Bruntons auto propellor

[sailaboutvic]

twice over the last six months we have our engine / sail-drive start to vibrate after starting up after we been sailing , as if we picked some thing up on our propeller, both times when I dive under there was nothing ,
It maybe a that what ever was on there just fell off , but I started to wonder if one of the blades isn't lining up when the engine is put into gear .
Propellor was greased and cleaned just a few months back .
Has anyone else had this problem ?

 

[NormanS]

I've had mine for about ten years and it has performed faultlessly. I did get a fright once when it was quite new. We were sailing in a fresh wind, when suddenly the (wheel) steering went haywire. I could steer one way, but only with difficulty, the other. It turned out that somehow the gearbox had become unlocked, and the prop was rotating when it should have been stopped. It's happened a couple of times since then, but now I know what's wrong, and can easily rectify it.

So no, nothing similar to what you are experiencing.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I've had mine for about ten years and it has performed faultlessly. I did get a fright once when it was quite new. We were sailing in a fresh wind, when suddenly the (wheel) steering went haywire. I could steer one way, but only with difficulty, the other. It turned out that somehow the gearbox had become unlocked, and the prop was rotating when it should have been stopped. It's happened a couple of times since then, but now I know what's wrong, and can easily rectify it.

So no, nothing similar to what you are experiencing.

Thanks Norman , it could be that both times we picked something up and by the time I when in , it dropped off ,
We was in seas at the time so I could only view from a few metres away as the boat was rising and dropping quite a bit and I didn't want to get caught , we at anchor now and just a while ago I went back under and the blades seen free and no sign of any thing may had got caught .

 

[Daydream believer]

Slightest bit of weed sends mine into absolute shake rattle and roll fitto throw the boat about. Often the best way to shift it is to just stop it and the weed just falls off ( if you are lucky that is) so i assume that is what has happened to you

 

[sailaboutvic]

Slightest bit of weed sends mine into absolute shake rattle and roll fitto throw the boat about. Often the best way to shift it is to just stop it and the weed just falls off ( if you are lucky that is) so i assume that is what has happened to you

Thanks for that , it's possible, both times we been sailing for some hours and just started up because the wind had dropped .
Both times I tried it in rev but it made no different when I put it back in forwards . although as I said it has run ok but only after I got wet

 

[Daydream believer]

It does seem suceptible to balance problems with weed. I am on my way back from camaret and i do not know if itis the swirling currents or what but there is always a lot of the long stringy weed about. Between there and the alderney race. Just the slightest bit seems to tangle in the brunton very easily. I hit a large weed bed motoring out of roscoff and had no significant automotive power until just before st pp and was seriously thinking of calling the rnli (assuming the st helier strike had not gone that far) for a tow. But it fell off just as i approached the little Russell. there was so much round my keel that the log impellor stopped for 2 hours as well.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I never had this problem with any other prop I had in the pass , if how you say can be a problem that's a major fault with them , happening at the wrong time could really course you a problem .
I still done know if this is the case. With mine , has I said it's happen twice now in six months one on a crossing to Tunisia in March , not fun getting into the sea in March and then again yesterday both times nothing found and both times we tried in forwards and Rev without any luck , I would talk to Bruntons but I already know what they going to say before I do so no point .

 

[Daydream believer]

I never had this problem with any other prop I had in the pass , if how you say can be a problem that's a major fault with them , happening at the wrong time could really course you a problem .
I still done know if this is the case. With mine , has I said it's happen twice now in six months one on a crossing to Tunisia in March , not fun getting into the sea in March and then again yesterday both times nothing found and both times we tried in forwards and Rev without any luck , I would talk to Bruntons but I already know what they going to say before I do so no point .

Now you mention it i will take it up with them. I will get a response-- the MD sails in our club and i know him quite well

 

[sailaboutvic]

Now you mention it i will take it up with them. I will get a response-- the MD sails in our club and i know him quite well

Be interesting to hear what he says but my gut feeling is just going to put it down to stuff picked up .

 

[RobbieW]

Hi Vic,
As well as greasing and cleaning did you try 'wobbling' the blades ? The bearings can wear or the, rather complicated, locking system come loose - each blade needs to be locked up quite tight.

The other thought is whether you have a cutter in front of the prop ? I've had a couple of instances where big lumps of weed got into the prop and a bit fwd and rev would chop it up enough to fall off.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Hi Vic,
As well as greasing and cleaning did you try 'wobbling' the blades ? The bearings can wear or the, rather complicated, locking system come loose - each blade needs to be locked up quite tight.

The other thought is whether you have a cutter in front of the prop ? I've had a couple of instances where big lumps of weed got into the prop and a bit fwd and rev would chop it up enough to fall off.

Hi Robbie
Hope all well mate .
No cutter and when we had it out in Tunisia a week after the first time it happened all seen to be ok , I have to say I haven't taken it to bits but it's only done about 130 hours from new .
I have wrote to them but so far no reply , early days yet .
I got the diving gear out last night and given it a good look , blades still clean and I couldn't find any movements .
It's a bit of a worry if a bit of weed can knock them out of balance .