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    South of France

    An expensive mistake



    The rudders not supposed to hit the propeller

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    22 Comments

    1. Yankee Pirate on

      Hey Sam,
      I worked in a shipyard, built 2) 50 footers and you don't need to haul out or use heat. First, tie all underwater tools to secure lines, plus a line on a blade so you might save/fix the prop. Second, crank on the bearing puller good&tight. Third, use a 5-10lb sledge, not a rubber mallet. To reduce shocks on shaft, couplings&cutlass use a 2×4 or other block on the prop ring as a striking surface or dampner. Before using the wood block I'd try 2-5 sharp raps with the sledge, but not gorilla swings. Before that I'd tap tap tap with a lighter hammer all around the ring perpendicular to the shaft period. Keep tightening the puller a little and use a mix of tapping, sharp raps w/o wood block and gorilla swings with wood, rotating shaft between swing cycles; bring a pipe wrench and rag so you don't scratch the shaft turning it.

      Also 2 stainless fire extingushers plus a good 12vdc tire inflator or airless compressor (oil compressor can kill you), plus a prefilter and small micron filter right before the mouthpiece, and a water trap, plus 25-50 ft of 3/8 hose gives me 10-15 minutes of bottom time, between 10-20 min of rest for tank recharging to 100-140psi and optional 10-20 more to cool compressor which I run when down under, gives never-ending diving cycles.

      I also searched&found an octupus/mouthpiece that operates on 10-20psi. Most cut out at 40-80psi. This one was made for dredging crews, is bomber tough and cheaper than others; $80 I think. I used it; perfect.

    5. Brendan McGrath on

      It was worth a try, but almost impossible to get it off like that, even if you did it would have been dodgy to get it back on as effectively as possible, leading to possible prop departure at some crucial point later. I've taken off some really big props, many times, by heating the boss in just one place, usually right where the keyway is located. When it's heated, get a synchronised hammer going each side, two people, and tap it on the for'd edge of the boss, close to and in line with the shaft and it should pop off easily enough.

    8. Collin L. on

      The rudder prop thing happened to me on my cape dory 27. the boat yard cut my rudder to get the prop off without asking! I believe the prior owner put a longer shaft on so changing the zink is easier. maybe use a hammer and a rod of sorts to loosen the prop to get it off. There should be a cotter pin, 2 nuts maybe, and as you know ur prop is in a keyed taper shaft becsure ur new prop has the right taper and direction, maybe 12 to 1 . not sure. use a calliper so you can measure parts as needed. Where will you get ur prop?

    10. hearsejr on

      Sam, my Coronado 30 was worse with a huge rudder and tiller steering. If you put the boat in reverse and did not grip the tiller like a mad beast, you could find your self going for a swime as the tiller swung around with enough force to throw a 300lb grown man across the life lines. I took a rope and tied the tiller so the rudder could not swing till the blades hit. It worked pretty good.

    11. Frederic Dalibard on

      Hi Sam, I sailed from La Maddalena (North Sardinia) up to Menton over two days with a 10-hour stop in Macinagghio (North Corsica) in between to evade that storm at then end of August. I can see the swell was pretty big and it was a wise choice for us to sail along the East coast of Corsica. I hope you were finally able to pull the propeller off!

    14. silasb378 on

      Not sure where you are but I would suggest either Port Navy service in Marseille or Port of pozzallo in sicily, they both have the help you need there. Good Luck.

    19. bravofighter on

      Sam, my hat’s off to you. You handled that like an absolute SAILOR. People talk smack, but you’re cool under pressure, have balls of steel, and a damn fine woman at your side. Any woman who says, “I like to stay down for an hour.” and made you chuckle is clearly a keeper.😂

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