Page 7 - 2007 Lake St. Clair Guide Magazine

You feel a large thump! John the many satisfied sponsors of the
You hit bottom Lake St. Clair Guide!

or something……. 15,000 free Guides were distributed in
what do you do? 2007 to marinas, fuel docks, boating,
fishing, & convenience stores along the
By Rich Wagner, Expert Propeller Shop
waterfront.. Call Kim Darrah,
If you have an I/O or outboard, stop Publisher, at 586.716.2949
the boat immediat ely and look at your
propellers. Are all the blades in place, or email: lakestclairguide@yahoo.com
are they chewed up or curled at the Deadline: November 15th!
edges? Is there oil in the water? If
you have an inboard, check for water coming in around the rudder or shaft log. Your customers will pick up the Guide
If you see the propeller is damaged, but has all its blades, you may be able to & keep it for the season. Continuous
get into a marina for repairs under your own power. If blades are missing, or exposure for only pennies per copy!
if there is oil in the water, don’t try to move on your own call for a tow.
If your only propeller is damaged but still more or less propeller shaped, at- Did You Know that….
tempt to start the engine. Does it sound normal? Try the steering. Will the The phrase "three sheets to the
wheel turn throughout its entire range? If the engine vibrates without a load or wind" does indeed come from the world of
the steering seems inoperative, turn everything off and call for help. seafaring, specifically sailing ships. The
It is recommended to call for a tow unless the engine "sheets" in the phrase are not sails, but
turns in gear with minimal vibration and maximum con- ropes.
trollability. If you do decide to run on your own, select
the lowest controllable forward speed, check the bilges Of course, the first thing one
periodically, and head for the nearest repair facility, learns about ropes once aboard ship is that
A damaged propeller, at best, will be inefficient. The they are never called "ropes." They are
distorted blades will create turbulenc e and will cavitate named according to their particular function:
more at lower RPM than an undamaged prop. At worst, halyards (which move or hold things, usually
an out-of-t rue propeller will send damaging vibrations back through the power- sails, vertically), sheets (which move or hold
train. A bent shaft can put unusual loads on the transmission and cause seal things horizontally), and lines (which hold
and gear damage. Extended use of a boat with a damaged propeller may things in a static position).
cause damage to your engine or stern drive, and may damage your lower unit
seal. So, do not treat the go/no go decision lightly after a grounding. The sheets in this case are those
Apart from seeing obvious blade damage, symptoms of a damaged propeller ropes which hold the sails in place. If one
are vibration, loss of speed, apparent slipping (cavitation), loss of power, or sheet is loose, the sail will flap in the wind
poor fuel economy. and the ship's progress will be unsteady.
Your propeller is no different than the engine. To maintain the best possible Two
performance from your boat you should have your propeller serviced at least s hee ts
once a year or certainly every time it is damaged. Your propeller may be- loose ("in
come scuffed and nicked while boating on Lake St. Clair during the cours e of the wind"),
a typical season. Any distortion of the propeller blade or face reduces its effi- and you
ciency and your fuel economy. Bends and nicks in the leading edges produce have a
stress risers that can lead to fatigue failure. maj or
It is very inexpensive to have your propeller professionally repaired and ser- p r ob le m,
viced. The cost to refurbish a propeller is usually about half the cost or less of and with
a new unit. Your propeller is very import ant in achieving maximum perform- "three
ance from your boat. You should not try and repair it yourself because in most sheets in
cases, you will cause more damage. the wind,"
What’s your best bet?….. Buy a chart and ask other boaters with local knowl- the ship
edge to let you know all our shallow areas, which are dec eiving and many! reels like a drunken sailor.
Prevention is always better than an expensive repair.
See page 15 if you’re thinking you need a new prop…….. The specific number of "three
sheets" in the phrase wasn't random, by the
way -- there was, at one time, a sort of
rating system of inebriation among sailors,
where "one sheet" meant "tipsy" and so on,
up to "four sheets in the wind," meaning to
be completely unconscious.

The author, publisher, or seller assumes no liability with respect to the use of informat ion contained herein. Page 7