Stopping the prop!!??

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pcatterall

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Its intrusive when we are sailing and destroys the peace and tranquility!!
This is a perkins 4108 with hydraulic gearbox.
The propseal is one of those rubber jobs and has a water supply when the engine is running ( so could there be damage by the prop turning without this supply?
I can stop the prop by hand but the crew refuse to stay down below with their heads in the bilges !.
I appreciate that there could be issues if you need an 'emergency start' but can work round that.
Any suggestions or advice welcome
 
The usual advice is to fit a shaft lock or brake, or a folding or feathering propeller. I took the latter option.
 
pcatterall said:
Its intrusive when we are sailing and destroys the peace and tranquility!!
This is a perkins 4108 with hydraulic gearbox.
The propseal is one of those rubber jobs and has a water supply when the engine is running ( so could there be damage by the prop turning without this supply?
I can stop the prop by hand but the crew refuse to stay down below with their heads in the bilges !.
I appreciate that there could be issues if you need an 'emergency start' but can work round that.
Any suggestions or advice welcome
Click to expand...

fit a feathering prop
 
You cant lock the prop with a hydraulic box, but you can fit a shaft brake, although as others have suggested avoid the complication and fit a feathering prop - a Featherstream would do the job nicely.
 
Opinion... fit a MaxProp. Brake is nearly as expensive but MaxProp will let you sail about 1 knot faster due to reduced drag.

GL
 
jerrytug said:
Surely a line tied round the shaft would do it? An interesting job for a knot, I would start with a clove hitch.
Click to expand...

Quicker or not we used to have same issue. I used to wrap in the end of a bike inner tube round the shaft to secured to a near by string (ish) point. The theory being if we forgot or in an emergency it would break...
 
I believe exhaustive tests have been done only to find that whether a prop is locked or free wheeling, the drag is exactly the same.
I would be inclined to put some light strapping round the shaft such that if you fail to release it, it will break.

Plank
 
Thanks guys, feathering prop would have to wait until i have money and boat comes out of water.
Just out of interest what is a ball park price for the prop alone?

no real answqers to my question about the water feed to the prop seal ( the fact that there is no water going to the seal when the prop is free wheeling?

Thanks again
 
pcatterall said:
Thanks guys, feathering prop would have to wait until i have money and boat comes out of water.
Just out of interest what is a ball park price for the prop alone?

no real answqers to my question about the water feed to the prop seal ( the fact that there is no water going to the seal when the prop is free wheeling?

Thanks again
Click to expand...

so how long has the present set up been installed
 
pcatterall said:
Thanks guys, feathering prop would have to wait until i have money and boat comes out of water.
Just out of interest what is a ball park price for the prop alone?

no real answqers to my question about the water feed to the prop seal ( the fact that there is no water going to the seal when the prop is free wheeling?

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Props in the range £1500-2500. You will appreciate the benefit long after you have forgotten the cost!

Nothing to worry about with your seal. Is is water lubricated and cooled from water going up the stern tube. The extra water feed is only there to ensure that the tube is always full of water when under power.
 
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