Keeping Prop & shaft clean of seeweed

[R. Paquin]

After spending all spring/early summer redoing the bottom, I finally got launched last saturday... It was not a fun experience... I was in a small 400 foot cove (runs east/west) with wind from the north.. After I launched and went through the experience, the launch place tells me "oh, yeh, we've been getting power boats stuck in the seaweed out there"so there I was, no sails on board, standing in water (thank god hunter 27 shoal draft only draws 3'6") pushing myself off the shore, hanging off the swim ladder pulling seaweed off the prop etc. since I have to go back out in the same spot this fall.. has anyone found anything that keeps the shaft free of seaweed? looking under, the prop looks clear, but wound around the shaft is about 4-5 inches of seaweed, not good at all.. (and it is TIGHT.. I tried to rip it off.. no go.. I have someone diving the shaft to cut it off..)any suggestions? Could I wrap a piece of tarp or plastic screen under the boat leading up to the prop or would that interfere with the waterflow too much? thanksR. Paquin

 

[Tim Schaaf]

"SPURS"

I used to have the same problem with kelp. "Casual Water" just loved the stuff. I installed "SPURS" and eliminated the problem. I would think that any of the line cutters would do the trick. They are a bit pricey, but you might be interested to know that I kept some statistics for awhile regarding serious boating accidents. You know, the ones where someone is hurt badly or killed, or the boat is lost. And I found that in the majority of these cases, things finally went to hell when something got caught in the prop.Boats dragged ashore, people jumped overboard to clear props in seas and had the stern come down on their heads, and there were all sorts of other disasters. Made the things we normally try to avoid look trivial Had these boats had line cutters, every incident would have remained a footnote, not a headline. Makes you wonder if line cutters ought to be included in recommended safety gear for every boat.