Firefly625
Well-known member
Rather easier than getting the boat lifted,
Checking prop on Mitchell 31
- Thread starter Firefly625
- Start date
rustybarge
Active member
Well I never, a weed hatch on a sea going boat.
I've seen these on narrow boats before, but I presumed the risk of flooding in bad conditions ruled them out.
Hope the lid has plenty of bolts to seal the big hole in your bottom! Lol.
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jfm
Well-known member
Nice!
Do the sides of the box come up above the w/line firefly, meaning that it doesn't matter if the glass breaks/drops out?
Do the sides of the box come up above the w/line firefly, meaning that it doesn't matter if the glass breaks/drops out?
Firefly625
Well-known member
Well most lifeboats have the same, so I'm in good company...
Firefly625
Well-known member
Hi jfm, Not a hatch but a whole block of grp that you lift out, fits the complete aperture to seal flush with hull.
And yes sides come up above waterline so not a drop of water spills over,
And yes sides come up above waterline so not a drop of water spills over,
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bozlite
Member
Indeed - and easier than getting a diver to unwrap a sleeping bag from the prop ��Rather easier than getting the boat lifted,
jfm
Well-known member
Ah thanks. I understand now. Nice! Would be even better if you could drop in a sort of tray with a glass bottom, to give clearer view of prop. You could just make one.
Jeeze, they went the long way round with that red iron work in limiting the rudder angle. Lots of ways to skin a cat but that one is"heavy"! No worries!
Jeeze, they went the long way round with that red iron work in limiting the rudder angle. Lots of ways to skin a cat but that one is"heavy"! No worries!
prv
Well-known member
Cheers, I wondered about that. An open well like that, sealed only at the top, would surely cause huge drag.
I wondered if perhaps it was a window flush with the outside, allowing you to inspect the prop although not clear it. Apparently some racing yachts used to have such a window so that the 2-bladed prop could be manually lined up with the skeg for less drag under sail. Then they just went to folding props.
But a well with a fairing plug makes more sense. All helps make for a go-anywhere machine :encouragement:
Pete
benjenbav
Well-known member
The hatch is such a good idea. Applying usual principles its very presence must virtually guarantee that you never foul the prop!
vas
Well-known member
oops, just realized that!
FF, why the two regulators are so much apart? Looks like you can turn rudder to port a lot more than to stbrd!
cheers
V.
DTIM
Member
Had one on our Newhaven Sea Warrior, very useful, used in anger once to clear a fouled rope.
rustybarge
Active member
I was wondering if the water comes slopping over the top of the box when there's a following sea?
I have nightmares thinking about 1 1\2" hull fittings breaking off and flooding the boat; how many seconds would a 2 ft square hole in the bottom of your boat take to swamp a hull?
30 seconds?
Maybe for use only in calm conditions?
Firefly625
Well-known member
RB, not sure you are quite right there, top of the box above waterline (unlike most through hull fittings) when plug in place totally watertight. Water will not come shooting out of it unless you unbolted the box lifted the plug out and then dropped off a 5m wave, or you ran the engine with box removed, both actions would get you signed up in for Darwin award. The box can be refitted in seconds.
rustybarge
Active member
That's what I was surmising.
Its a bit bumpy, you get a lobster pot rope tangled around the prop, engine stops.....
Could you open up the weed hatch with big waves hitting off the hull; I'm guessing the wave pressure would be transfered into the open hatch even if it's well above the water line, and the water would come flooding in very quickly?
Of course I have no personal experience of this, only guessing....?
prv
Well-known member
I'd definitely be opening that hatch very carefully, but I think it could be less of a problem than you imagine. The outboard well in some small sailing boats is quite similar, and the water in those always seems to stay reasonably calm despite waves outside the hull.
Pete
rustybarge
Active member
That sounds reassuring.
I suppose you could always build an emergency watertight bulkhead to separate the engine compartment from the rest of the bilge area, without too much hassle.
Having an easy way of clearing the prop on a single shaft boat is a fantastic idea. It really makes good sense when you consider that an old net or long piece of rope could easily get wound around twin props, negating the perceived safety advantage of twin setups.
Croftie
Active member
My new to me steel dutch pedro style has something similar.
Job #27 remove seized and broken wing nuts, replace and see what happens when I remove the cover.
Firefly625
Well-known member
when I had it open a river taxi went past the boat producing quite a bit of wake as they do, I must say I was interested to see what occurred as the boat rocked around a little, and the water level did not change at all in the opening. I would be quite happy to open up out on the water if needs must. The amount of water that may come slopping over would be pretty minimal and bilges around the box are sealed from the rest of the bilges.
rustybarge
Active member
Is that a manifold box for attaching all the hull fittings to, rather than to the hull side?
rustybarge
Active member
It occurred to me that if the top of the box was raised to deck level any water would wash onto the deck, not into the bilges.
Maybe a second box that fits over the original, which slides up and down; in rough weather you could just slide it up to give more height above the water line.
