This beautiful 2021 Sirena 88 was in the boatyard for a quick bottom job and contacted Yacht-HQ to remove the props so they could be sent out for reconditioning. When we arrived on-site we found that the Cutless bearings were badly worn and that the PSS shaft seals had been leaking.
This vessel is designed with Cutless bearings inside the stern tube (or shaft log) and a single strut & bearing further AFT on each side. We also see this arrangement on Kadey-Krogens and Nordhavns, to name just a couple.
The stern tubes each have a small “lip” inside (at the front end of the cutless bearing) which prevents the bearing from moving forward – but also prevents the bearing from being driven AFT and out of the stern tube. Therefore, we needed to remove the shafts from the vessel in order to replace the FWD bearings, which in this case were completely worn-out.
In most other cases we would have just used our 20 ton StrutPro to push the bearings in/out without having to pull the shafts.
The scope of work for this project included:
- Remove & reinstall props, shafts, and couplers.
- Send props, shafts, and couplers out to be checked and reconditioned.
- Remove, service, and reinstall PSS shaft seals.
- Replace FWD and AFT Cutless bearings.
- Replace shaft zincs.
- Check/adjust engine alignment