I hit bottom I think

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Apr 9th, '09, 21:26

As the post states and do not know how bad it is yet. I was idling down my canal at about 4-5 knots on a low tide. This spot is always churning up mud in the prop wash but I was under the impression that was all that was there. I had just installed new diagnostic software in the laptop and was checking it out underway. I was happy about all the parameters that can be checked in real time. The ironic part of the whole thing I hit as I was passing a 31 tied up in its usual spot. I think the name is "Lucky Lady". There are several other similar draft boats in the canal. Usually someone would mark debris or rock with a float of some sort. I honestly hope it was an underwater cow for the sake of the running gear and my wallet.
I have not seen the prop yet of ran it up to speed so not sure about vibrations...none at idle. I am hoping the shaft is fine. Anyone have any experience with idle speed hits and the damage that can occur? I wil run the boat tomorow and see how bad it is. I just swapped props about a month ago too and they were mint.

Harry Babb · Post by **Harry Babb** » Apr 9th, '09, 23:47

Kevin
I hit a STUMP in one of the branches that empties into Fish River. I should have known.........I got out of the deep part of the river by not paying attention.

Just a few weeks earlier I had both props and shafts reworked. I was just idling along but the strike stalled my Starboard engine. I immediately noticed a slight vibration up to about 1500 RPM.

I hauled DeNada and had the prop checked and adjusted....it did not suffer much damage..........the shaft was bent about 1/32" TIR right in the bearing area. It was more of a pain pulling the boat than fixing the damage........no damage to the gear

You will probably be okay since you were only idling along.

Good luck

Harry

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Apr 10th, '09, 07:13

Too many factors to say for certain...
-soft bottom at low speed chances are your fine.
-branch, piece of wood or soft debris your most likely fine.
-something that don't give like a rock, clam shell bottom or solid wood I'd expect to see some prop issues possible a shaft out of tolerance.

More of a pain and expence to pull boat and check then to have repaired.

I for one have never been lucky, I put a tower on the boat because I couldn't see into troughs when running and was good for one hit a year.

First year I have the tower on I made it right up to the end of the season but decided to go out for one quick last trip. Get outside and there is a bluefish blitz, everyone want to fish so we follow fish, I put boat in neutral, bump in gear to follow fish, neutral... bump and thump I see a piece of wood surface behind the boat and sink again, prop and shaft bent up going just from neutral into gear at 750 rpm.

Wait it gets better...

Following year I put boat in after straightening shaft and having wheel done, I usually put boat in and take for a quick spin to make sure all is in order, as I get to the mouth of the harbor I see a snailboat up on the sandbar...being in a good mood (boat launching and all seemed to be fine, start of the season feeling) I slow down ask if he wants help, toss him a line to which instead of tieing off they decide to pull like mad dogs
coming down the home strech of the Iditarod, I yelled, they ignored and by the time I got to the helm and put in gear I felt the bottom, got them off the bar, gave them an earfull to which they told me I had plenty of water and couldn't have hit bottom...I pretty much felt like ramming my boat into that ragboat but decided to continue on my 1st cruise of the season and yes the boat vibrated a bit, runable but vibrated. Ran for a little while then hauled and changed shaft.

I share this so you know your not the only one. Whats on your side your running a bigger shaft, turning slower then my 1-1/4 monel shafts that where being run at a 1:1 ratio, so you should have a better chance of escaping damage.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Apr 10th, '09, 08:19

Kevin,

Most (maybe all) of us have been there. We bent a prop on a submerged net one time. The posts above pretty well sum up the situation, so we'll hope for the best for you. Your header shows that you are in the Keys; is that where you were at the time of the bottom strike? I thought the Keys water was "swimming pool clear", and that you had the benefit of better visability (unless you were back in the mangroves). Let us know how it works out.

Tommy

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Apr 10th, '09, 08:23

I once bent a prop on a turtle.

I made it home. The turtle wasn't so lucky......

JeremyD · Post by **JeremyD** » Apr 10th, '09, 08:27

I hope you didn't - and if you did I hope it was soft and mushy.

J Graham · Post by **J Graham** » Apr 10th, '09, 08:51

Nicked a rock or old moorig block during a moon low at idle in Cohasset (I think I noticed you are originally from Scituate). Not good, had to remove and repair wheel. Damage was way more than I expected from a quick bump.

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Apr 10th, '09, 09:28

Sorry but yes even a soft idle hit can bend things.

Visualy check the prop and then take something you can use as a pointer that will hold against the hull of the boat to the edge of a blade.

Rotate the prop thru all the blades to see if the same tip spot on each blade passes your pointer.

If everything looks copacetic, run the boat for vibrations. Watch the shaft thru the stuffing box for movement.

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Apr 10th, '09, 09:48

I have hit everything there is. Fast, slow, trolling, almost every time I had to send the prop out to be fixxed. As said even slow can screw things up. Follow what Bruce said and good luck.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Apr 10th, '09, 13:41

Well here is the low down. Went to yard today and they forked me out. The Starboard prop had been polished about 1/2 inch up from the outer most diameter. One blade had minor buring, sand paper would fix it. Spun the prop with some wood against the hull and the blades were ok in my opinion9nothing obviously wrong). Since the idle to the yard was good with no bad vibes and the prop looked good I figured midas well go run it. All was well all the way thru the RPM band. Still hit WOT where it should be. I was alone so I could not check the shaft underway but will check it later.

I know where Cohasset is, had childhood friends just off 3A near the North River.

My shafts beleive it or not are 1 1/8.....yes I have diesels.

Still in the keys behind Sombrero Beach. Canal system never has good visibility. Canals hear generally full of sediment at the bottom. I guess it is a risk not knowing and not haveing bottom finder. In the clear water I run pretty skinny and have never hit anything. In the areas I know well I will run 23 knots in 4 feet of water.

Well for now it seems like everything is ok. It was good hearing all the stories as usuall. I hope to see the guy on the dock some day with the 31 and let him know there is hazard where he manuevers to dock his boat. Hopefully save him some agravation on a low tide.

Skipper Dick · Post by **Skipper Dick** » Apr 10th, '09, 15:32

Kevin

Are you any where near Marathon?

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Apr 10th, '09, 15:44

Yup, right in the middle of it at the 50 mile marker. I live right on the beach. Only a few minutes by boat to the 7 mile Bridge.

Skipper Dick · Post by **Skipper Dick** » Apr 10th, '09, 16:32

Kevin,

I sent you a PM

Dick

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Apr 10th, '09, 18:49

I watched Charlie Johnson run hard aground leaving AC the first year.
Went in to pull him free, nudged the bottom slightly. Bumped in and out of gear a couple of times, came free and pulled Charlie free in the process as well. Both of us ran back to Long Island with no problems found.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Apr 10th, '09, 19:50

Harv

That's the soft NJ mud. The bottom is mostly soft mud back in those bays. If you hit a clam bed, the shells will chew the prop up pretty fast.

I think its pretty hard down by Kevin.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Apr 10th, '09, 20:28

Dick,

No PM here. I checked a couple of times through out the day.

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Apr 11th, '09, 21:39

Tony Meola wrote:Harv

That's the soft NJ mud. The bottom is mostly soft mud back in those bays. If you hit a clam bed, the shells will chew the prop up pretty fast.

I think its pretty hard down by Kevin.

I knew that, and Charlie was very greatful for that fact.
To give you an example of how hard he hit, I actually watched his bow nosedive and the stern just swung around 180 degrees.

randall · Post by **randall** » Apr 11th, '09, 23:07

so i should stop running over sand bars to clean the barnacles off the props?

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Apr 12th, '09, 21:55

"I actually watched his bow nosedive and the stern just swung around 180 degrees."

Now that's a hard hit.

Buju · Post by **Buju** » Apr 13th, '09, 06:43

We've had some crazy spring tides... ever since the new moon 2 1/2 weeks ago. Really high and really low. Spent the last week camping up in Biscayne Bay, tides up there were insane... Ripping through Sands Cut so hard it was almost unfishable.... still managed a few snook and tarpon.
Hope all is well Kevin.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Apr 13th, '09, 07:29

Excellent news!! Couldn't be happier if it was my boat.

1-1/8" seems light, what is the HP of those Steyrs?

What do you need a bottom finder for, seems like you found it just fine without one...

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Apr 13th, '09, 07:44

yea. the back bays in jersey suck,

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Apr 13th, '09, 10:47

My Steyrs are 212hp. So far 230 hours and have not had any problems . Gears are 1.5 to 1. The tides are crazy here. Last night I was out in my "other" boat looking for some bad guys. The book states the 39 Midnight needs 26" of water. I say hogwash, you only need 20" to get around.

Buju · Post by **Buju** » Apr 13th, '09, 11:12

The book states the 39 Midnight needs 26" of water. I say hogwash, you only need 20" to get around.

WOT & trimmed out draft... I'm very familiar with the concept. I can make it through skeg deep water in a ugly pinch at wot.
A wise old Bahamian once gave me these words of wisdom:
When in doubt, ya trim her out.

I was boarded several years ago by you guys in Tavernier Creek in the middle of the night. Was trolling plugs and catching snook, really peaceful and quite like... all of a sudden, no warning, bright spotlights in my face, roaring engines, fenders & lines, and questions. Total shock and awe, never heard 'em coming. Beleive it was a midnight express 39 with quad 250's hanging on the transom... all she needed to complete the look was a .50cal mounted on the bow. By the time they left me to go back to fishing, it all seemed borderline surreal, like it almost never happened. The maritime Men in Black...

Bertramp · Post by **Bertramp** » Apr 13th, '09, 15:25

I missed a marker in Tiana Bay .. Hampton Bays, NY and had props that looked like the finest polished jewelry .... I was luck it was mud and sand.

scot · Post by **scot** » Apr 13th, '09, 20:30

I hit a shallow pipeline in the local bay once while chewing mud across a flat, made a horrible noise, but only bent the tip of 1 fluke. The boat never even vibirated? Didn't know the prop was bent until I pulled it, 6 months later.

bertram31.com

I hit bottom I think

I hit bottom I think

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