It is a sealing piece that prevents water from entering through the propeller shaft. There are several models, and while some provide a perfect seal, for others it is normal that they let a few drops of water pass through.
Tow is the fibrous component produced, among other things, during the combing of flax or hemp. Wing Lock Type Stainless Steel Cable Ties
![Did you recognize him? The stuffing box for shaft sealing](https://img5.grofrom.com/www.yaonanelectric.com/uploads/da6afed1.jpg)
In the old navy, tow was mainly made from hemp and the lint of old rope and was used for smothering (filling the gaps in a hull between planks with tow for sealing) and caulking (filling the gaps in a hull between planks with tarred tow to make it watertight).
With the advent of shaft-line motor vessels, a problem of water ingress arose and the gland, previously soaked, was the only known seal.
Many boats are equipped with a shaft line motorization and the stuffing box is a must. This is the case for some inboard motorboats, but also for most sailboats also equipped with inboard. The propeller shaft line is composed of : a cake for connecting the propeller shaft to the inverter and thus to the motor a gland packing for the sealing a stern tube for guiding and holding the propeller shaft a hydrolube ring which will limit the vibrations of the propeller in rotation and cool the shaft by letting the water pass through the stern tube.
![Did you recognize him? The stuffing box for shaft sealing](https://img5.grofrom.com/www.yaonanelectric.com/uploads/110.png)
Flat Cable Clip There are two main families of cable glands: