Glenn, I don't know why your canoe stern should make it harder to get a good shaft seal. I doubt your stern is any sharper than a PDQ. We've got Tides Marine, Series One seals and they don't leak a drop. (For a photo of our installation, see: www.snodoglog.com/images/5931-Accumulator-LEM.jpg). The only time we've had water in our bilge is when our hot water heater relief valve opened. I just installed an accumulator tank to help prevent that. So far, it's working. Our bilges are bone dry - and have been since we bought the boat in 2006 (except for the fresh-water leak). FYI: Tides Maine, SeriesOne: www.tidesmarine.com/seriesone-shaft-seals.html Also, a "better" model, the SureSeal: www.tidesmarine.com/shaft-seals.html Good luck with your new boat, it sounds exciting. I've often thought the ME-Cat P-47 is what our PDQ would like to be when she grows up! Henry www.snodoglog.com In a message dated 6/5/10 12:42:27 PM, gpsailing@aol.com wrote: > how have your adventures in commissioning been going? are the immediate > problems all solved? dick mentioned you called after seeing more water > in the > bilges. too tell the truth I've never had a boat - packing gland or not - > that didn't have some water in the bilge. i looked at our boat with dick > and > we came to the conclusion that the fine, canoe stern makes it more > difficult > to deeply bed the shaft stern well. there just ain't that much fiberglass > at > that point.