Line Around Prop

[Don Guillette]

This morning I received a panic call from a friend in Punta Gorda, FL (nice place and we almost moved there about 7 years ago). He was backing out of his dock at his home (I always wanted a boat dock behind my house) and his wife cast off the stern line from the dock. Unfortunately, she missed the boat and the line went in the water and ended up around the prop. He's all set to call a diver but I told him to calm down and try a few things first. First thing is to have a drink and don't blame your wife, who's a blonde looker!!

I don't have all the answers but I do have some of them. First thing I told him to do was put the engine in neutral and pull on the line. He suggested using the winch and this is not a good idea as you can bend the shaft or pull the strut loose. I asked him to call me back if it worked -- it didn't!!

Next, I told him to reverse the shaft after the tranny by hand. Try both directions because he didn't know if he had a right or left hand prop and to call me back if it worked -- it didn't.

Next was obvious, but he didn't want to do it -- go overboad with a knife and cut it loose. He wanted to call a diver.

I had one more way, which is the absolute LAST resort and involves reversing the prop. Start and idle the engine. Loosen the end that has been pulled taut by the prop. ONCE and ONLY ONCE and WEARING GLOVES TO HOLD THE LINE and pull it if it untangles, quickly shift ONCE IN AND OUT OF REVERSE and call me back if it works.

His wife called me back. It worked and we had a nice conversation. She actually loves me and I can't wait to see them the next time I'm in Punta Gorda.

Do you guys have any additional ideas that might have worked before going overboard or calling a diver??

 

[med2463]

This morning I received a panic call from a friend in Punta Gorda, FL (nice place and we almost moved there about 7 years ago). He was backing out of his dock at his home (I always wanted a boat dock behind my house) and his wife cast off the stern line from the dock. Unfortunately, she missed the boat and the line went in the water and ended up around the prop. He's all set to call a diver but I told him to calm down and try a few things first. First thing is to have a drink and don't blame your wife, who's a blonde looker!!

I don't have all the answers but I do have some of them. First thing I told him to do was put the engine in neutral and pull on the line. He suggested using the winch and this is not a good idea as you can bend the shaft or pull the strut loose. I asked him to call me back if it worked -- it didn't!!

Next, I told him to reverse the shaft after the tranny by hand. Try both directions because he didn't know if he had a right or left hand prop and to call me back if it worked -- it didn't.

Next was obvious, but he didn't want to do it -- go overboad with a knife and cut it loose. He wanted to call a diver.

I had one more way, which is the absolute LAST resort and involves reversing the prop. Start and idle the engine. Loosen the end that has been pulled taut by the prop. ONCE and ONLY ONCE and WEARING GLOVES TO HOLD THE LINE and pull it if it untangles, quickly shift ONCE IN AND OUT OF REVERSE and call me back if it works.

His wife called me back. It worked and we had a nice conversation. She actually loves me and I can't wait to see them the next time I'm in Punta Gorda.

Do you guys have any additional ideas that might have worked before going overboard or calling a diver??

We keep a hook knife and extension pole on our boat because of the crab trap lines that get on our prop and shaft. We can use it with the extension pole from the dinghy and cut any line that is on the prop or shaft. We also live in Punta Gorda but cruise in the keys a lot where the crab traps are a nuisance. Here is link to the hook knife. http://sailorssolutions.com/index.asp?page=ProductDetails&Item=CH01

 

[alanwir]

line in the propeller

This sort of minor incident happen on our Beneteau. I immediately went swimming and thought I pulled out all the line which was green in color. Nothing could have been further from the case. On a beneteau, there is a round black flange on the cutless bearing and in my case, the bearing remained in its place, but the flange was ripped completely away. I figured and felt sure the job was done on the first underwater adventure.

After a few more trips out, I noticed an engine vibration that should not have been occurring. I was fooled because the green line had burned, turned black and had embedded itself in the shaft, so it actually looked like a part of the bearing. I only found this out when the boat was brought up on the hard when indeed I went to replace the cutless bearing.

Of course that flange serves the purpose of providing an easy out when the cutless bearing is in need of replacing and without the flange, it is not easy to remove the bearing. Should this have happened, let me know, I was able to get the cutless bearing out.

 

[kloudie1]

Instead of running the engine, you can pull the fuel stop then pull the decompression levers, put the transmission in reverse, then turn the engine over with a wrench on the front pulley, or you can bump the starter. A lot more controlled ??

 

[Sailm8]

I snagged a black line while in the keys and in the middle of no where. It was just floating and not connected to anything but obviously was from a crab pot. I tried all of the above but ended up diving to cut it loose. I had one of those razor sharp line cutter on the shaft. You know the kind that looks like the sprocket on a bike. That did nothing except make me leery of cutting myself while cutting the line free. It took about 30 minutes of diving and we were on out way.

I like the idea of a dedicated knife to use just for freeing the shaft from a wrap.

 

[rgranger]

... Here is link to the hook knife. http://sailorssolutions.com/index.asp?page=ProductDetails&Item=CH01

Dang... that looks like something out of an old Conan movie. Don't want to post too many pics of that or pretty soon there will be a movement to require permits to carry one.

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

He was backing out of his dock ...

Start and idle the engine. Loosen the end that has been pulled taut by the prop. ONCE and ONLY ONCE and WEARING GLOVES TO HOLD THE LINE and pull it if it untangles, quickly shift ONCE IN AND OUT OF REVERSE and call me back if it works.

Don, I've used all these tricks sometimes with success sometimes not. In the case of your friend though I do question putting the tranny in reverse as since he was backing out the line got tangled with the prop in reverse mode. Why would putting the tranny in reverse free the line and not tangle more line on the prop. Every time I have had to resort to that method, using the opposite spin was what made it free, i.e if tangled in forward, then reverse quickly once, and if tangled in reverse then forward spin quickly once. Please explain.

And Kloudie, you are right that decompressing the engine and putting the tranny in gear will make it turn on the starter alone. Much safer then starting the engine as it will stop turning as soon as the starter button is released.

 

[Don Guillette]

Claude: Actually, he had cleared the slip and had just shifted to forward when his wife tried to throw the stern dock line. Good point though that a mate should remember what gear he's in before he tries any of this stuff. Also, "bumping" the engine is a better idea than starting the engine.

Hopefully, sailors will remember this topic if they get into the same situation.

 

[fstbttms]

Jeezus- just call your diver. He clears the prop and makes sure with no doubt that everything is copacetic. All for fifty bucks while you enjoy a beverage in the cockpit.

 

[justsomeguy]

Mmm, $50.00 beverages...
No offence to the trade, it's just that I'm such a cheap b@stard.

Okay, I'll pay you $20.00. And you get a $30.00 drink, too. [hic]

 

[Bad Obsession]

Why didn't he want to go down and do it himself. I have changed zincs in my boat and I don't use air. Just hold your breath and swim under.

It couldn't be that hard to cut the line away from the prop. If the water is warm I would go in and do it quicker than I would do anything else!

 

[fstbttms]

It couldn't be that hard to cut the line away from the prop.

 

[Alan]

For life of me I can't fathom 'why' he wouldn't simply jump in with a knife and cut it loose?? As I recall, Punta Gorda waters are quite warm this time of year and a quick dip would be akin to soaking in your bathtub.
I managed to catch a lobster pot line in my prop on an overnight race which brought us to a stop very quickly. I stripped off to my under shorts and jumped in with my trusty knife and had us loose in under a minute and back on the race course. Mind you the water was freezing that time of year, November LI Sound, but I wasn't in long enough to suffer any ill affects.
I would suggest though, that your friend consider using floating dock lines in the future to prevent this from happening again.

 

[Rich Stidger]

I have jumped in with a knife myself, but it really depends upon where you are, sea conditions, water temp, and your own physical condition and ability. And sometimes the line snarl is way beyond a simple cut and remove. Once when leaving Bar Harbor, ME, I wrapped up a piece of floating warp. Like a previous poster, my line cutter did nothing because both ends of the line were free. A line cutter only works if the line can be pulled tightly across the edges. Anyway, I limped back to Bar Harbor and the harbormaster- a diver- went down and removed the mess. It was a BALL of line plus a float that was two feet in diameter after he got it on the dock! There was probably 40-50 feet of line wrapped up and there is no way I could have done that removal myself.

I now have one of those hook knives in my locker- just in case. BTW, the diver cost in Bar Harbor was $100. I don't know where you find a diver for anything less than $100, and I have hired a few.

 

[fstbttms]

BTW, the diver cost in Bar Harbor was $100. I don't know where you find a diver for anything less than $100, and I have hired a few.

Well, I am a diver and I would never charge one of my customers $100 just to jump into the water for five or ten minutes. But if you insist...

 

[capt_clyde]

"Why didn't he want to go down and do it himself. I have changed zincs in my boat and I don't use air. Just hold your breath and swim under."
Some people just aren't that comfortable in the water, or he may have a medical condition that prevents him from going in.

"Well, I am a diver and I would never charge one of my customers $100 just to jump into the water for five or ten minutes. But if you insist... "
Remember, the water temp in Bar Harbor, Maine never gets above 65 degrees F. The divers in our area always use wet suits and often use dry suits, so for a simple line cutting job they have at least 45 minutes invested plus travel time. Also, because of the water temps around here divers are not a dime a dozen.

 

[fstbttms]

Remember, the water temp in Bar Harbor, Maine never gets above 65 degrees F. The divers in our area always use wet suits and often use dry suits, so for a simple line cutting job they have at least 45 minutes invested plus travel time. Also, because of the water temps around here divers are not a dime a dozen.

What do you think the water temps are in SF Bay? Gets below 50° in the winter time.

But you've hit the nail on the head otherwise. Hull cleaners (myself included) are already suited-up and in the water working on boats every single day here. If you call me to disentangle a fouled prop, I'm either already in your marina or will be within a day or two. So I'm probably only going to charge you the typical "wet fee" of $50 for a quick job like this. 'Course, if it turns out to be more than a quick job, the price goes up.

 

[gary]

Simple is better sometimes

If we foul the prop we just tilt the out board up - lean over and free it. Rarely spilling our drink. Smaller can be better sometimes.

 

[rgranger]

If we foul the prop we just tilt the out board up - lean over and free it. Rarely spilling our drink. Smaller can be better sometimes.

:stirthepot:

 

[rburns9]

I turned off engine and went overboard. Was able to free fairly easily on one breath.