Outboard Prop Field Repairs, Lessons Learned

[SteveSadler]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

You sure about that? I've had three rubber hub props fail over the years and a couple of ones with shear pins. The latter were easier to fix!

'Course, we do more dinghy miles than most, but ever since we hit a bit of unseen flotsam on a dive trip some 5 miles from the boat (Sea of Cortez, 1989) and had the prop hub fail, I've been a believer in carrying a spare prop when traveling far from the boat. That was a very long arvo getting back to the boat at idle speed. Not likely to forget!

Outboard motors seldom fail outright, so a spare isn't indicated to me. Besides, carrying a spare is pretty easy!

Jim

Yes I'm sure. I've used outboards all my life cruising and working charter boats. The only one I spun was 135hp mercruiser. It was on a 1972 16' runabout, probably original.