Pat Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 (edited) Hi everyone, everytime I take my boat out at the moment, I seem to spend half the time with my arm down the weed hatch. I'm sick of it. Just found this on the internet. prop protector Anyone used it or heard anything about it? Thanks, Pat Edited May 26, 2006 by Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Some guy on our moorings has one, he seemed to be really chuffed with it, so chuffed in fact, that he went out and bought a bigger one! And, I suppose with this kind, when you get your boat out for blacking, you can just quickly give it a little sharpen up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Hi everyone, everytime I take my boat out at the moment, I seem to spend half the time with my arm down the weed hatch. I'm sick of it. Just found this on the internet. prop protector Anyone used it or heard anything about it? Thanks, Pat Well I want one, just incase. I dont know anyone with one though. It worries me that stuff can Jam and stop the engine, thats why I`m getting one, £100 is better than £5000 if it`s unecessary £100 wont hurt much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis R Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 I've got one fitted on 'Whirlwind' - it was Peter Nicholls' recommendation and he swears by them, especially on his motor sailers and barges where a weed hatch is much more of an engineering proposition.... For goodness sake don't just stick your hand down the hole if you've got one of these fitted. It looks like something out of a dodgy martial arts film and can have precisely the same effect. Makes me shudder just thinking about it so I'm extra blimmin' careful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Peacock Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 We fit them and they are definitely a very good investment and beautifully simple! They are a tad pricey but they are very well made out of marine grade stainless steel, you can find a bit about them HERE To quote a customer Dear Sirs Whilst having our 55ft. narrowboat built by Ledgard Bridge Boat Company Ltd. of Mirfield we decided to have one of your Prop Protectors fitted prior to launch, it was one of the best decisions that we could have made! We recently decided to cruise the Chesterfield Canal. This canal is notorious for its weed problem, This year it is even worse due to the problems of foot and Mouth leading to the lack of weed cutting. Many people warned us of the difficulties we would have, but during the whole of the 58 miles round trip we did not hove to stop once while all around us people were turning back because they were forever having to clear their props. We have recommended your product to many people quoting our experiences an the Chesterfield Canal . Yours faithfully “A satisfied Customer” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted May 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 (edited) Thanks. That all sounds very promising. I might have to get myself one. My Weedhatch is behind a pannel in the cabin, and everytime I open it, I get canal water on the bed.... Edited May 26, 2006 by Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 May be OK for removing weeds but what about rope, old anoraks, etc. Noah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Yeah, if you search the site this has been posted before. - We have a spurs "weedcutter" which we have found to work well. - I dont recall a single time where we've had to go down the weed hatch. Other then when we got out own sternwarp in the prop when it was tunning over very slowly in reverse. - Not quite why it didnt work that time, maybe becuase it turning over so slow (about 40rpm ish), maybe becuase it was in reverse. - It cut the rope 2/3 times, but it didnt fall clear very well. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles123 Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 I dont have a weed cutter but will probably fit one when I next take the boat out of the water, what I do have because I cant reach down deep enough through the weed hatch due to the deep draft is something I made to clear obstruction, its a broom handle with a woodsmans saw (about 8 inch blade) that folds out, its very sharp but as I say it folds out for safety cost about £10 on ebay, its handle is fastened to the broom handle with 2 jubile clips, very simple and it works and you dont get wet Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Sounds interesting. - We use thoughs saws for what there designed for, and there very good. As you say, crasy-sharp! You cant really reach our prop much eather, often its easyer to get in, thats what we did the one time with the sternline. - Addmitly that was just above sawley lock, where its fairly clean, clear anyway, with a nice shale bottom. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis R Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Noah, mine is yet to be used in real anger, but Peter Nicholls assures me that they do cut through rope and miscellaneous rubbish pretty well. He's a pretty pragmatic no-nonsense guy who's not into fads and doesn't recommend stuff without provenence, so I'm inclined to believe him. My view is, they're not a king's ransom so probably better with than without.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Schweizer Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 (edited) I don't have a weed cutter or anything else on my prop. I have had to go down the weed hatch only three times in the last nine years, and none of these situations would have been resolved by any form of cutter - Fisherman's Keep net with aluminium frame, a complete Reed planting Quior (courtesy of BW !!), and a Long length of very thick Nylon rope. I used to work a Northwich Star in the 1960's without a weed hatch, and the only times we had to get into the water to remove rubbish from the prop was when we picked up things like an old matress, or a dead dog in a sack!!! I am convinced that the problem has increased in recent years because modern shallow draughted boats only have a couple of inches clearance between the tip of the prop blades and the underside of the counter, which enables things to get jammed into the small gap. My boat has a prop clearance of eight inches and I am convinced that most things do not get drawn in or jammed because of this much larger gap Edited May 26, 2006 by David Schweizer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 I wonder if installing 2 prop protectors - 1 on each side of the prop - would be even better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick and Pauline Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 I wonder if installing 2 prop protectors - 1 on each side of the prop - would be even better? Hi Blackrose, I guess the answer there is, how much time do you spend going backwords. May be Gary (LB's) would have a view from the boat builder point of view. M & P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafnod Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Agree with David, we have cruised a lot and never had to open the weed hatch, however weed is not what I would worry about. Where we moor, one of the Viking Afloat yards, they dont fit weed cutters on the hire boats. I assume the reason for this is if a customer cuts themselves on one. However one of the engineers went out last year to a jammed prop and found the old matress had partially dragged a moped into the prop/rudder/skeg area. I carry a set of folding wilkinson sword heavy duty wire cutters and a pair of 18 inch record high tensile bolt croppers. These are for shopping trolleys, a common problem on the canals. I dont think weed would jam an engine to be honest, and even if it were so bad that it came close to doing so there would be many other symptoms before it happened, noise change, power loss, overheating....... A log could definitely stop a prop, as could a car wheel but unless you sleeve the outside of the prop, and I dont know if this possible, you cannot guard against them and no weedcutter would help either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Agree with David, we have cruised a lot and never had to open the weed hatch, however weed is not what I would worry about. Where we moor, one of the Viking Afloat yards, they dont fit weed cutters on the hire boats. I assume the reason for this is if a customer cuts themselves on one. However one of the engineers went out last year to a jammed prop and found the old matress had partially dragged a moped into the prop/rudder/skeg area. I carry a set of folding wilkinson sword heavy duty wire cutters and a pair of 18 inch record high tensile bolt croppers. These are for shopping trolleys, a common problem on the canals. I dont think weed would jam an engine to be honest, and even if it were so bad that it came close to doing so there would be many other symptoms before it happened, noise change, power loss, overheating....... A log could definitely stop a prop, as could a car wheel but unless you sleeve the outside of the prop, and I dont know if this possible, you cannot guard against them and no weedcutter would help either. I find the biggest problem are ropes, old clothes and plastic bags. One bag round your prop won't stop you, but they accumulate, and before you know it, you have loads of bags tightly wrapped round the prop and your engine is overheating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Like this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Like this.... That is a very familiar sight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hi Blackrose, I guess the answer there is, how much time do you spend going backwords. May be Gary (LB's) would have a view from the boat builder point of view. M & P. Yes, I suppose you can always see what kind of debris you're reversing into whereas you can't see what's coming under your hull towards your prop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Yes, I suppose you can always see what kind of debris you're reversing into whereas you can't see what's coming under your hull towards your prop. I can't see bugger all when I reverse..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 (edited) I can't see bugger all when I reverse..... You need some wing mirrors (seriously, why not!) Edited June 28, 2006 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick and Pauline Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hi, I don't know about needing wing mirrors, I think CCTV on the stern may be better. M & P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Peacock Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 I can't see bugger all when I reverse..... Well just fit a mirror dave did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minerva Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 going back to a cutter on the prop, I think we'll be fitting one soon.... we picked up some industrial strength plastic, about as thick as the plastic from a damp proof course, for brick walls! but it was as wide as it was long.... about 12 foot was round the prop, it just stopped the engine dead, took us about an hour to get off with a kitchen carving knife.... p.s. we've been down in the weed hatch a few times over the years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted June 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Well just fit a mirror dave did! Not a bad idea! I reckon it might even look quite stylish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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