Protection of prop from trap lines

[Don Woodruff]

Two years ago we went on vacation only to have our third day become a lobster trap harvest. The wind was just right to obscure the lobster trap floats and the toggles to allow us to avoid running over the lines. We captured 5 traps that day. That was more than we had captured in about 15 years.

My question is, has anyone run a rod or a line from the keel to the rudder stock to prevent lines from being harvested. I know about spurs and other shaft cutters, but more often we had the line get caught on the rudder stock not wrapped around the prop.

Am I the only one???

[dmeyer]

Don,

We feel your pot-catching pain. We used to own a P-323 and cruise it from Portland down east to Hurricane Island, Vinalhaven, etc. An overnight in near Burnt & Allen island had us pick up 3 traps around the rudder stock just swinging at the anchor, and another one around the prop when we started up to leave. I had to spend a half-hour in the dinghy pushing, pulling, reversing, etc. before I finally cut the line and re-tied the gear.

The haul-out that fall I did some thinking about spurs, decided against them because I did not want to be blasting over some working watermen's gear and slicing it up willy-nilly. We rigged up a narrow gauge (I think 1/8" or slightly smaller) stainless wire between the aft end of the keel and the bottom front point of the skeg using tiny little eyes and nicropress fittings. We had no problems thereafter, since lines would not float up into the gap. I supposed it might have cost us a quarter knot, but for the area we were cruising, it was a fair trade.

-Damon

[Don Woodruff]

Damon,

Thanks for the response. Your fix sounds like something I had in mind. How did you afix the eyes to the keel and skeg? It would have to be sturdy enough to fend off a short toggle line.

Don

[BlameItOnBuffett]

One thing to keep in mind is to not make it too permanent. Unless you dive when they put your straps on, it will be finding your lift straps off as well.....

[Trinity]

I installed a prop-protector when I bought 'Trinity'.  No problems.  I had been snagged at least twice by lobster/crab pots while cruising the west coast on my previous vessel, so I think this was a wise investment.