rope cutter advice

Ambassador is the best - tested twice on rope, genoa sheet now 3' shorter, also picked up an unmarked lobster pot line. Each time the engine stalled(only at idling speed). Last year, on route to Holland I picked up a large plastic sheet which again stalled the engine which was at 2500rpm. Managed to restart engine and moving from fwd to reverse several times cleared the prop sufficiently to continue motoring. No damage to engine, shaft or prop.
Superb bit of kit!
 
PetiteFleur said:
Ambassador is the best - tested twice on rope, genoa sheet now 3' shorter, also picked up an unmarked lobster pot line. Each time the engine stalled(only at idling speed). Last year, on route to Holland I picked up a large plastic sheet which again stalled the engine which was at 2500rpm. Managed to restart engine and moving from fwd to reverse several times cleared the prop sufficiently to continue motoring. No damage to engine, shaft or prop.
Superb bit of kit!
Click to expand...


£550

blimey

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/engine-spares/rope-cutter-ambassador-stripper-am15-LCM232
 
I have a disc cutter and twice it failed to cut rope wrapped around my prop. This year it is being replaced with a Spurs along with a new prop shaft but that's another story!
 
I am heading in the opposite direction to most of the posts on here.

I got thoroughly fed up with my Ambassador rope cutter - not I must hasten to add that it failed to cut ropes - but because every time it did cut a rope of any significant size it was knocked out of adjustment because the part of the cutter mounted on the P bracket is screwed into relatively soft bronze. on impact it pulls on the mounting screws and the resulting clack clack on every rotation as the two blades hit each other can only be stopped by sending a diver down or a haul out.

I have switched to an R and D disc cutter on the basis of its performance in the YBW tests. Whilst its performance might be slightly inferior to the spur approach, it appears to me to be far more robust.
 
silver-fox said:
I am heading in the opposite direction to most of the posts on here.

I got thoroughly fed up with my Ambassador rope cutter - not I must hasten to add that it failed to cut ropes - but because every time it did cut a rope of any significant size it was knocked out of adjustment because the part of the cutter mounted on the P bracket is screwed into relatively soft bronze. on impact it pulls on the mounting screws and the resulting clack clack on every rotation as the two blades hit each other can only be stopped by sending a diver down or a haul out.

I have switched to an R and D disc cutter on the basis of its performance in the YBW tests. Whilst its performance might be slightly inferior to the spur approach, it appears to me to be far more robust.
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and has the simple disk cutter proved effective yet?

D
 
There is a design that exists that attempts to prevent any line getting near the prop or shaft in the first place.

It is a simple piece of stainless rod attached from beneath prop to skeg of rudder.

Think I saw it in a pbo sketchbook.

Trouble is that at the moment your Centaur does not have a protrusion in front of the prop and lower than the prop and no skeg.

But, piece of cake to knock up a ply 'fin', epoxy in front of prop, and attach rod to a pivot to base of rudder (because it has no skeg?) and then attach the cheapo rope cutter too.

Or has my insomnia gotten the better of me and I'm writing gibberish? I'm sure I saw it in one of those great little sketch books years ago.

edit: here we go, something along these lines possible?
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/sailboats/skid-roll-bar-skeg-keel-18059.html
 
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Dylan,

my Dad's Centaur - original 23hp Volvo & 3 blade prop, no cutter at all - picked up a big lump of floating weed once on the way into Cowes.

He was just able to make progress to East Cowes Marina, but with very stodgy steering, I then had to snorkel under and clear it for him, while trying not to think about the seabed in marinas...

A couple I know with another inboard equipped boat - this was a long time ago before cutters - picked up a big tarp mid Channel and spent 3 days drifting up & down in fog before a breeze came up !

Personally I'd have swallowed pride and got on the VHF for a tow ( wouldn't have to be a mayday would it ?! ), especially with a young family on board; when they slipped the boat the tarp was ' welded ' around the prop & shaft and took a lot to remove even with the boat out of the water.

For the waters you plan on visiting, I do think it's hand in pocket time and get the best cutter going; one consolation is it should help resale when the time comes.
 
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PetiteFleur said:
Ambassador is the best - tested twice on rope, genoa sheet now 3' shorter, also picked up an unmarked lobster pot line. Each time the engine stalled(only at idling speed). Last year, on route to Holland I picked up a large plastic sheet which again stalled the engine which was at 2500rpm. Managed to restart engine and moving from fwd to reverse several times cleared the prop sufficiently to continue motoring. No damage to engine, shaft or prop.
Superb bit of kit!
Click to expand...

+1 on the Ambassador 'Stripper'- only thing it couldn't handle easily was a probable wire and rope trawl tangle off the Wolf Rock two years ago- had to dry out in St Mary's after diving on it. At least two other yachts got zapped and towed in while we were on Scilly.

It had definitely fully cleared the tangle, but stripped its delrin bearings, which caused a horrible rattle on the shaft-which is why I dived on it once in. .

As the tangle had bent two blades of our prop, one with a triangle bent out of the blade edge AND thrashed the Coppercoat off the stbd side hull, we reckon it did it's Duty.

Their support service is very good too- but take the right allen keys and buy a spare service set of bearings etc=it'll save you a tide or two where you are going!
 
Having had some work done on the stern gear I went for slide on disc cutter...

Cheap & easy to install, better than nothing?
 
it seems

onesea said:
Having had some work done on the stern gear I went for slide on disc cutter...

Cheap & easy to install, better than nothing?
Click to expand...

it seems that nothing is guaranteed to work

I cannot justify damn near £600

I will have an outboard ready to deploy should I lose power

and she is twin keel

so when (rather than if) I get caught up in the fisherman's detritus I will put the outboard on the back and motor somewhere I can dry out

and I guess this means no leaving or entering scottish harbours at night

and staying well out of the lonster pot fields

just one more reason why Katie L is mideal yacht
D
 
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Another weapon I'd have handy if I had an inboard would be those long handled pruning loppers, some models have a serrated blade on the outside as well as the pincers, that would seem the type to go for; a wrist lanyard on a hole drilled through a handle would be an idea.
 
dylanwinter said:
so when (rather than if) I get caught up in the fisherman's detritus I will put the outboard on the back and motor somewhere I can dry out
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I guess that works for free-floating litter, but not if you get hung up on a pot rope. The outboard may push Harmony along OK, but it ain't gonna tow a string of pots along the bottom.

Pete
 
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