The Problem: Traditional tail shaft packing glands with flax packing prematurely wear down the shaft after repeated tightening and disintegrate with excessive heat.

The Solution: Change to INDUSTRIAL Brand GFO PTFE/Graphite tapered packing rated to 550F.

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Pacific Fishermen’s shipyard recently installed INDUSTRIAL Brand TM GFO PTFE/Graphite stuffing box seals on Darryl Olsen’s Ben Jensen designed F/V MARY ANN of Petersburg, Alaska. The innovative seals, made from INDUSTRIAL Brand TM GFO PTFE/Graphite fibers feature New England Braiding Company’s ANTIKEYSTONE TM II Technology. Traditional flax packing rings braided symmetrically tend to form a trapezoid cross section when rolled around the shaft. ANTI-KEYSTONE TM II braiding with reverse trapezoid cross section maintains parallel sides, naturally squaring itself when formed around the shaft surface.

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The GFO PTFE/Graphite material is easy on shaft surfaces, causing less destructive wear than traditional flax packing and longer life. Pacific Fishermen has convinced many of its customers that it is worthwhile to pay a little extra up front for high technology packing than ending up installing new liners on an expensive tail shaft.

Pacific Fishermen, Inc. was founded as a shipyard in 1946 on the site of the old Ballard Marine Railway, famous for wooden halibut schooners and Navy minesweepers, later named CALYPSO by Jacques Cousteau and WILD GOOSE by John Wayne. The shipyard consists of a 260 ft. moorage dock with 100 ft. and 160 ft. marine railways to 600 tons. An additional 145 ft. x 600 ton covered dry dock and sidetrack for climate controlled work is all located on the freshwater side of the Government Locks on the Lake Washington ship canal. To place an order, contact Pacific Fishermen’s Ship’s Chandlery Store Manager Tim Dow (cell 206-356-8165) Shipyard Superintendent Tom Harbin (cell 206-730-0569) or General Manager Doug Dixon (cell 206-718-0253).

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