23 IB - How Many Drips for Stuffing Box? How do you Adjust?

[Outrageous]

Originally Posted by John3325

Awesome information guys thank you.

Maybe mine was so tough breaking in because I was using too big a packing size? The old stuff I pulled out was 1/4" but maybe the previous owner measured wrong. This may depend on the packing gland and nut as well?

As an update, packing seems to be doing good and not overheating anymore. Only time it gets warm (and I can still put my hand on it) is when I run above 3000 RPMs for an extended period of time.

On a side note, I can cruise at 2600 RPMs doing 18 knots with the tabs down a little bit. How did they not make more of these hulls Loving the switch to the inboard.

John,

Glad to hear that things are going well with the packing. By the way I ended up taking my tabs off after losing several fish that managed to dive under the boat and breaking the line when hooked up rather than wanting to come aboard. The boat still stays on plain very well without the tabs even at lower rpm and handles just as good in rough water without them. The only time I miss them is when the crew doesn't stay where you want them and the boat leans to one side or another while under way. Getting the crew in tune with there positions relative to the boats attitude has been a lot better than the tabs ever reacted anyway. I cannot answer why they didn't make more inboards than the 78 or so (according to this site) but after down sizing from a 34 footer I can say these boats offer unbelievable performance. I have owned a few SeaCrafts w/ IO and Out Boards over the years and really liked them but have been very impressed w/' the Inboard. Especially the way the wind has blowing this yea.r

[Capt Terry]

Originally Posted by Outrageous

The boat still stays on plain very well without the tabs even at lower rpm and handles just as good in rough water without them. The only time I miss them is when the crew doesn't stay where you want them and the boat leans to one side or another while under way. Getting the crew in tune with there positions relative to the boats attitude has been a lot better than the tabs ever reacted anyway.

As Bushwacker has remarked before, Bob Reiland (rest his soul) probably made over 25 trips between WPB and the Bahamas in his "Unoho" 21' SeaCraft with an I/O which he bought from Carl at the Miami boat show. He always moved people, coolers or whatever around to maintain trim. I was on a couple trips with him, but on another boat.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Capt Terry

As Bushwacker has remarked before, Bob Reiland (rest his soul) probably made over 25 trips between WPB and the Bahamas in his "Unoho" 21' SeaCraft with an I/O which he bought from Carl at the Miami boat show. He always moved people, coolers or whatever around to maintain trim. I was on a couple trips with him, but on another boat.

Bob actually made a couple trips a year to the Bahamas, so I think his actual count was closer to 50! On one of the last trips I made with him, we went to the Abaco's via Lucaya on the south side of Grand Bahama and thru the cut in the island that comes out up near Mangrove Cay. One member of our flotilla broke down about half way across the Gulf Stream, so Bob started towing him. He asked me to run on ahead to Freeport and give him a bearing on the fuel tanks there (this was in the late '70's before GPS, so our navigation was via compass and dead reckoning, which gets a little complicated when you stop for 20 minutes in the middle of the Gulf Stream!). I did that and just anchored up in 20' of water to wait for him to catch up. He ran low on fuel so another member of our flotilla took over the tow, and he then ran fast to catch up to me. When we arrived at the Lucaya marina fuel dock he was complaining about how rough that run was in the 3' square waves, but I said I didn't think it was that bad, as I just put the tabs down and was running along very comfortably sitting down at about 12-14 kts! Bob must have been impressed because he eventually added trim tabs to the Unohu!

My only comment is that folks who say a 18-20' SeaCraft doesn't need trim tabs have never run one with trim tabs! It's the best money you can spend on a boat . . . Tabs make the boat think it's about 3' longer!