I was back at the boat in the yard this weekend. Boat Yards are strange places with interesting people. It is easy to see how the vagabond lifestyle can take hold. I was there to work and I put in some hours to get everything done in the the 36 hours I had there.
First I pulled the propeller with a gear puller. Not the perfect tool but it did work with a little persuasion hammer. This allowed me to get the bearing tube off. Once I took out the two screws if came off in my hand. Any bedding had dissolved and as it turns out the tube connecting it to the other end had also broke at the coupling. However I did learn that the indentations in the hull at the stern bearing housing were by design and they allowed water to into four ports on either side to lubricate the bearing. Some were blocked and I re-drilled them open.
Now to get the other end out. I ordered an inspection hatch that is roughly 18"x18". I cut out a large opening in the cockpit well and took the common precautions to protect the core, which was solid and dry. I sealed the edge in epoxy and over drilled and filled the mounting holes with thickened epoxy, re-drilling when the epoxy had set. Through this opening I could now gain access to the tube and stuffing box.
This housing was similarly mounted into the deadwood however, all the fasteners had turned to dust and I could move it around with my hand. A little wiggling and I extracted the entire assembly from the hole in the deadwood because all of the bedding had failed. The rest of the time was spent cleaning out the area and grinding off bad spots.
I re drilled mounting holes and then set both sides (inside and out) in a bed of 4200 with an extra bead where the pipe had become separated. Assembled and left to set up I went on to other tasks. Before i set the pieces I took a lot of measurements and drawings of this assembly. I think when I pull the boat in a couple of years I want to replace the whole assembly with a new cutlass bearing and stuffing box on a fiberglass stern tube. The re-bedded sections will suffice for a couple of years of light duty.
I hung the rudder to make sure the repair was true and the tiller was still centered. I then spent time grinding and sanding the rudder before wrapping the entire assembly in 16oz fiberglass cloth and letting it set up. The rest of the afternoon was spent fine tuning the holes in the bimini assembly while all the bedding compound and epoxy set up. I occasionally turned the propeller shaft to make sure I did not glue it in place.
Now to get the other end out. I ordered an inspection hatch that is roughly 18"x18". I cut out a large opening in the cockpit well and took the common precautions to protect the core, which was solid and dry. I sealed the edge in epoxy and over drilled and filled the mounting holes with thickened epoxy, re-drilling when the epoxy had set. Through this opening I could now gain access to the tube and stuffing box. 
I re drilled mounting holes and then set both sides (inside and out) in a bed of 4200 with an extra bead where the pipe had become separated. Assembled and left to set up I went on to other tasks. Before i set the pieces I took a lot of measurements and drawings of this assembly. I think when I pull the boat in a couple of years I want to replace the whole assembly with a new cutlass bearing and stuffing box on a fiberglass stern tube. The re-bedded sections will suffice for a couple of years of light duty.
I hung the rudder to make sure the repair was true and the tiller was still centered. I then spent time grinding and sanding the rudder before wrapping the entire assembly in 16oz fiberglass cloth and letting it set up. The rest of the afternoon was spent fine tuning the holes in the bimini assembly while all the bedding compound and epoxy set up. I occasionally turned the propeller shaft to make sure I did not glue it in place.
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