"The Boats Fine"

[BASC]

Recently left my 02 SN196 in the hands of my brother and went away on holiday for a well earned 2 week break.
When I returned we spoke on the phone and he assured me the boat was fine.
I drove to the lake where the boat is moored planning to get in a few sets during the day as the weather was fine.
The boat looked good on its mooring, I paddled out and started the engine. On heading to the dock (at very slow speed) I noticed a very slight vibration that wasn't there before my holiday, but thought nothing of it. Tied up and prepared the boat for the days skiing.
I decided to check PP was still in tolerance so headed towards the course, the vibration increased dramatically as the speed increased......now I was concerned. I stopped the boat in the middle of the lake, lifted the engine and inspection cover but could see nothing that looked out of place. The old grey matter quickly noticed that there was no vibration when the drive was not engaged, so I headed back to the dock very very slowly and tied up.
Fearing the worst I put my dive mask on and went underneath to have a look...................
My brother was correct the boat was fine, the prop however was a different matter..............
He went on holiday early that morning, so I haven't had a chance to speak to him. Needless to say I will be presenting him with the bill when he returns!!

[ced]

Ouch, bad surprise. He can't say he didn't notice it, unless he only used it with your paddles... (I would also check the shaft, could be bent too....)

[Adrian]

We can choose our friends but not our brothers! :grin:
I guess the worst part of this is the time you're going to be without skiing, now in August.
BTW, did you have a ski vacation as you told me? where?

If you want to came to Madrid you can take as many sets as you want...

[SNMike]

BASC, ask your brother if you can borrow his car, tell him it'll be just fine! Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

[Mikeski]

My sister did the same to my prop earlier this year except I was skiing when it happened. She felt awful expecially knowing that she didn't have and extra $350 lying around to replace it. I asked her to drive, I was skiing so I figured it was my problem, a slightly different scenario than yours.

Anyway I wanted to go out the next day and had not yet bought a spare prop so I pulled it and started beating it with a lead mallet over a 2x4. After about 15 minutes of beating it looked pretty good (used a molding gauge to check pitch) so I put it back on the boat. Much to my surprise it ran just as smooth as new. Since the prop was the wrong pitch I ordered a new prop anyway. Ironically the new prop doesn't seem to run quite as smooth as the prop I repaired? Maybe I should take my mallet to it?

Bottom line... These Acme CNCd props bend like butter and I am sure it was an accident. Your brother may not have noticed the vibration since he is not that familiar with your boat. Maybe it happened right before he put the boat away? If you didn't have a spare prop you needed one anyway, right? Just bend those corners back out and keep this as your spare and run the new one, and don't stress over the $350.

On the other hand depending on the relationship you have with your brother you could mount it on a plaque and use it to humiliate him at the next family get together and possibly get more value out of the damaged prop in that regard!

order the replacement from: www.boarditup.com, mid-ohio nautiques (15% PN discount), or check the group buy section

[ag4ever]

I have bent my prop three times now. Every time it has been at idle speed or lower. None of the times have I damaged the shaft. The first time I folded over all four blades, much worse than how yours is bent. The second time was about how yours is bent, and the third time was in between. Every time, I could feel a horible vibration while under some throttle, but at idle nothing. He might have bent it if he tried to beach the boat, and then idled back to the mooring without knowing it was bent.

The last time they fixed it, I added some cupping, and this has to be the smoothest the boat has ever been, even better than when it was new.

I do agree, these acme cnc seem to bend if you look at them wrong.

[BASC]

Adrian
Yes we headed over to Lake Annecy in France for the vacation, the lake is not ideal for skiing, but we did manage to find a ski school 50 kms south and had a couple of days there.
The prop is now with a specialist who will 'do a job on it' and have it back to me Thursday or Friday so I will have the boat back running by Saturday morning.
The prop guy said he has been inudated with repairs over the past few weeks.
Perhaps I will have to give my brother a bit of leaway (as well as the bill), as we haven't had a lot of rain this year and the lake is lowest I 've seen, certainly the shallower areas that you would normally get away with passing over are to be avoided.

SNMike,
I kinda like that idea about the car though!!!

[Laptom]

BASC,

Have you ever been on Lake Biscarosse in France? It's 50miles south of Bordeaux and can be great for skiing!! The water is not as clear as Lake Annecy, but it's almost everywhere deep.

Tommy

[Adrian]

BASC
Saturday... not too much hassle then.
Did you go to SNC Grenoble or to Olympic Waterski near Albertville? I guess Albertville as Grenoble is 70 Km south of Annecy. The Alps, very beatiful area.
You also had near Eurolac, 40 Km north.

How was it?