Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

[JimKW]

We tried to go on plane and the outdrive hit bottom. Now I can not get it to go on plane. It will run slow, but when I try to get it to go up on plane it just revs almost like a transmission is slipping. We drove it back to the place we are staying which was about 12 miles at 1500-2000 rpm's. I only tried to get it up on plane once after we hit. Once I saw it would run at slow speed I just took it easy all the way back to the cottage.

Great thing to happen while on vacation!

Should I take it to a marina, try and fix it myself or just trailer it and take it home? I have no idea how serious the damage may be.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

Sounds like you may have spun the hub. Check that out, you may need to send it to a prop shop and have a new hub pressed in. Either that or if it's an aluminum prop you may have damaged it to the point it just slips and won't grab water properly.

 

[JimKW]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

It's a Mercruiser outdrive with a stainless steel prop.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

Yes.... you probably spun the hub.

You can mark the hub and the nut with a marker ....make a line across the nut and mark the prop itself .....take out the boat and if it slips your marks will not be lined up.

Time for a re-hub or get a cheap aluminum prop to finish the vacation with.

 

[JimKW]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

So is the hub part of the prop? I was thinking it was a separate piece that the prop bolted onto. How hard it this to do? I don't mind buying a new prop if that's what I need.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

Interesting.

 

[Jacket4life]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

So is the hub part of the prop? I was thinking it was a separate piece that the prop bolted onto. How hard it this to do? I don't mind buying a new prop if that's what I need.

It's pressed into the prop. Think of it as a rubber bushing. You hit something, the hub shears INSTEAD of the driveshaft shearing.

In my area, you can send it to a prop shop and have it done for around $45-50. Some shops offer a trade out, you take one they've already done, and they keep yours. I don't do this personally, just know at least one shop that does it in my area. If money is no issue for you, I'd buy a new SS one, leave yours to get rehubbed, then put it in storage somewhere for the next time this happens. Then you just pull the prop, slap on the one with the new hub, and go.

Oh, and you may want to invest in a depth finder, one with a low water alarm. That way you could avoid this issue in the future. At least it happening from hitting bottom.

 

[Jacket4life]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

Nice looking boat, BTW...

 

[JimKW]

Re: Tried to go on Plane in Shallow Water

$173 for a new prop and we were out on the boat all day since around 11:00 this morning. Thanks for the help. I bought an aluminum prop and will get my Stainless Steel one re-hubbed when I get home. Any recommendations on where to get it done?