Lost Propeller!

[rclarke246]

Wow! This week I was maneuvering, killing time in deep water, waiting for the fuel dock to clear when I hear this very loud THUMP!

Suddenly, I realize that the steering on by twin-screw boat is quite odd and quickly realize I have no starboard thrust.

Got her fueled and headed back to home marina on one engine. Diver confirmed that the prop, nut and cone zinc are gone.

Since the prop was lost in a high-traffic area a local diver has told me it's a goner. Guessing it's going to cost me $2-$4,000. I have a call into the shop that does my bottom work, where last fall they coated my running gear with Velox, where the props were removed for application.

They SHOULD own up to this but I'm betting they wont.

 

[artfulltune]

Would like to see how your insurance will "handle" your loss. Please post.

 

[Gordon J]

What size do you need...

Wow! This week I was maneuvering, killing time in deep water, waiting for the fuel dock to clear when I hear this very loud THUMP!

Suddenly, I realize that the steering on by twin-screw boat is quite odd and quickly realize I have no starboard thrust.

Got her fueled and headed back to home marina on one engine. Diver confirmed that the prop, nut and cone zinc are gone.

Since the prop was lost in a high-traffic area a local diver has told me it's a goner. Guessing it's going to cost me $2-$4,000. I have a call into the shop that does my bottom work, where last fall they coated my running gear with Velox, where the props were removed for application.

They SHOULD own up to this but I'm betting they wont.

I have seen some for sale here on the forum? Perhaps someone has one they would part with. Fly guy just posted a set of props on the classified section.

Gordon

 

[John R M]

Wow! This week I was maneuvering, killing time in deep water, waiting for the fuel dock to clear when I hear this very loud THUMP!

Suddenly, I realize that the steering on by twin-screw boat is quite odd and quickly realize I have no starboard thrust.

Got her fueled and headed back to home marina on one engine. Diver confirmed that the prop, nut and cone zinc are gone.

Since the prop was lost in a high-traffic area a local diver has told me it's a goner. Guessing it's going to cost me $2-$4,000. I have a call into the shop that does my bottom work, where last fall they coated my running gear with Velox, where the props were removed for application.

They SHOULD own up to this but I'm betting they wont.

For that price, I'd ask another diver. How deep is the water where it fell off? Is it in a marked channel? If so, you're probably SOL.

 

[FF]

The prop may not be a goner, borrow a "lookie box" , or insert a piece of glass in a watertight bucket and take a look from your dink.


Its probably what the local diver is doing now!


Ahoy Marine (LA) gets good quality props from Taiwan at good prices , but it takes time.

 

[rclarke246]

It's in about 15' of water in a marked channel.

 

[JT and Estee]

Sorry to hear about the lost prop. Did you have the diver check the integrity of the other prop to insure that doesn't also fall off and to maybe get some insight on how well the yard secured it?

 

[Pete Meisinger]

If the water is at all clear you should be able to find it with a bucket with a plexiglass bottom. Do you think you can pretty much duplicate duplicate where you were when it went down?

Put out a plea like this "Needed three blade 17 x 22 bronze prop with 1.5 inch tapered hole, clockwise rotation". Might work

Good Luck

pete

 

[Ski in NC]

Call around for another diver. Some of them LOVE hunting for stuff, some do not.

How's the water vis where it dropped? How well can you guess the location relative to docks, etc? What is the bottom like? Pluff mud or sand. Makes a difference, props bury them selves in pluff mud, not even worth looking.

If a traffic area, might call the CG or local water cops and get them to help protect the diver.

Might offer the diver two tier payment. Say $500 to look for it, $1000 if he finds it. Or something like that. Gives a little incentive to look hard.

Edit: You really want to find that prop. It is not easy to find an exact replacement, especially if props were tuned as a pair to get rpm's right. If you replace one, you may have one or two iterations with divers, hauls, prop shop etc to get things right. Way better to just find it.

 

[rclarke246]

Sorry to hear about the lost prop. Did you have the diver check the integrity of the other prop to insure that doesn't also fall off and to maybe get some insight on how well the yard secured it?

Yes, checked the port prop and found it a bit loose. Of course, secured it better.

I really don't think there is a rational argument that the lost prop was properly reinstalled.

 

[slowgoesit]

Hopefully you took pics of the 2nd prop where it had to be tightened. If not, and still in water, have diver write up what he had to do, how many flats he had to turn nuts, whether jamb nut was still there, etc. Also, you need to have the prop shaft that lost the prop inspected for hammering or damage to the keyway from the loose prop. You are correct, the shop that did the work should own up. I would take your original receipt, the hours since the work, the statement from the diver, etc, and request a meeting with the owner of the shop. Good luck, and let us know what happens from here.

 

[SteveK]

I think you should call more dive shops. Was curious about diver not wanting to dive in a traffic lane with 15 feet of water.
Could not find restriction to dive, only that boats must stay 300 feet away from the flag.

 

[High Wire]

10 percent finders fee on top of regular rate might inspire a go.
What exactly are the prop dimensions:
Diameter
Pitch
# of blades
Shaft diameter
Left or right hand
Maybe some one on here can help out.

 

[Pau Hana]

Would like to see how your insurance will "handle" your loss. Please post.

Generally, insurance will cover this loss, and will be OK with replacing both props and hardware under the “pairs and sets” clause- all subject to the partial loss deductible.

 

[C lectric]

Can't help with suggestions for finding the "lost" prop.

I can see this happening even if the shop tightened things up properly if they did not check the prop fit. I dealt with this many years ago.

Too many installers, me included at the time, do not check the fit properly. It seems to be a missing art. The prop AND the shaft taper need to be checked for any dings or damage that can interfere with a good fit and if there is then corrected with some touchup AND CLOVER COMPOUND [grinding paste]. Actually the paste should be used initially on all props.

Rather than me typing for the next day READ the article from SEABOARD MARINE about prop installations.

https://www.sbmar.com/articles/propeller-installation-big-nut-vs-little-nut/


I followed his practices and found my prop riding the key. Once dealt with the prop slipped higher up the shaft about 3/8" inch. In my case the key cut in the prop bore actually had a rocker, high spot, about midway. I asked the prop shop about correcting it but they figured, good as they were, they might make it worse.

I filed the key down just enough to allow the prop to slide fully over the key and reach my mark. Once all was tight that mark was covered.

What I am leading up to is the guys may have tightened things but if the props do not fit PROPERLY maybe they loosened on the taper after some use. NOt enough for any banging but just enough so any pressure from the nuts was lost.
Doesn't account for any locknut loss maybe but it is worth doing the checks to ensure PROPER installation.

Just a thought.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Generally, insurance will cover this loss, and will be OK with replacing both props and hardware under the “pairs and sets” clause- all subject to the partial loss deductible.

Good to know....

 

[MYTraveler]

Many of the newer fishfinders can give a very high definition bottom picture, especially in shallow water. If you have a buddy with such a fishfinder, it would be well worth a look.

 

[StarChaser]

As a Diver, I'm appalled at the number of times I've had boats completely ignore my Diver Down flag. It isn't a suggestion, it's in the COLREGS.

That said finding a prop will not be easy at all unless you have the Lat/Long of exactly where it came off. Finding a boat isn't easy, even with an excellent sonar and Mag detector. Sonar will be virtually useless (I have Hi-res, Sidescan & Chirp. Insurance diving is my sideline). You need to dead on target and mowing the lawn in the channel is not a great idea. Frowned on by the USCG & USCGA as creating a hazard to navigation. I've done recovery work in channels and even with standby boats it can get crowded with boats trying to navigate around you.
Sad to say but it's probably faster & easier to to replace the set than find your prop. Keep the one you have as a "get home" replacement. You might want to invest in a prop puller as well. I've replaced a number that had managed to scuff off the blades.

Good Luck

 

[Comodave]

Years ago we were called out for a search for a pickup truck lost in a lake. We had a pretty good depthfinder/fishfinder with a 12” screen in our boat at the time. We knew that the truck went down a launch ramp in the middle of the niqht. Per the report no alcohol was involved. We ran a pattern looking for the truck. Went right over it and thought it may be the truck so we went over it at 90 degrees and then we could see the shape of the truck pretty well. Dropped a mark on it and went and got the Sheriffs divers. They put air bags on it and we towed it back up the ramp. When they pulled it out and opened the door about 50 empty beer cans came flowing out, no alcohol involved...

Point is we were looking for a pickup and knew where it went in and still didn’t really recognize it until we went just the right angle over it. I don’t think we would ever have been able to see a prop.

 

[FF]

Which nut was closest to the prop?

 

[rclarke246]

My understanding is that there is a thin flange between the prop and the large brass nut. Once the nut is tight the two sides of the flange are bent / folded over flat sides of the nut. This keeps the nut tight. Again, whatever, the reinstall had to be faulty.

 

[Capn Craig]

Which nut was closest to the prop?

Fred, Are you stirring the prop?

Funny though.

 

[Island Cessna]

Which nut was closest to the prop?

The nut with the wrench in his hand [emoji1]

 

[SoWhat]

I would probably not dive in a channel with only 15' of water. 30' maybe. If I'm 3' off the bottom, and a boat goes by with props 5 ft below the hull, we're separated by only 6' or 7'. Not much of a safety cushion.

If you were positive about location, in +30', I would skirt the sides of the channel and if I made a visual I might dart in if there was an interval with no traffic.

If it was a narrow channel with not much traffic and speeds were low I would snorkel it. If you have a reasonable location guess a snorkeler should be able to spot it. Quick plunge should be able to get a rope on it. I would not snorkle off a boat with engines running so dive boat would have to anchor in the channel. Would prefer to work with a dinghy following. As previously mentioned, dive flags are used as waypoints by the bowrider crowd.

so recoverable with the right conditions.

 

[C lectric]

My understanding is that there is a thin flange between the prop and the large brass nut. Once the nut is tight the two sides of the flange are bent / folded over flat sides of the nut. This keeps the nut tight. Again, whatever, the reinstall had to be faulty.

Was the locking washer installed and set properly on the remaining prop shaft?
Yes, maybe the guy didn't set the lock washer wings.
Even with a cotter pin I've seen the ends not bent properly so they eventually wear and wiggle out of place. This was not on a boat but I've worked on enough other machinery.
There are also jam or lock nut type setups where if the lock nut is not done properly things can go awry. Mine is like that. Huge nut for the actual prop, then a stub shaft threaded into the prop shaft and then TWO jamb nuts to hold it all together. Works as long as the jamb nut are TIGHT. That is a Common setup here on the old fishboats.

Regardless the posting from Seaboard is worthwhile no matter what locking arrangement is used.

 

[foreverunderway]

You did not mention whether the diver checked the hull. carefully for any damage. If you heard a loud bang, that would indicate the prop spun into the hull before dropping to the bottom. A spinning prop could easily cut through a goodly number of layers of the hull, and at the very least allow water to impregnate the layers of glass. and/or core, if a cored hull. The prop could have hit a goodly distance from the shaft and the damage not easily seen.

 

[Steve DAntonio]

Sorry to hear about the lost prop. Did you have the diver check the integrity of the other prop to insure that doesn't also fall off and to maybe get some insight on how well the yard secured it?

Agreed completely, and if it is installed incorrectly, or has loose nuts, or reversed nuts, your case with the yard will be stronger.

Prop installation info... https://stevedmarineconsulting.com/propeller-installation/

Prop nut install details... http://stevedmarineconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Prop-Nuts-Letters.pdf

 

[ocean]

check for props for sale I have 2 listed here for sale

 

[ocean]

check props for sale I have a pair listed here

 

[Bill Blatchford]

Lost props

I have a set of 24x24 3 blades 11/2 shaft. Great condition. I repowered used bigger. If interested email bill@blatchford.com