Date: 25 May 2015. Inexpensive Line Cutter.
©
janice142
Richard on M/V Dauntless posted to
his website [https://dauntlessatsea.wordpress.com/] about the niftiest item, and I want one. All of us on
boats without line-cutters on our shafts worry that the rope from a
crab trap will ensnarl our propeller. That is bad. It can be very bad if
the rope manages to loosen the shaft from the coupler at the
transmission.
A coupler is a piece of metal that
holds the shaft to the transmission so when the boat is in gear the
shaft will turn. The problem develops when a line gets caught in the
propeller. It can exert force and potentially dislodge the shaft
from the transmission.
Basically the line can pull the shaft
out from the transmission. Were that to happen the boat will
not move. Water could also come into the boat and that's not good
either! Worse case scenario, the boat might sink.
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The
Coupler, Keyway and
Key plus Zincs |
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The stainless
COUPLER connects the aft end of the transmission to the
shaft. It either slides on (one piece) or is a "split ring"
meaning there are two portions that bolt together around the
shaft.
Next, moving toward the
back of the boat is a blue arrow. That points to the
KEY. The Key is a square piece of
stainless (or bronze) and it fits into the Keyway.
Aboard Seaweed, my key is 3.25" long and 5/16"
square. I buy mine at
Midwest Steel and Aluminum company 763-582-1925.
All that is just fancy
Boat Talk. A
keyway is simply a slot the square key fits into. It locks the
coupler and the shaft together so they spin at the same time.
There is a notch in the coupler and an equally deep one in the
shaft. The key fits in that slot.
Aft of there are two
ZINCS. Zincs are used to protect
the metal in the boat from stray current (electricity). It's a
part of the bonding system, which is not the focus of this
article. We shall cover that later.
Water conducts
electricity and zincs protect against electrolysis. The
bonding system is what keeps electrolysis from damaging our
boats.
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I keep my SPARE ZINCS
fastened on the propeller shaft inside my hull. They are close to the
stuffing box. The black rubber with stainless bands is a stuffing box.
And no, of course it is not square. This is a boat, where the head is
a place you put your butt! Do not try
to understand it.
The "real" zinc anodes are in the water. These two
are still useful and I recommend every boater keep their spares
inside and attached to the shaft. The reason to have bolted on zincs
inside the boat is to prevent the shaft from coming out.
If there were a catastrophe such as a line being
caught in my prop, those two should keep the shaft in the
boat. A shaft falling out (and it has happened to others)
generally sinks the boat.
Also, having spares inside
means should I need to replace a zinc anode at any time, I have one,
er two, ready. And I can find them.
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Keeping rope from wrapping around the shaft/propeller is a Good
Idea. Unfortunately all too often when the words Good Idea are
applied in a "marine application" the costs skyrocket. Fortunately
Captain Richard discovered SALCA.
SALCA
aka Sacrificial Anode
Line Cutter
Assembly
http://www.zincwarehouse.com/shaft-anodes/salca-line-cutter-3.html
Same link made smaller:
The ZincWarehouse.com SALCA page
Dauntless said "The one on the
shaft is a combination steel cutter attached to a clamp on zinc
anode. It costs only $60. It’s the second one I’ve put on and it
works wonderfully. Half eaten, it tells me it’s doing its job and no
pieces of line wrapped around the shaft as had happened in the
past."
This is his old SALCA at haul out,
prior to replacement with a new one:
Available at the
Zinc
Warehouse, it's something you should consider if you don't have
a line cutter already. I know I intend to order one next week. This
is a Good Idea, and relatively inexpensive. I know it is a lot
cheaper than hiring a diver to remove a line wrapped around the
prop.
In looking at the unit, it appears
that the blade (split into two pieces) could be attached to a donut
shaped anode after the initial one needs replacement. It is stainless so I
suspect that by drilling holes through a donut zinc I could
through-bolt the blade pieces to a new zinc with relative ease. I will
test that theory at some point.
Have you a SALCA or a standard line cutter on your
shaft?
Are you glad you have it or was the unit a waste of money?
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