Damaged propellers

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seaglass

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My wife and I have just returned home after two weeks cruising the Thames from Abingdon down to Imperial Wharf, London. Brilliant holiday (apart from the weather) but a bit spoilt by the number of times we hit underwater objects, usually when mooring in proper 24 hr sites. We hit the bottom in Abingdon marina near the slipway, where we were launched in Henley while mooring, a random object in the river between Henley and Marlowe, and when mooring at Hampton.

Its seems wrong that after paying £70 for a 15 day visitor's licence to the Environment Agency, they can't do their bit by keeping the river free from obstructions. I have done considerable damage to both my props which will have to be replaced or repaired.

I also noticed that many of the channel markers are missing which makes boating that much more hazardous. EA pull your fingers out!
 
How frustrating!

However it's clear that there's tons of floating and submerged hazards that are being washed down with the massive flows. I see it every day around Sonning especially whilst the reds and yellows have been almost permanently out for the past few weeks.

Not sure what anyone can do about that... Especially downed trees/ logs etc
 
The EA only state that the middle 1/3 of the river is maintained to their published depths, with the caveat that's only to the best of their ability, weather / acts of god etc permitting.

It's a fact of river boating unfortunately. I've bashed my props badly enough in Windsor, Benson and down stream of Abbingdon to have them reworked in the past. That doesn't include random collisions with logs and detritus either.

IMHO go to Norris marine to have them repaired - Steel Developments tried to have me over once, and I never miss an opportunity to steer people away from them. Bad move on their part!!
 
Plenty of stuff floating past us at Weybridge as I have said in previous posts when there has been a flow. I tend not to go out in such conditions for that very reason much of it is 90% submerged and hard to spot.
 
rosssavage said:
IMHO go to Norris marine to have them repaired - Steel Developments tried to have me over once, and I never miss an opportunity to steer people away from them. Bad move on their part!!
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May I just stick up for Steel Developments?

Used them many times over the years, always friendly, and do a good job at a reasonable cost.
 
boatone said:
Examples ?
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The marker for the shallow water on the inside of the bend just upstream from gatehampton railway bridge had drifted well downstream when we came back through the weekend before last ,But in fairness there was a warning on the sqiggle board at Goring lock and Whitchurch....atbh it should be an obvious shallow water hazard ....in normal conditions .
Seaglass are you a baby sports cruiser?? if so we spoke at Abingdon when you moored up just upstream of the bridge a we were one of the 2 narrowboats moored next to you with the 2 big dogs watching the old bill chase the yoofs that had broke into the swimming pool,Think we saw you again when we were moored on the wall at Goring as you headed downstream....sorry to hear about your props hope they can be fixed wqithout a third world debt bill Steve
 
snapper said:
May I just stick up for Steel Developments?

Used them many times over the years, always friendly, and do a good job at a reasonable cost.
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Yes, you and mlines can of course stick up for them :)

It was due to their reputation that I first went there, but suffered from a very poor service unfortunately.

Just my experience, I guess they wouldn't still be in business if everyone's was as bad as mine was.
 
A few more details ?

"Just my experience, I guess they wouldn't still be in business if everyone's was as bad as mine was."


Any chance of a few more details,be very interested to know the problem.

Used Steel Developments to repair a pair of Volvo outdrive aluminium propellers at least a dozen times in the 10 years or so.
Many times when I thought that this time they were definately well beyond saving,they got them up and running again.
Cannot recall a single instance when they were not fixed at a very reasonable cost and returned on time.
Got to the stage when I was seriously going to put a zip fastener on the props to get them on and off.:)
 
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Yup.

Ok, short version:

Pranged a prop, spoke on the phone to Steel Developments who asked me to bring it in. Drove there (bit of a PITA due traffic etc.. although that's not their fault) with prop for assesment.

Those that know me know I look quite young and generally dress a bit scruffily (due constantly fettling with boats and engines..). Chap who met me there took one look at me and decided I was obviously some sort of 'yoof'. He was unbelievably offhand and dismissive, took a cursory glance and told me the prop was a write off.

He very generously offered to sell me a new one at full RRP (c£700) although even this seemed a bit much like effort to him.

I declined his kind offer and drove over to Norris, who took the prop, welded, profiled, balanced and polished it for c£130 IIRC, turnround two days.

I have no idea of the quality of Steel Developments work, as I was so disapointed with the total disregard to customer care that I vowed never to bother them with my obviously piffling trivia again - he clearly had better things to do than engage in a conversation with a potential customer.

Norris, on the other hand, took me seriously from the word go, were polite and courteous, and did (IMHO) a top class job. Hence, all my prop work goes to Norris', and they're who I recommend to my customers.

It's not a big thing, but I was disapointed with the lack of interest, and his desire to sell me something expensive which I did not need.

As I say, just my experience as I know they do get good press in the industry - but I'm not going to risk my hard won reputation recomending a company that I personally had a bad experience with.
 
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<<
Norris, on the other hand, took me seriously from the word go, were polite and courteous, and did (IMHO) a top class job. Hence, all my prop work goes to Norris', and they're who I recommend to my customers. >>

Agree with you. Very pleased with their manner and service!
 
"It's not a big thing, but I was disapointed with the lack of interest, and his desire to sell me something expensive which I did not need."



Cheers for the explanation.
 
Boatone: Sorry, it was my first time on the Thames and I was too busy following my Nicholson to make a note of all of them but I did get a bit lost around some islands near Medmenham. It was ok coming downstream because I was carefully following the map but going back upstream the next day I took a wrong turning, went between two of the islands into a channel which had a submerged log and hit the prop again. Before you say "Dozy Bu***r", it looked the right way because I could see boats in the distance.

Sturmvogel190a: I did see the notice on the squiggle board too, and yes we are the baby sports cruiser you moored next to in Abingdon. Is was amazing how many people we met on that cruise and how many we kept on meeting. Did you come across 'Gloriana' on your travels? We saw her 3 times and at Penton Hook we moored up by her and were invited on board. Absolutely fantastic!

In reply to all the discussion regarding prop repairs I should like to ask why no-one has mentioned Streamlined propeller repairs of Aldershot. I have used then in the past and they only charge £40 for props up to 16 inch diameter. Service was quick, I posted two props and they were returned within a week. Just need to save up for the postage now!
 
Never had anything hit my prop, although I know a guy with twin engined Broom 30, who said it picked up everything going, whereas his previous single screw never did either.

I suppose it depends on the boat design and draft, in addition to the skippers common sense!? :confused:
 
seaglass said:
Boatone: Sorry, it was my first time on the Thames and I was too busy following my Nicholson to make a note of all of them but I did get a bit lost around some islands near Medmenham. It was ok coming downstream because I was carefully following the map but going back upstream the next day I took a wrong turning, went between two of the islands into a channel which had a submerged log and hit the prop again. Before you say "Dozy Bu***r", it looked the right way because I could see boats in the distance.
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Next time come armed with a copy of Chris Cove-Smith's "The River Thames Book" here, but has other suppliers

Time was when there were blue signs marked "channel" some have sunk into the mud, some have hid themselves behind encroaching vegetation.

The one you mention is nasty 'cos there's what used to be a girt big tree and it's trunk is well underwater - on your stbd hand on the junction with the main channel again? Very much caveat emptor I'm afraid. Only suitabe for tin boats.
 
seaglass said:
In reply to all the discussion regarding prop repairs I should like to ask why no-one has mentioned Streamlined propeller repairs of Aldershot. I have used then in the past and they only charge £40 for props up to 16 inch diameter. Service was quick, I posted two props and they were returned within a week. Just need to save up for the postage now!
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Cos Steel developments are about £7 cheaper for the same prop.:)

I go through a lot of props ! A good weekend on Windermere :D

IMAG0408.jpg
 
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