Nasty Flotsum on the Blackwater

[getlinewet]

Got up early this am and headed up the Blackwater for some fishing. As I was proceeding, I noticed huge amounts of debris in the water but kept motoring up river. When I got to about B 30....BANG! My motor hit some of the junk. I reduced power immediately turned around and started heading back to the slip. Unfortunately, I couldn't get up to full power....the engine sounded funny/damaged. I limped home at about 2000 rpms and called a marina for service.

I guess the moral of the story is stay at home when you see lots of floating crap.

If anyone has an idea what my problem might be I'd sure appreciate some advice. I'm thinking I sheared a pin...but then how did I get home on low power?

[mwardncsu]

Uggh - that's not a good way to start the day...... Hope you did not damage anything major in the lower unit..... maybe you spun the prop? Or maybe bent it, causing some bad vibration and such? Sorry for the bad April Fools joke played on you by Mother Nature....

[striperseeker]

Did you look to see if your lower unit was damaged when you got home. Usually, but not always, this will not damage the motor. Mward is right, could be a bent prop, could be that one of the blades of the prop came off, or something else. Exactly what did it sound like?

[Shadslinger]

I seen all the crap floating yesterday, I went all way to the river and back. Lots of stuff in the lake right now. That sucks about your motor Hopefully its nothing to bad. Just gotta know when to Zig and when to Zag or just stop and idle through. Definitely gotta be on your toes. I scare my ol lady sometimes running leesville but im just used to it. The only log i ever hit scared the crap out of me and it was my fault cause I was sending a txt msg while going down the lake.....

[getlinewet]

Striperseeker:

Sounds normal when engine revolutions are at @2000. Sounds/feels like the engine is lifting out of the water at 2500+ rpm.

Shadslinger:

I had my eyes glued to the water but didn't see it...it had to be partially submerged (either that or I need glasses).

[getlinewet]

One other thing...there didn't appear to be any visible damage to the prop or the lower unit. Then again, maybe I didn't know what to look for.

[CorneliaGale]

My guess is you broke the prop loose, what kind of motor and how new is it. First thing I would check is the prop take it off and look at it.

[striperseeker]

I am guessing CorneliaGale is right. In the hub of the propellor is a piece of rubber (Shaped to grab the output shaft and the inside of the propellor hub). This piece of rubber is made to be "sacraficed" if the prop hits something hard. This rubber piece is meant to fail before there is damage to the gears in the transmission (foot). It sounds like it did its job. If so you will not have to fix the outboard but you will have to replace the propellor. This would be much cheaper than having to rebuild the foot. I will keep my fingers crossed that all you need is a new propellor. I'll bet that is the problem and you will be back on the water real soon.

[getlinewet]

Thanks guys for all the info. Cornelia: it's a 50hp Honda 4 stroke with about 208 hours on it.

And here I always thought the japanese models were reliable. Guess the next one will be a Mercury.

[mwardncsu]

How's a Mercury going to help you when you hit that submerged log I'd take a Honda over the Merc any day

It's like someone on here has said before... its not IF you're going to hit something on SML its WHEN.....

[wishforfish]

Hey Getlinewet,
I'll second Mike on that one, stay with the Honda, I have had 2 Mercs and learned to hate them both. I had around .2 hours (yes, 12 minutes) on my new Suzuki 175 4S and boat when I went under the bridge at 35MPH and hit a submerged 2x6 about 14 feet long. Luckily it only bent the foil slightly cracking the casted fin, plugged my speedometer hole and a nail in it scratched the bottom of the boat but it was sickening none the less. Sorry to hear it happened but it is going to happen in SML no matter what you do to prevent it. I know people who have lost their lower unit doing the same thing.
Kevin

[getlinewet]

Guys:

I have to vent a bit here. I've only been able to go fishing 1x the last week. Today was a crapper. I've had to put up with relatives coming up this weekend who only wanted a "pleasure cruise" on the boat. It's been hellish. One week has gone by and only 1 fish. I'm disgusted. I'm thinking I'm going to tell everyone I'm going fishing from now on and if you want to join me welcome aboard.

[mwardncsu]

I'm not a big umbrella rig fan, but when faced with a "pleasure cruise", pull a HokieChad and stop by PizzaPub and pick up a couple of pizza, put out the u-rigs and cruise at 3 mpg across some choice points ;D When those fish hit, put the rod in your guests hands and then you'll have the green light to go fishing soon enough.....

[BentRod]

I've been fortunate bc I've hit everything possible and have yet to ever even replace a prop. I've hit rocks, logs, and everything in between. I think my hull shape helps or something cause I've thought it was all over a few times but she cranked back up and went on. Like the others, count your blessings it wasn't worse and fix her up and get at it again!

Mward, the man said he was going fishing! I'd rather pleasure cruise with a jetski girl than pull urigs. No fun in that.

[CorneliaGale]

Take the prop off and take it to the shop on 24 below Staunton River High and he can fix it and check it out.