Prop Hit Something

[Tommyd13]

My wife was in the truck pulling me out after I had the boat on the trailer and hooked up. My daughter was hooking us up and she told my wife to go and I still was in gear. The prop hit the boat ramp and messed it up pretty good. I already bought a new prop but should I be worried about the engine getting out of alignment, or something else major going wrong with the boat? I took the prop off and the splines are ok, should that just be a thank you Jesus moment or should I really be worried about something?

 

[GA_Boater]

Outboard or I/O, although a good hit could mess either one up.

Was it a hard smack or a slow pull up the ramp. Didn't the skeg get dragged, too?

 

[Tommyd13]

This is the picture of what happened. The skeg didnt get tore up as much as you would have thought. It an I/O 4.3 Merc. As for hard smack or slow hit. It was hard enough that it scare me to death.

 

[Alumarine]

Was the motor running when it was in gear? That's the only way I can figure you'd damage the blades like that.
In any case put the new prop on and see if it turns true.

 

[Tommyd13]

Yes I was still in gear with them spinning. Ok will do and get back to you

 

[GA_Boater]

Your probably OK. But;

Why was the motor still running and drive not tilted up out of the way?


You need one person in charge when dragging the boat out.

 

[Tommyd13]

I know I was trying to tell them that but my wife has a mind of her own sometimes.

 

[dwco5051]

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate that damage as a 2. As the other posters said very likely no damage to the engine. Put your new prop on and send that one to the shop for repairs and keep it as a spare. I have in the past put props that look like that in the bottom of the locker as a get me back to the dock in case I really chop one up.

 

[Silvertip]

You have yourself, your daughter and your wife all helping. ONE of you needs to be in charge and YOU are in control of boat operation. On the trailer the outdrive should NOT be down, it should NOT be in gear and the engine NOT in operation at that point. Get a system down pat and stick to it. As was mentioned, YOU are in charge. Pulling up the ramp happens only when YOU are ready. Lesson learned. When recovering you boat near shore you should be trimmed up to avoid obstacles around the ramp or the ramp itself. Full down near shore is a recipe for disaster anywhere you boat.

 

[harringtondav]

Spin your prop manually and look at the center drill in the end of the prop shaft. It it runs true, I'd say you are OK. And based on the relatively low damage, plus the aluminum prop, I guess your prop shaft is OK - not bent. Deeper damage in the drive is very unlikely.

 

[MTboatguy]

Were you trying to do a power load? If so, go a bit deeper with the trailer, get it hooked up and winch the boat onto the trailer with the outdrive in the up position and the motor off, drive in neutral. Power loading is frowned upon just about everywhere because of the damage it does to boat ramps, your winch should be strong enough to winch the boat onto the trailer, then pull out and strap her down.

No reason to be running it on the ramp like that. Lesson learned and as others have said, check that the prop shaft is turning true and get the old prop repaired and use as a spare.

 

[tpenfield]

The outdrive is probably fine . . . try a new prop and see if there are any problems. Not guilty, don't do it again

 

[Alumarine]

Yes I was still in gear with them spinning. Ok will do and get back to you

That would explain why it would seem like a hard hit.
Really no different than hitting a rock at idle speed in gear.
It usually sounds worse than it is.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Yes I was still in gear with them spinning.

I would re-think your loading. Motor should not be running when you are anywhere near the trailer


key off when you get to the dock
tie off
get truck
untie boat
walk boat onto trailer
winch up last 2 feet
pull boat up ramp to staging area
pull plug
secure transom
plug in lights

total time of 2 minutes

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I cant believe your skeg is unharmed. One good thing about aluminum props is there more likely to take damage than the rest of the outdrive your most likely just fine I have the same IO as you I think any way my props been hammered a couple of times SS and a few times with an aluminum prop my skews been welded twice as well. The only thing I ever really noticed is my trim sensors always needed readjusted after the impact. So check your tilt and trim see if its off theres a procedure somewhere possibly even here on this forum theres a couple of production splits so make sure you know which outdrive you have.

 

[JimS123]

When I was a novice and didn't know a skeg from a whatsit I went to the libary and read a book on how to launch and retrieve a boat. (of course nobody reads today and that's why companies don't provide owner's manuals anymore). In later years every time I bought a boat the dealer insisted on accompanying me on a trial run so he could ensure i would be safe.

In any event, the book details the 16 steps to launch and load. It's good reading...

PS - you know the nosy bothersome govt has a current push to require all boat operators to be licensed, just like automobile drivers. I have always been an adversary of more stupid laws, but the more i think about it, the more i am in favor.

 

[Tommyd13]

I took the boat out this weekend and it ran great. No vibrations nothing ran really well. Put the new 14.5 19* prop and ran like a champ all day. Also took charge and made sure what I said went. Hopefully in the future it will go just as smoothly as Saturday.

 

[tacx]

I also find it strange that you took off that much prop, but didnt damage the skeg? Do your prop blades extend beyond the skeg?

 

[Old Ironmaker]

You have yourself, your daughter and your wife all helping. ONE of you needs to be in charge and YOU are in control of boat operation. On the trailer the outdrive should NOT be down, it should NOT be in gear and the engine NOT in operation at that point. Get a system down pat and stick to it. As was mentioned, YOU are in charge. Pulling up the ramp happens only when YOU are ready. Lesson learned. When recovering you boat near shore you should be trimmed up to avoid obstacles around the ramp or the ramp itself. Full down near shore is a recipe for disaster anywhere you boat.

As far as damage to anything other than the prop you will know as soon as you run the boat in the water with the new prop on.

One person and only one is in control when you launch or retrieve. I have had a few mishaps, like the ball not fully inserted into the receiver and I pulled away, got a mile down the road before the trailer smashed against the 1500 buck tailgate. My wife is giving me signals to back up. She yells stop a millisecond after I hit the $2500.00 garage door. Who's fault, mine, 100% mine. I trusted on other people to do something correctly when they might do it 2 or 3 times a year and something they do not like doing. I didn't yell at her, that doesn't help but after a few mishaps she refuses to have anything to do with the boat, including going out on the lake. The river she doesn't mind. Mia cullpa and only mia cullpa.