Line cutters for shafts

F

FranklyScarlett

Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2007
RO Number
27088
Messages
10
This past Thursday on the way down to Charleston SC - I hit a crab pot line in about 15-21 feet of water on the ICW around McClennanville SC -

result - a sheared starboard shaft and lost prop - no other damage to the boat as the shaft appears to have been sheared clean right after the support that attaches it the the hull

My son who is in the Coast Guard wanted to know why I did not have line cutters on my shafts -

I said - because I did not know of such things

The folks at Ross Marine in Charleston where the shaft and prop are being replaced said that folks up in New England have them but they did not see many line cutters on boats in southern waters

So question - Does anyone have experience with line cutters on your boat's shafts? - Is there any down side to having them?
 
Shaft cutters can be expensive & there are several types. Six years ago I researched the subject & chose Prop Protector instead of Spurs. In my research I found that the type called the Shark did not well at all. Spurs were the best at cutting, but cost the most. They require annual maintenance as they have a zinc & a replaceable bearing. They also need to have the shafts pulled to drill & tap the struts for the mounting screws.
Prop Protector is a clamp on 316 SS razor sharp disc. I found that every few years they should be pulled & professionally sharpened. They used to be about 40% cheaper than Spurs. I think the price point is much closer now.
Al
 
I heard that most of these devices cause some vibration; can anyone confirm or deny?
 
i had looked into having a set installed as we have a boat load of lobster pots in the keys during the season. after speaking with my diver he explained that in our area alot of the pots use a combineation ofpolyethelyne line and a steel cable for the pots. the line cutters will cut the polyethelyne but they generally don't cut the steel cable. he went on to explain that some of his clients that had installed the cutters were having corrosion problems where they were installed. after weighing the overall cost including maint. I decieded it was not cost effective for me.
 
Thanks for feed back

Based upon these comments and also checking with other folks - decided just to be more alert when at the wheel - The steel cable issue and vibration that may occur with installation told me that line cutters were not for me
 
cutters can disturb the flow of water over the prop decreasing effeciency and performance.
 
I have installed a serrated blade prop protector on my single screw inboard for use on the crab pot infested Chesapeake Bay. To date, I haven't noticed any loss of performance, decreased prop efficiency or vibration.

What I have noticed is the "joy of worry free boating", not having to take a swim at the most inopportune time to untangle a line from my prop!

Cheap insurance as I see it - $300 in the grand scheme of boating accessories for peace of mind. It it cuts one line once, its paid for itself!!
 
Bythe way - the estimate to replace a shaft and prop on a 3880 is $4,461 - assuming no other damages are noted when the boat is put back in the water and the tested after repair - Insurance will pay for part after deductible
 
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