Patent ID: 7597599

Claim:
An improved system for sealing a keel cooler to a hull of a vessel, comprising: a. a keel cooler for mounting onto the vessel hull, of a type including a plurality of flow channels for exchanging heat between vessel water flowing in the flow channels and surrounding sea water; b. nozzles extending from first and second ends of the keel cooler, for allowing the sea water to flow between the vessel and the keel cooler, each nozzle including at least one sealing member positioned on an outer wall of the nozzle; c. companion fittings mounted on the vessel hull, each companion fitting including at least one sealing member positioned on its inner wall, and including an opening for receiving each nozzle of the keel cooler; d. a bushing positionable between each nozzle and each companion fitting, for allowing the at least one sealing member of each nozzle and the sealing member of each companion fitting to seal against inner and outer surfaces of a wall of each bushing; and e. each bushing wall further defining an eccentric circular wall, insertable between each nozzle and each companion fitting so that in the event the companion fitting openings on the hull are not precisely the same distance apart as nozzle openings on the keel cooler, the bushing is rotatable until the eccentric circular wall fully engages the at least one sealing members of each nozzle and each companion fitting to define a complete fluid seal therebetween.