Hit some logs and possible damage to prop and/or rudder

Per RT advice I will have my diver service (that was already scheduled for next week) inspect the underwater gear etc. They can remove prop as necessary if visibly damaged and can inspect prop blade alignment to some degree with the boat in the water. I'm suspecting the damage is to the prop only at this time. After dealing with any prop damage I will have shaft alignment and engine position checked.

Took boat out today to retrieve some crab pots located a few miles away. Moved the boat at a gentle speed and at about 8 kts could feel a slight vibration/tremor at the wheel. Below 8 kts things seemed calm at the wheel.
 
Oucheeee.... RT parts directed me to a local shop for purchasing a new prop if I have to. Cost for ACME 2778 19.00" x 21.00" Cruiser 4-Blade Propeller $2,130.00 (plus sales tax - free shipping) back ordered with a 3-4 week shipping delay.

Sure hope my prop if slightly damaged can be repaired.
 
I’ve had great results working with Olympic Propeller in Anacortes. Might be worth giving them a shout.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
My diver service will b e inspecting my underwater running gear today along with the scheduled periodic inspection for all the underwater zincs.... good timing on my part presumably. 😱

I think this is a prudent move rather than spending the cash on having the boat hauled out. My diver service has the ability to check for prop blade alignment to some degree and can remove the prop if necessary without hauling boat out and can send prop off for repairs as necessary.

I checked my Ins. deductible and it is $2,921. 🙁

If prop is damaged I will get underwater photos of it.
 
My Diver service inspected hull and prop for damage this morning.

The hull was not damaged; just one scuff mark that did not removed any of the bottom paint.

Not so lucky on the prop though as it had two adjacent blade tips bent backwards about 3/4". In addition, the prop zinc was completely missing 😱 :shock: along with its retaining bolt. It's unclear if this missing zinc was as a result of the log collision or if the bolt had loosened and fell off earlier allowing the zinc to fall off. The prop zinc falling off is a common problem on the RT boats IMO. Once the zinc in front of the retaining bolt's head has eroded the zinc can simply move aft and fall off prematurely. My diver service has a 'trick' for avoiding this issue by placing one or more washers inside the zinc's inside base through which the bolt goes through to attached to the retaining component. They say they do this on ALL the RT boats they service as it's a very common problem and they really don't understand why RT does not do this for their customers. 😱

The prop will be taken to a local prop shop to be repaired and rebalanced. Their turn-around is said to be quick.

I will post back later as to the cost of repairing the prop.

So.... it was not my imagination about feeling a slight vibration at the wheel after the log collision compared to what I recalled prior to the collision. Even with two prop blade tips bent it was AOK to run the boat slowly at no more than 6 kts as there was no wheel vibration felt at this speed or below. Faster than this there was noticeable but slight wheel vibration. I'm pleased I had the diver service inspection today and that the prop damage was not too severe. I suspect the prop will be returned within a few days.

All my underwater zincs were in good shape with trim tab zincs at 65%, thruster zincs at 75% and transom plate zinc at 95%.... and of course the prop zinc a total loss.

Shared photo Album showing the prop damage - https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1AGq6kMgGPRiuz
 
Barry,
Glad to see it was something simple and should be easy to fix. A quick bend back and re-balance is a whole lot nicer than replacing the prop. Be interesting to see how it runs when you get the prop back on it. Hopefully turn around will be quick.
 
Jim:

My grandson and granddaughter are my lookouts, so when they next come to the boat I will ask them to bring their checkbooks. They will be wowed when they see the bent prop blade tips. :lol:
 
I wonder if a prop cage or shroud would be helpful to prevent not only the damage to the prop but also damage to objects in the water by the prop. Not to mention the increased thrust by adding a duct/shroud
 
ive had the prop zinc fall off before, my current diver does a good job of avoiding this. I also have a very large divers dream (big zinc plate) mounted to the stern which does protect a bunch of the corrosion should this happen.

good news on re-faring the current prop: hopefully more cost effective than replacing with a new one!

I think the hull design of the semi displacement cut28 does a pretty good job of protecting the prop compared to an outboard application or perhaps the hull shape of the cut30 which i think is flatter and more of a planing hull?
 
Of all the underwater zincs I'm of the opinion the prop zinc is the most active. It's large and erodes quicker than any other underwater zinc. For it to fall off concerns me because of this.

In my case here, the complete prop zinc AND its retaining bolt were missing. This after having the new boat for just 3 months being in the water all the time. I have to assume the retaining bolt loosened allowing the zinc to slide off. The retaining bolt has blue loctite so it should not loosen IMO.

Once the zinc material around the retaining bolt head erodes the zinc can simply slide backwards and falls off.
 
My prop repair will be completed tomorrow at 10 AM. FYI... It was repaired by The Prop Shop, 3610 S Rd #100, Mukilteo, WA 98275 (425-353-5527) - https://propshopinc.com

The cost for straitening the two adjacent blades and performing a static balance will be $333. 🙂 - about 1/10 the cost for a new prop. 😎

I asked about applying a protective coating on the prop for inhibiting growth and lessening water friction and they said for the designed RPM range of the prop it was unnecessary; just have diver service clean the prop now and then would be sufficient.

Now to have the prop re-installed. 😀
 
The repaired prob was installed today along with a new prop zinc that will now not drop off. 😀 Trim tabs cleaned and bow and stern thruster zincs replaced as they were close to 50% gone.

Shared photo album here along with a photos of the stern thruster's old and new zinc.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1AJOX8tMJP9V5S

Diver assured me the prop was installed the 'right way' and that throttle in fwd position WILL cause the boat to move forward. 😉 😎 :lol: Will find out for sure when I back out of my slip for a test run/spin.
 
baz":3dq7ej7h said:
Diver assured me the prop was installed the 'right way' and that throttle in fwd position WILL cause the boat to move forward. 😉 😎 :lol: Will find out for sure when I back out of my slip for a test run/spin.
Click to expand...
Isn't the prop/prop shaft tapered so the prop can only go on one way?
 
Jim: Yes it is..... I was joking with the diver about this..... :roll:
 
So how much all in did you spend? Did you get the zinc from the prop shop?
I was following a big tour boat about a hundred yards behind. I’m thinking maybe that wasn’t such a good idea, wonder if maybe something got churned up.
 
Steeldieman":15qfxf20 said:
So how much all in did you spend? Did you get the zinc from the prop shop?
I was following a big tour boat about a hundred yards behind. I’m thinking maybe that wasn’t such a good idea, wonder if maybe something got churned up.
Click to expand...

The prop repair for the two adjacent bent blades plus a static balance was $333. On top of this will be what my diver service changes me for removing the prop and re-installing it. The prop zinc is not uncommon and my diver service always carries the one for my R29 CB model. They have a 'trick' to avoid the prop zinc from falling off prematurely and their 'trick' has proven to be flawless over many years servicing the RT models.
 
Barry, I'm glad the Prop Shop took care of you... they do really good work and they also a good place to look for a spare prop.

Your boat is "brand" new, yet that proprietary prop zinc can't be cheap and it was wasted. You've steered clear of galvanic isolators on previous boats, but your marina slip is definitely hot. Has the marina done a test recently "see" where your stray currents are coming from... I'm hoping the isolator I installed wasn't in vain!

Bob
 
Bob: The prop zinc fell prey to the retaining bolt either loosening and falling away, or the zinc material surrounding the retaining bolt's head had gone allowing the prop zinc to simply slide off.

I'm suspecting one of three things that must have happened

1) The prop zinc retaining bolt loosened and fell away allowing the prop zinc to slide off as a result.

2) The log collision somehow cause the prop retaining bolt and zinc to come off.

3) The zinc material surrounding the retaining bolt's head eroded allowing the zinc to fall away, and somehow the retaining bolt loosen and also fell away.

My diver service charges me $25 for the prop zinc and installation.

I have no faith in what my Marina tells me about their shore power testing. They tested several years ago and told me there was no issue. I also have no faith in a GFI protecting me as I tried that on my R25 Classic and it made absolutely no difference for me at Edmonds marina with the boat connected to shore power 100% of the time.

I eventually solved the issue in large part by only connecting shore power for 24 hours per week. This has resulted in my underwater zincs lasting from 9 to 12 months before they reach 50% gone. Prior to this my zincs would at 50% or less after 3 months.

Boat is kept in salt water all year round.
 
baz":2zldp4sy said:
I have no faith in what my Marina tells me about their shore power testing. They tested several years ago and told me there was no issue. I also have no faith in a GFI protecting me as I tried that on my R25 Classic and it made absolutely no difference for me at Edmonds marina with the boat connected to shore power 100% of the time.
Click to expand...

The galvanic isolator has limitations. It works in normal conditions quite well. The fact that you have always had issues with 3 different boats and had no results from using a galvanic isolator would indicate issues around the area that your boat is located.A galvanic isolator only protects against low level DC, up to 1.2 or 1.4 Volts, so if there’s some stray current issue in your marina, which creates a voltage higher than that, the isolator won’t do anything, but this would be unusual.
It sounds like the method you are using is the best way to protect the boat. It is not convenient but if that works for you its a good solution. I personally would have the water tested and try to find the culprit. Do other boats docked in the vicinity of your boat have issues too?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top