SO WHAT DID YOU DO WITH OR ON YOUR C-DORY TODAY??

gulfcoast john · Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2020 10:12 pm Post subject:

We had a fellow boater hit the prop while we were docked and he bent the tip of one blade about 40 degrees. He owned up to it and left a msg at the marina.

We pulled the boat out and I changed out both props to a 19 pitch with our spares in 110 degree sunshine heat. Pretty miserable conditions.

John

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:23 am Post subject:

John, how does one hit the prop on another boat? And hard enough to bend it? At least without hitting some other part of the boat? Colby

ssobol · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:21 am Post subject:

Motor tilted up sticks the prop way out the back. Motor left in gear keeps the prop from spinning out of the way when hit.

Just speculating.

But yeah, having a significant bend in the prop without any other damage sounds unusual. I would be checking the motor and engine mount closely.

thataway · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 11:05 am Post subject:

John was that an aluminum prop? If it was SS, it would have taken a hard strike. Aluminum,, not so much.

gulfcoast john · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 6:16 pm Post subject:

[img]http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?full=1&set_albumName=CAT-O-MINE&id=DSC04038&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php[img]

There was a lurking submerged submarine marauding around the marina, which Colby SHOULD have been able to figure out on his own.
Nah. Sobelle is closer, although the engines were in neutral and the prop was free to spin, it had no reason to with a direct hit to the blade tip.

I still favor cheap aluminum props for us. We beach anchor in 2 feet of water and grind around in the sand a good bit. A huge hunk of SS prop hanging off an aluminum outdrive is a galvanic corrosion accident waiting to happen. When I hit something, I tear up a cheap prop, not the propshaft or worse. I may lose 3-4 MPH at 6K RPM WOT, but that’s burning 31GPH (at $3.20/gal) vs 13 GPH at 3,000-4,000 cruise so we very rarely do it. It’s dirt cheap to repair or replace when I tear through something substantial, like, say, an extra large submerged Styrofoam cup, or a really big twig, or someone’s abandoned pool noodle.

The Prop Shop guy says to repair this will be $60. I asked him how much to bend the other 3 blades to match the 4th, and he said (no surprise) $180. The gouge in Chris’s boat (above the waterline) will no doubt cost more to fix. A brand new prop with free shipping is $110 or less.

Yesterday we puttered over to the Ft McCree cove with no vibration or surprises, but I didn’t get up to cruise because I’m confident this encounter would not damage the engine. We’ll find out for sure tomorrow when we start a Gulf Islands adventure cruise to Biloxi and Gulfport.

Get on the boat!
John

thataway · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:44 pm Post subject:

gulfcoast john · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:16 pm Post subject:

Bob,
Great points as always!

Did I miss any other advantages of dirt cheap aluminum props?

Cheers!,
John

thataway · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:52 pm Post subject:

Other reasons for aluminum props. Cheap so you can have a spare in the correct pitch for your usual use, for elevations 3500 feet (Lake Powell) and 7000 feet Yellowstone). You can have a "power prop" when the boat is over loaded.

Probably most important, is that you can use a ball peen hammer and a block of 2x4, and hammer out dings enough to get. you home... if a strike in a remote area. I believe already mentioned is a file to clean up nicks and dings in the edge. Also the aluminum prop will fail after a direct strike, and may save the gear box in the lower unit...a SS might not and more chance of gear failure (although the hub shouldabsorb the shock--it often does not...

ssobol · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:00 pm Post subject:

I stick to AL props. They periodically get dressed with a file. About every other year or so (depending on the condition of the prop) I just get a new one and keep the n-1 prop as an onboard spare.

smckean (Tosca) · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 1:52 pm Post subject:

I've often wondered whether a SS prop might be desirable at its much higher cost if you boat in an area that has lots of kelp tubular stems floating around. Lord knows I fairly often slice right thru some of those.

thataway · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 2:40 pm Post subject:

Pacificcoast101 · Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:34 pm Post subject:

Merry and I took our cameras under our boat in the slip. Visibility was really bad, about two feet with a lot of silt stirred up. Why would we even try to photograph in those conditions? My favorite nudibranch, Antiopella barbarensis made a rare appearance. I found five of them in the salty fog. Getting really close with a 105mm lens allowed me to get some decent shots without getting dirty water in the frame. Well, that and Photoshop.

Antiopella barbarensis

Polycera hedgpethi

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:23 am Post subject:

Finally got my steering working. Ended up replacing both the cabin and cockpit helms, however it was the cockpit helm that was bad. Also, finally got my new bimini top! Was made by a local guy that does great work at a fair price.

journey on · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:00 pm Post subject:

Pacificcoast101,

I really love your pictures. These are great. Keep them coming.

It's amazing what evolution can do.

Boris

Pacificcoast101 · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:12 pm Post subject:

Thank you Boris.
I'm always amazed when I can get better photos in two feet of visibility under my boat than I can out on a reef with great visibility.

I put a lot of diving photos in this gallery;
http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=Diving-from-No-Pressure&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=1