www.iFourWinns.com

Took some friends out for their first ride on our boat. Went from St. Joe to South Haven, (22 miles ) anchored a couple of spots along the way to enjoy a beverage or 2 and some snacks. Right before heading into South Haven, anchored one more time for a quick jump in the lake to cool down again. Got back on board, fired the engine up, put it in forward and a few seconds later heard a grinding noise and the engine just died. Would not turn over, nothing. Oh shit, I forgot to pull up the anchor and the chain got wrapped around the prop. was in 15 feet of water, dove overboard and sure enough the chain was wrapped in such a way I could not get it off.

Could not find my goggles, so now I am taking the prop off while trying to see undwater. Not too long, and I got it off, then was able to free the anchor chain, and started putting the prop back on. It was very hard to find the hole for the cotter pin without goggles, the Admiral finally found one goggle eyepiece, so Colonel Klink style, I am able to finish the job with my monocle goggle. Get in, fire up the boat, it starts, put it in forward and I can hear some grinding and spinning going on, but we can't get on plane. Reverse seems to work fine. Damn.... I'm not going to attempt to boat 22 miles backwards to St. Joe. Then I look down on my keychain and I call BoatUS, they have a towboat to us in a half hour. By this time its 9 pm. He asks where we port and then says sit back and enjoy the night because it is going to be a 3 HOUR TOW back to St. Joe. Got back to port around 12:30 am and home an hour later....

Thank heavens we had the tow insurance, otherwise it would have been $1,465 !!!!

Once back, boat tow captain says he thinks I may have spun the protective hub. If I would have thought of that, I could have replaced the prop with my spare, so now getting ready to head back up and swap out props and see if that works.

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1994 235 Sundowner w/351 Ford

Wow.....good luck!

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

I did very similar on my first season with the FW. I was only 3 miles from the trailer and did it in reverse. Made interesting for getting on the trailer in the river though. Sounds like the same issue... went along OK at low speed or reverse, but wont get on plane. I also had a spare hub, but didn't even think about it until later.

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Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

Not fun trying to wrestle with the prop when the boat's rocking, is it? The inboards on my 348 make it pretty much impossible (for me anyway) get under there in the Chesapeake.

I keep a spare blister-pack of swim goggles on board. Great for guests and handy for a situation like this one.

Here's crossing fingers for you that it's just the prop!

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Swim goggles - one more thing to the add to the list

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

This is why I am not so much of a fan of extended swim platforms, they are safer for kids jumping off the back of the boat but can make changing the prop in the water a pain. It would help if they had a panel that opens for access. I can change mine without even getting wet.
Also you should always have a good sharp fishing knife so you can cut a fouled anchor line or lobster pot line, if winds pick up it can be dangerous.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I can change mine from my e.s.p.
When the motor is up it comes out right behind the platform.
Hopefully just your prop went bad.

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2002 Horizon 190 5.0gl

A tip I learned the hard way on changing a prop in the water is to put all the passengers into the bow of the boat. Rises the stern up & makes things a lot easier. Just wish I would have learned it about 1/2 hr earlier.

Goggles .. I will be getting some too.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

I did something similar with a stern line right at the dock luckily! Goggles are a must and if you jump in the water and your boat is dead in the water for god's sake throw some rope attached to a floating device so if you get carried away by the current you can make it back to the boat.

The admiral did not want me to go alone to change the prop, so woke up my 19 year old daughter, told her what happened and I needed her help. When she heard I had the boat towed in, she said " Dad we have to get it fixed, we are going on vacation next week with the boat " !

The river our slip is in, is full of algae right now because of the heat and drought, so even with my new goggles, I was not sure how well I'd be able to see. So we limped out of the river and then to shallow clearer water about 4 feet deep. Took SS prop off and swapped it with the original aluminum prop. As it turns out, when I took the SS prop off to untangle the anchor chain, the thrust washer fell off. This caused the prop to not seat properly. May have also damaged the rubber prop hub as well ?? Had I simply swapped props right away, I would not have had to be towed in as the original prop has a totally different thrust washer.

Nervously started the boat and slowly increased speed, hoping I had not done any damage to gears. Did not feel any vibration on steering wheel, so continued to accelerate. Once I planed out, I floored it and got 41mph in a 2 foot chop on the lake. My daugter Maggie looked over at me with a huge grin and high five'd me. We were going to be able to take our boat on vacation.

Went to a wedding afterwards, and told a few other newbie boaters there, that they really should have a spare prop and also know how to take their prop off as well before it is an emergency !!

swim googles, spare cotter pins, needle nose pliers, adjustable cresent wrench and a flat blade screwdriver to pry off the nut safety cap is what was needed to change prop on King Cobra stern drive.

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1994 235 Sundowner w/351 Ford

Ahhh boats, making mechanics out of us all.

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Alright! Glad you were able to get it fixed!!! Breaking down on the water, especially offshore, somehow, for some reason makes common sense and "trouble shooting" thinking goes out the window, especially with family and friends aboard.
I got all nervous 28 miles offshore when out with my B.I.L on his boat. He isnt mechanically inclined, an alarm went off (oil). I removed the VRO oil injection hose and verified we did in fact have oil flow but, didnt THINK what to do after that! I knew it was a faulty sensor readin ($7) but we called seatow. I could have just bypassed it if I would have slowed down, thought it through...oh well.
I have changed props offshore before too! My buddy had a 30' W/A we were cruising, anchor came loose from the bow pulpit and we didnt notice until we lossed power . All kinds of chain wrapped up in BOTH props. Luckily he had both spares. We dropped anchor after freeing it. Jumped in (it was rough too) and changed both props. I will never go offshore without goggles again!!!

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1987 Sundowner 195, 4.3 OMC " Z boat"
1983 Wellcraft 248 Sportsman, 3.0L OMC Sea Drive "Born Again"
9' Patriot 40lbs TM "Quack Addict"

You could say that again

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1987 Sundowner 195, 4.3 OMC " Z boat"
1983 Wellcraft 248 Sportsman, 3.0L OMC Sea Drive "Born Again"
9' Patriot 40lbs TM "Quack Addict"

While you're adding things to your list, please consider a FLOATING prop wrench, spare prop washers, and spare prop nuts. It's amazing how slippery all of those things are when wet and you're bobbing up and down... Don't ask...

For example -
http://www.iboats.com/Mercury-Floating-Prop-Wrench/dm/view_id.39255

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2008 H220 Frenzy Edition VP 5.7Gi DP
2013 RAM 1500 Crew Cab 5.7 HEMI Tow Vehicle

Previously -
1993 Baja 180 Islander