rope cutters

cats

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I wish to fit Either a 'Stripper' or 'Gator' type of rope cutter.
I know that the Stripper was voted best buy in Sailing Today but unfortunately
the Gator was not included in the survey. They seem similar except that the Sripper blades taper to the outside and the Gator blades taper to the inside .
Advice from anybody with experience of either of these cutters would be appreciated
 

davidwf

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Got a stripper, it munched through some blue stuff a year ago, only reason I know is that I found some remains melted onto the stripper. So having been a cynic as to its worth I'm now a convert.
 

Miker

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Had a circular ProProtector which I have just changed for a stripper on the strength of the Sailing review. I thought about the Gator and only dismissed it as I couldn't find any review. I found that the ProProtector was not much good against plastic sheets, the biggest problem in my neck of the woods. I will see how the stripper behaves when I launch on Friday.
Anyone want a blunt ProProtector?
 

numenius

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I've only seen rope cutters on shaft drives - does anyone know if you can fit one on an outdrive? I know that in theory you can pull it up and remove the rope but I'd far rather not be brought to a halt in a dodgy spot in the first place - for example in the harbour mouth! Looking at my drive, I cant really see where how there would be space to put one on.

http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm
 

dickh

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I fitted a stripper last season, bought it cheap (£105 - couldn't resist it) from an advert on the web - brand new - don't know if it is good as I don't think I've picked up any ropes yet, but it does give peace of mind.
 
G

Guest

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Do you remember some years ago that it was the "in thing" to fit an anti-static electricity length of rubber to the rear of your car, so that there was a link between the car and the road, giving an earth? Good marketing it was, but was found not to have worked, or rather in the legal process it was shown that it could not possibly work.

Well, the rope cutters may be in this scenario. Good marketing, yes, but what they do not tell you are the consequences of what happens as the snagged line is pulled taught around the propellor and shaft! The tension causes the shaft spindle/propellor to dislocate itself from either the propellor end or the drive coupling.

Food for thought, Caveat Emptor = Let the buyer beware.
 
S

Skyva_2

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If a rope cutter dislocates the shaft , whats the effect without a rope cutter?

In my case it dislocated the engine mounts. We fitted a cutter pronto (a Stripper, as it happens). Its still in good shape after 5 years.

Experto credite = trust one who has gone through it.

Keith
 
G

Guest

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Point of clarification needed.

It is not the rope cutter that disconnects the shaft, but the effect of the rope cutter on the tension of the rope before it has had time to cut the rope. The "luck" of cutting the rope before the increased tension was the essence of the response.

For sailing boats, the majority of the time that the engine is on, is in close quarters environments, with vast quantities of flotsom and jetsom now to contend with, any piece of equipment is welcome to eliminate a fouled propeller. All that has been intimated in the previous text is that problems have come to light since the mass introduction of propcutters. Unless you are on passage to meet the tidal window against the elements, for example, foulings seldom happen in a seaway.
 
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