WEEDS !!! Can you keep them off the prop?

H

henderd2

New member
Anyone have some magic for keeping weeds off an inboard prop and shaft?
We live on a canal on Lake Tarpon, the lake is mostly free of weeds, but getting there down our canal is enough to choke a horse on weeds.

I can clean them off when we get back, but out on the lake they slow us down a lot.
 
I boated for years on Lake Erie around the Long Point inner bay. This area is shallow - no rocks just weeds and shifting sand bars. Locals taught me how to navigate by sight, sound and feel. They didn't even use a depth gauge because set at the lowest setting the alarm would still be going off 80% of the time. Electric trolling motors have weed less props but they still get wrapped around the shaft.

You need to get up on plane in a clear patch and stay on plane. If you drop off plane you will be deeper into the weeds. Once in weeds it is difficult to get back up on plane. You can feel and hear when the prop is collecting weeds. Eventually you start to loose speed and when the prop is completely covered you will loose way and engine will rev up as is you were in neutral. This is because the prop is no longer a screw - just a clump of weeds turning but not providing any propulsion. You then have to stop, engage reverse and crack the throttle. Spinning the prop in reverse will shake the weeds off - at least 90% of the time. If you then cannot get back up on plane you will have to continue at displacement speed - stopping every so far to again shake the weeds off.

If you get totally stuck in a weed patch call for help. It is not advisable to try swimming to shore. A few years ago a father and son both drowned in weeds on Rice Lake(Ontario). They can severely curtail your ability to swim.

Regards,

Rob
 
With an outboard it is fairly easy (but the weeds present a cooling water restriction, so the risk is higher). The outboard is lifted out of the water, and any weeds cleared. First I try backing down--and see if any weeds come off.

This is what I have done with my inboard gas or diesel powered vessels. For the electric boat, the issues may be little different--but can also be destructive.

Things to consider after trying the back down; include a cage around the prop, and perhaps a line cutter between the cutlass bearing and prop. Also either a weed/kelp blade protector just below the hull, in front of the rudder post, or a sharp edge kept on the rudder (If metal).

Also some people have a modified boat hook which can reach under the boat and pull weed/kelp off.
 
So this is an electric launch, it never gets up on plane and doesn't have the torque to chop weeds in reverse. Really just need to find a way to keep them out of the prop.
Trying an old hydrofoil I had from a previous boat, it bolted on the keel guard and has helped a lot. Going to try sharpening the prop blades to see if they can cut through the weeds better.
 
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