop the leak, including several adjustments of cable tension, and increasing compression by the pin.  As I said in my previous e-mails, I believe the problem occurs because the wear of the surfaces between the hull and the thruster that guide its motion result in a misalignment between the trunk and the seal, causing a lateral force on the lip seal which makes it incompetent allowing water intake.  The misalignment also results in the sealing surfaces between the donut seals and the hull are no longer parallel affecting its sealing action.   Following Amel instructions and wasting seals, money and time I realized that the problem could be corrected by designing a seal that would be made of a softer material and have lips that could maintain the seal in the presence of misalignment.   That solved the problem 3 years ago and I have had a dry bilge ever since.!!
In my design, I used two seals in series: a silicone wiper below and a silicone u-cup on top. This results in a slight protrusion of the seal above the horizontal fiberglass surface, as it can be seen in the pix I sent before.    I used silicone glue to secure the seals in place and was planning to add washers to secure them to the fiberglass, but after several months of procrastination, I realized that the glue was sufficient to keep the seals in place.  3 years later, using the thruster twice per week, almost every week during 6 months each summer, including a Marion to Bermuda race the seals are still working as new.  Since I add silicone grease to the trunk every year and, given the number of times (~50/year) that I use the thruster,   I am expecting that they will last a very long time.  So far I have serviced the thruster every year but have decided not to change any of the seals, including the donut seals, which looked in excellent condition.

I just received the quote from the seal manufacturer and it is as follows:

10 pcs. Silicone wiper $ 31.65ea.

10 pcs. Silicone u-cup  $ 32.50ea.

This it will be about $65 per set plus shipment and It will take  14-17 business days to ship from the order

so far I have received requests from:

Bob Ross, sv Nomad, Trinidad (1 set) 
Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece (?sets)
Chuck_Kim_Joy (? sets)

Steve Davis Aloha SM72  Ko Olina, Hawaii (? sets)
Mark, Cream Puff - SM2K - #275 (? sets)
Dan Taylor (2 sets)

Gerald Bassin Jetlag, SM113 (2 sets)

Since I want to place the order this week I will appreciate if each of you can e-mail me directly with your e-mail, the number of sets you want and the address two where it should be shipped.   
We still need to figure out the cost of shipping to each one of you and how you will transfer me the money, but given that is something we can figure out later.

Jose 
Ipanema SM2k 278, Boston

 

Hi eric  its Jose who had the seals.

Regsrds

Dsnny

On 14 June 2019 at 15:37 eric freedman <kimberlite@...> wrote:

Hi Danny,

I would also like 2 sets of seals.

Sounds like a great idea and they can be changed while the boat is in the water.

Fair Winds

Eric

Kimberlite Amel Super Maramu #376

 

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io [mailto:main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io] On Behalf Of Jose Venegas via Groups.Io
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2019 1:32 PM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Bow thruster seals

 

Danny,
I understand very well how the system SHOULD work and, if everything is new, the seals should work as designed.  Unfortunately, wear can change the system and, in my case nothing worked to stop the leak, including several adjustments of cable tension, and increasing compression by the pin.  As I said in my previous e-mails, I believe the problem occurs because the wear of the surfaces between the hull and the thruster that guide its motion result in a misalignment between the trunk and the seal, causing a lateral force on the lip seal which makes it incompetent allowing water intake.  The misalignment also results in the sealing surfaces between the donut seals and the hull are no longer parallel affecting its sealing action.   Following Amel instructions and wasting seals, money and time I realized that the problem could be corrected by designing a seal that would be made of a softer material and have lips that could maintain the seal in the presence of misalignment.   That solved the problem 3 years ago and I have had a dry bilge ever since.!!
In my design, I used two seals in series: a silicone wiper below and a silicone u-cup on top. This results in a slight protrusion of the seal above the horizontal fiberglass surface, as it can be seen in the pix I sent before.    I used silicone glue to secure the seals in place and was planning to add washers to secure them to the fiberglass, but after several months of procrastination, I realized that the glue was sufficient to keep the seals in place.  3 years later, using the thruster twice per week, almost every week during 6 months each summer, including a Marion to Bermuda race the seals are still working as new.  Since I add silicone grease to the trunk every year and, given the number of times (~50/year) that I use the thruster,   I am expecting that they will last a very long time.  So far I have serviced the thruster every year but have decided not to change any of the seals, including the donut seals, which looked in excellent condition.

I just received the quote from the seal manufacturer and it is as follows:

10 pcs. Silicone wiper $ 31.65ea.

10 pcs. Silicone u-cup  $ 32.50ea.

This it will be about $65 per set plus shipment and It will take  14-17 business days to ship from the order

so far I have received requests from:

Bob Ross, sv Nomad, Trinidad (1 set) 
Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Greece (?sets)
Chuck_Kim_Joy (? sets)

Steve Davis Aloha SM72  Ko Olina, Hawaii (? sets)
Mark, Cream Puff - SM2K - #275 (? sets)
Dan Taylor (2 sets)

Gerald Bassin Jetlag, SM113 (2 sets)

Since I want to place the order this week I will appreciate if each of you can e-mail me directly with your e-mail, the number of sets you want and the address two where it should be shipped.   
We still need to figure out the cost of shipping to each one of you and how you will transfer me the money, but given that is something we can figure out later.

Jose 
Ipanema SM2k 278, Boston