It probably needs a small adjustment. How long has it been since the boat was launched this year? If it has been a few weeks and you have put a few hours on the engine snug it up. If you just launched the boat and haven't put any hours on it this season. Before tightening the packing tie the boat off good to the dock. Start the engine and put it in gear, idle, let it run for 5 or 10 minutes monitoring the drips. Shut the engine down and recheck the drips with the engine off. If it is the same or worse it's time for an adjustment. If the drips slowed down or quit it may still be ok without adjustment. Monitor it for a week or two. Start spraying some penetrant oil on the thread area in preparation for an adjustment. I mention this because seasonal boating areas when dry docking is necessary for several months with the boat blocked, things get slightly misaligned. The packing dries out and needs to be run in a bit before it stops leaking. After launching a boat the first check is always the thru hulls and packing. If the packing isn't leaking badly I let the boat sit in the water for a week , put a few hours on the engine, and monitor the packing. I will make adjustments then if needed.
I have 430 hrs on my C26 and owned it for going on 5 seasons. Each year when I first launch the boat the packing is leaking more than I like but then slows to nothing when engine is off. I have made 1 adjustment (1/8 of a turn). I launch next week I will check again. No drips when the engine is not running ,2 to 4 drips with the engine running shooting for 3.
