Nimbus 335 -- propeller protection

[ste7ve]

I am looking at buying a Nimbus 335 as my first motor boat.
It has a single engine with a V-drive to a prop shaft supported by a P-bracket.
It has twin rudders and the propeller is the lowest point on the boat.
However there is nothing to protect the prop in the event of an accidental grounding.
Should I be too concerned about this?

 

[BruceK]

Yes, very, considering such a grounding could be catastrophic however it is also a risk that is easily managed. That is a bit of an oddball question to be fair and the Nimbus is not unusual in that regard. It wouldn't put me off.

 

[kashurst]

re unprotected prop - this is generally normal. It is very rare to find some form of prop protection on a fast boat, it causes too much drag. I wouldn't worry about it unduly - just pay attention to where you plan on boating and do a passage plan to allow for tides etc. If it's sea based you will be unlucky to hit something, if its river based, that can be more tricky as rivers are not well charted and you get all sorts of cr@p in them.
If the worst should happen bent props (and shafts) can usually be fixed and it's usually covered by your insurance (obviously check that)