How often do you damage a prop?

[sidechoke67]

I am a first year boat owner, and just installed my 3rd prop for the season. The first one was destroyed, and totally my fault. For the 2nd one, I was driving really slowly in a lake, in 5 feet of water. With no warning, the bottom changed from 5 foot and weedy to 2-3 foot and rocky. I put the boat in neutral right away, but still scratched/dinged the prop a little. At least I should be able to repair the 2nd one. Still technically my fault, but I'm not sure what I could have done differently. Seems like a good spot for a warning buoy to me..

So, I am curious what the average prop life span is? How often do you seasoned boaters end up having to replace a prop? I'm assuming/hoping that 3+ props/year is higher than average...

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

I'm 31 and have only been boating for the past five years. I started with a very old 5hp motor and 14 foot boat combination and then graduated to a still old but newer 16ft boat and 35hp motor combo.

I've hit rocks twice in those five years, both in the first two years. Both times were because I didn't know the area that well or was inexperienced enough that I made a mistake that took me into a rocky area. In northern Minnesota where I mostly boat, the Canadian Shield rock is everywhere in the lakes. It is your responsibility as a boat captain to know the waters and study the maps.

You have the same responsibility as the Exxon Valdez captain who ran into shallow waters causing the huge Alaskan oil spill. Your cargo may be your friends, family, or just yourself and cooler. However - you still need to watch out for rocks.

That said, I have buddies that get new boats and go blasting through rocks destroying their props, skegs, and lower units. I take it easy and haven't hit anything in years. So my advice is to know your waters and take it easy. You never know when you'll hit something. There's many thousands of skeletons dotting the lake and ocean floors, representing folks that didn't quite know the waters or the conditions.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

The lake I use is full of floating debris. My boat came with an aluminum prop. I dinged it up within a month or two. I bought another one and went thru a couple of summers of dinging, fixing, dingin, props. After a while, I wised up and bought a stainless prop. I've been running it 10 years. It still looks like new......Of course, no prop is gonna go undamaged if you run it in the rocks.

 

[tommays]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

A lot before i started using a 5" chartploter and without being real carefull at low tide it is still pretty easy to find a shole that has moved from the last storm


In a strange twist i have only grounded the 4' draft sailboat once when lost at night and i have no depthfinder or GPS on it BUT we are real carefull with paper charts, Which is much easier at 6 MPH

 

[fishmen111]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Rarely. I am in a tidal plain and mostly deal with mud/sand and the occasional stump. Everyone here runs stainless steel props since the risk of outdrive damage is minimal. However, it still boils down to knowing the waters you are in and that takes time (gps doesn't hurt either). At 5', I am off plane and 3' I'm trimming up. 2' and the engine is off and drive is in full tilt.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

i have never in 45 years damaged a prop. know your waters, get a chart and memorize it. depth finder. when in question slow down. areas, you have never been in be cautious. trim up.

 

[tysonnathan]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

my uncle has had the same prop on his boat for 25 years... he goes fishing in shallow waters in the Gulf where rocks damage lots of props and skegs. he just knows the area really well, but when he doesnt he goes slow and takes it easy. i, on the other hand, enjoy trying out new lakes and rivers on occasion and have fallen victim to the occasional submerged object. i once put on a brand new prop and took the boat to the river and trashed it the same day. i have damaged two in a year before, but have not hit anything in the last 4 years. it has a little to do with luck and a lot to do with the captain... but even the best captains will snag a rock on occasion..

 

[joed]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Never in 30 years. I boat on Lake Erie and know the shallow areas to stay away from.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Try this for a way to increase your heart rate while sitting down. I and two fishing buddies were making a 30 MPH run across a very large lake keeping an eye on the locator which was showing 75 - 90 feet of water. I glanced away for a second or two to look at something and when I clanced back at the locator it showed 6 feet. Thank goodness the water never got shallower than that and in a heartbeat the depth was back to 60 feet and deepening. What I had just run across was an old land-bridge that connected an island to the mainland. A dam had been built many years before so the "ridge" had been submerged. No damage, no foul, but all three of us braced for what might have been the inevitable crunch but it never happened. Again, even though we had a lake map, we did not notice the ridge but it points out the importance of knowing the water you will be running.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

I have only been boating a month, but I ALWAYS check the lake map before going out. on one lake there is a area between two islands that yo uwould figure would be the same depth as the reast of the lake. Nope, 1.9 feet I avoided that area and then later that day saw a lady wading knee deep right where I would have taken my boat at full speed.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

One or two in 40+ years.

 

[Kev144]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Once in my life time on a 15hp 14 ft boat . Damaging a prop with the boats we drive can become expensive since the props are about 9-10 thousand bucks a pop!

 

[BF]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Just to make you feel better... My dad asked me to drop of the aluminum prop for his I/O at the repair guy 2 seasons ago. It was badly chewed from rocks. I picked it up a few days later, repair guy was proud of his work (rightly so... it looked great). I took it out to my Dad's place, he put it on the boat and then promptly backed the boat into a pole. Bent one blade over. He took prop off, and gave back to me. I took it back to the prop guy and told him the story... been on the boat <5 min's, and had not seen the water. He just rolled his eyes... Had it fixed (again) a day or two later. I told him he should send my Dad Christmas cards for being such a good customer.

 

[dingbat]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Knock on wood I've not messed one up in 25 years. Rarely do I travel outside marked channels and when I do I'm running with the help of a chart plotter and local knowledge.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

I'd say never but then I'll break one this week.

 

[Pony]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

I replaced mine when I boat my boat a few years ago and haven't had an issue yet.

On my dads boat we replaced 2 in the 20 years we owned it. The first one came off because the cotter pin risted and broke. The castle nut came off and at WOT the prop came off. The replacement to that prop lost 2 blades because my cousin was driving and hit a rock.

We generally know the water we are boating in. We fish a lot up North...........and even here........the lakes are filled with rock bars and things from the glaciers. The lake my uncle lived on had spots you could park a lawn chair on if the water was low enough.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

We do a lot of running in shallow water (flats) and the prop on this boat has been on a year now. Yes, it's worn some but still hooks up very nicely. I know a guide who fishes the same waters but goes 5-7 times a week. He usually buys about 6 props a year. Yes, they're all ss. If we used aluminum we'd all be buying a prop per trip. Maybe 2.

 

[JB]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

I dinged a few props in my time, but since I started using GPS and a SkegGard not a nick.

I have whacked a few isolated rocks with the SkegGard, but the prop never was even touched. Very hard to get to know Lake Of The Woods without finding a few rocks.

 

[gstanton]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Only once in 40+ years, and that was loading at my local boat ramp, by myself (recently, actually).
Dings don't count. If it isn't wobbling, it must be OK!

 

[triumphrick]

Re: How often do you damage a prop?

Just pure luck that I have yet to have to replace a prop from damage. Used to run from Rocky Creek (it was called that for a reason!) to north Tampa Bay as a reckless 17 yr old on our first family boat and never bent one.
Since then I have been a little wiser and more wary of my surroundings. Lots of years squinting into those old Humminbirds have helped.