Covering prop with bag

[ip485]

I wonder how many people, if any, cover their prop with a bag when they stop for any length of time?

If so does it work?

(I know not very practical in the UK where the water is always bL**** freezing.)

 

[MAURICE]

i had in the past thought of this. My boat is in the med and i need to clean in about twice a year. The problem is that even in the med winter water temp is quite cold so not just a matter of a quick dip. I thought about a canvas bag with pull strings but how would you know it was on etc. Still thinking on it
Maurice

 

[Neeves]

Lots of ideas, no practical experience.

I thought of bags, difficult to apply (maybe equally, or more, difficult to remove).

Thought of a big builders bucket enclosing the prop and sail drive and then a tube from inside the bucket terminating on deck into which could be poured 'American' (solid) bleach. A sort of mini version of the 'boat bag'.

Just an idea

I beach and clean.

Jonathan

 

[ip485]

i had in the past thought of this. My boat is in the med and i need to clean in about twice a year. The problem is that even in the med winter water temp is quite cold so not just a matter of a quick dip. I thought about a canvas bag with pull strings but how would you know it was on etc. Still thinking on it
Maurice

I know the enviromentalists will rightly tell me off but I had thought in terms of a black plastic bin liner. I am sure there are some enviromentally friendly versions around today! The advantage would be in an emergency just drive off as I can only imagine with the reasonable large prop I have and the rope cutter the bag would just be torn to pieces and not be a problem. Of course with a little more warning it would be removed. I am assuming the combination of a cover and excluding the light would do a pretty good job of keeping the marine growth off the prop.

I have the same issue as you (and I guess most of us) the antifoul does a really good job on the hull but whatever I put on the prop it is always the prop that ends up being covered in various marine growth which probably has the most significant effect on speed than hull fouling as time progresses. Obvioulsy even when actively cruising it seems to me the prop. spends far more time not moving than turning so this might significantly reduce or prevent fouling?

(Of course whatever bag might be used if departing in an emergency I would fish out the chopped up bag as motoring away as well.)

 

[Eeyore]

A lot of owners here in Asia cover their props with rice sacks if leaving the boat for a period of 'home' time. It seems to work......as long as you remember to take it off later!

 

[duncan99210]

In San Carlos de la Rapita, where the fouling is particularly spectacular, the common practice was to put a bag on the prop over winter. Putting the bag on reduces the flow of water round the prop, thus dropping the amount of nutrients available to the invading organisms and a consequent reduction in growth. Most folks used heavy duty plastic sacks (garden rubble type) and removed them before moving in the spring. Alternatively, some people didn’t bother with their props over winter and got a tow to the lift out bay in the spring for a power wash before departure: the fouling on an unprotected prop being such that there was a fair chance of not getting any worthwhile propulsion until it had been cleaned....
We removed the Autoprop and replaced it with the standard Volvo twin blade thing which had been treated with the local chandlers own version of Velox. Worked nicely: we swapped props again when we lifted out a couple of week prior to departure.