Ropes around the propeller winding the engine round (with the "stop" button on)

[Cadence]

Why make it difficult. It might pay to try the line on a winch, while in neutral prior to trying bumping it in reverse with the starter. In all likelihood it's going to require getting wet.

[a64pilot]

I know diving isn’t always an option, that is why I said call for a tow.
The winch idea I think logical as you should have fine control, give it a shot, you may get lucky, but the starter could easily hurt you or the boat in my opinion.
I’d try it as a last resort I guess.

[TrentePieds]

I would listen to what teppokurki sez in #14 :-)

Think about the geometry of trying to do it a la Cunliffe or by winch: The line line of necessity must lie up against the hull and go over a rail as you try to haul on it. Its alignment with the winch will en entirely wrong whichever winch you try to use, and rigging turtning blocks doesn't seem to me to be terribly feasible. To the friction and the misalignment are gonna get you.

Better to dive. Better still not to get in such a fix in the first place. When near lobster pots and other junk always be ready to come to "neutral" in a split second ;-)

Cheers

TP

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by metallon

Dear Sailing Fans,

I have just finished reading Tom Cunliffe book the complete Yachtmaster and did not really understand the following:

Page 276 Ropes around the propeller
If you know the rope went on with the propeller driving ahead. Reverse that direction of revolution while maintaining a firm pull on the line, and you have at least a chance of winding it back off again.
This is best achieved by decompressing the engine, engaging astern propulsion and then winding the engine round (with the "stop" button on) using
the starter motor,...

Why does the stop button have to be on?

The stop button should be on so fuel is not being feed into the cylinders and pooling there and then unburnt fuel is forced into the exhaust system.

It is not to prevent the engine from starting, the decompression has already taken care of that.

Of course this will go over the heads of those who don't have an engine decompression device .

[billgewater]

Obviously diving is preferred as you get to see if there are other problems. However, you might like to simply try rotating the shaft in the reverse direction from inside the boat. On my own tub I can do this by putting the box into neutral (although being a hydraulic box this should not matter). Where the shaft coupling is I put a large screw driver between the attachment bolts and turn the shaft. I do this regularly to test for easy shaft rotation when checking shaft/engine alignment.
Have never had a rope around the prop. myself and it would probably be too tight to manually reverse, but may be worth trying.
My own experiences have been with other boats and on one occasion it took hours with a professional diver (a police boat on the Swan River, Perth) and with the other (a local large sailing vessel), the prop skeg was bent along with the shaft. Very, very expensive drama.

[TrentePieds]

Surely only Tom Cunliffe would assume that all diesels have decompressors ;-0)?

Hoots Mon!

TP

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Surely only Tom Cunliffe would assume that all diesels have decompressors ;-0)?

Hoots Mon!

TP

Hey, Tom is a "proper" waterman and "proper" marine diesels have decompression levers...

[JPA Cate]

It's all well and good to jest that modern diesel engines aren't "proper", but, some people out here have to deal with engines which require a built in computer check before firing. There goes your chance to jump-start it if needed on a sudden lee shore!

[TrentePieds]

Ah, yes, Ann - d'ye remember when we started "diesels" by playing a plumber's blowlamp on the cylinder head before jumping on the knob on the flywheel? And how sometimes they would start "the wrong way about" - and throw you against the bulkhead?

Now THOSE were "proper" diesels ;-0)!

TP

[thinwater]

I don't understand not having minimal dive equipment (mask, snorkel, wet or dry suit). Seems like basic seamanship to me. It's easy to say "get a tow," but it might be a very long time and the weather may be changing. This is like a flat tire, not a complex problem. Just watch getting tangled and take your time to avoid exhaustion. No rush, once you are started.



(I'm in the Chesapeake Bay--I've wrapped a few floats. Never a big deal. I think I've been in the water every month, some year.)

[a64pilot]

I have only had to cut a line off of a powerboat, thankfully not my sailboat yet.
On my boat I think I can wedge myself between the rudder and keel, on the power Boat You couldn’t and it doesn’t take much wave action at all to be unsafe

[sandy stone]

A few years back, we ran over a crab trap float off Anclote Key in the ICW. (Looking at the chart instead of the water.) We were motorsailing, as soon as I heard the bump against the hull I put the engine in neutral. Looked back at shredded pieces of float and the trap being towed by the line attached to the boat. Just for luck, I put the trans in reverse for a second, motor still running, but it didn't release the trap. Oh, well. We hove to, breeze was light, and I made all preparations and went over the side, literally with a knife in my teeth. When I got down by the prop (a 2-blade Maxprop) there was only a single loop of line over one prop blade, that I flipped off with one hand. Always better to be lucky than good.

[Wotname]

And oh, BTW, welcome aboard CF, Metallon; nice first post

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Hey, Tom is a "proper" waterman and "proper" marine diesels have decompression levers...

I'm not sure where the proper marine diesel idea came from, that it has a decompression lever?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I'm not sure where the proper marine diesel idea came from, that it has a decompression lever?

They (decomp levers)come in very handy when the engine won't stop..
As for diving on it.. all well and good if the sea's calm.. but you can have all the dive gear you want in a seaway and you still stand a good chance of having the hull crush your head or the prop split your skull..