ropecutters

[Wiggo]

Never picked up a rope in 14 years of boating with outboards and sterndrives (except my own painter in the tender, once). Now I'm about to go to shafts, I'm getting all paranoid.

Do I need ropecutters? If so, what brand? What do they do to performance, if anything? What do they cost?

TIA, all.

<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[tcm]

this has been discussed before at some length.

I had ropecutters, got rid of them and the boat went faster by at least 2 knots possibly more. They have to be mounted correctly so they hide behind existing protuberances, but even so then do present a resistance so the boat goes slower.

Others say they are great - but they aren't a total and utter guarantee of nothing ever around the prop - v large ropes, some plastics like bags or large spagettis of rope wd still cause problems.

I don't havem on new boat - we have lightishweight dive gear and drysuit to get under the boat in case of probs with ropes around prop or other nastier possibilities like hole in boat.

Note that in some cases (such as a mooring rope or own/others anchor line around prop, even with cutters you wd still have to go down after having micnced the rope. Usually, with rope around prop you stop and investigate (hence dive gear etc) rather than hey ho, no to worry let's pop it in gear and give it some beans - we have ropecutters you know!

So, it wdn't bother. Also, i think they cost more than dive gear! Several hundred quid, no?




<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jfm]

Hmmm. I agree all the limitations tcm mentions. However I do feel they might do some good. Our old boat has just been lifted out at Chichester and the old ropecutters (500hours) have dings and bends in the blades which sort of suggests they must have done summat.

We have them fitted to our new boat. They're expensive, about 2k for the gear and then fitting charges. To fit them, they insert a spacer at the engine shaft coupling to expose some shaft aft of the p bracket and then fittem there.

People say Strippers are the best. We had them on old and new boats. Fairline always fit Strippers I believe.

On speed loss I will report something definitive soon. Our new boat had its official sea trials last week before the cutters were installed. There are several speed runs done accurately, all logged on a data sheet (31.8knots at 2350rpm I think) including air temp and rpm etc. When we finally get the damned thing delivered to us (likely Friday week now.... annuver story) we will be able to see what speed it makes with the cutters. It should be a good comparison, clean bottom for both runs and same batch of fuel etc.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Artie]

I have used rope cutters for the past 15 years and in that time I have met with a few ropes!
On my Seaward 23 they were excellent and any cut rope dropped away with ease although I did have trouble with a discarded amount of netting.
My newer boat has a 4 bladed prop and although the rope cutters work efficiently I have noticed it is difficult to drop off the unattached part of the rope. Last year I caught some floating rope from some "Froggies" crab pot and the cutter detached the marker from the pot. However I had to go into Dielette on one engine as there was considerable vibration from the "caught" prop. A diver found about 0.5m of rope hanging loose from it but the blades are so close together it would not drop off.
I wouldn't be without them!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[HCM]

We have twin shafts and rope cutters. 1 - 2 knots off the top end (we cruise at 26 knots)

They have cleared ropes etc in past years - but fishermens nets were our bug bear last year - caught 2 of them - both times the cutters sliced a hole through the netting enabling us to limp onwards. The net however stayed around the peabrackets/shafts. What you will notice in these circumstance is a decrease in speed and revs - if we see this we always go straight into neutral and have a look over the back to review the situation. Both times the cutters had not been able to free us of the dreaded net and we needed either to lift the boat to clear the offending matter or send a diver down. However saying that they enabled us to proceed onto our destination

They have their uses - we would not be without - but then neither myself or my husband relisehes the thought of going overboard midchannel.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Horse]

Had them on my previous boat, a Corniche but they were on when I bought her so have no idea what if anything they cost me in speed. What I do know is they worked very effectively on two occasions; once in the Solent with a net which cleared the prop but stayed on the rudder and the other in mid channel en route for France. Don't know what it was but it made one hell of a noise - rather like ABS on a car. Although I had some vibration post the cutting process going astern with the affected prop cleared things. Personally I recommend them, and intend to fit them to the replacement boat I am in the process of buying.

<hr width=100% size=1>Horse

 

[hlb]

Would not like to go to sea without them.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn