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Westhaven propeller bandits


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11 hours ago, KM... said:

And I like the Seal ....mainly as the bitch hasn't eaten any of my fleet or charges for a while. Maybe she heard that after 7 months of waiting my gun license renewal has finally come thru so yesterday I brought a pump action 12g and a semi auto .22.....even though I'd use my 223, heavy grain hollow point, on her.

What? Congratulations are in order! I always wanted to get a gun licence, just so that I could show at least 2 people vouched I am of good character. How did you manage it? ;-)

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Unlikely for a standard keeler with prop under the hull. 

But maybe FLC is talking about the prop on an outboard on a Ross 930, which would be easily accessible in the cockpit to a marina meandering miscreant?

 

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No sadly

I have been 930-less since just after Bay Week.

I've done the grown up thing and bought a proper family yacht.  Picked it up from Westhaven yesterday at sparrows fart and found it had no propulsion when trying to leave the berth. 

Assumed stuck blades from little use, was on a deadline to get back to Weiti for tide so sailed it out of the Marina, up the coast, over the bar and onto our club wharf.

Went to work for a few hours, came back armed with mask and budgie smugglers and jumped in for a look.

Sail drive there, as is spline and thread but no prop!

Vendor says was running fine when parked 9 days earlier, and is suggesting that the prop must have been stolen in between my money going in his bank and me taking possession of the boat 6 days later.

Which according to him makes it MY issue.

Not really sure what my next step should be! 🤔

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3 minutes ago, waikiore said:

Wellll... who serviced the prop last, a pity you shifted her coz it is his issue.

Yeah sometimes I'm just too accommodating for my own good. He rents the berth, has owned the boat 20 years, advanced in years been and had a prospective purchaser back out recently.

When it failed to drive out the furthest thing from my mind would have been a missing prop. I was thinking sticky gears, sea life or fishing line preventing it from opening (Gori folding)

Stuck head under the water there (eeeew) with mask but too murky to even see leading edge of rudder. So figured better to get it nearer home and have a look.

The boat has recent new motor and sail drive (500 hrs) she is a bit run down but was priced accordingly, a bit of TLC and she will be a good boat for us.

I gave him a date I'd have it out by and didn't want to cause him any stress. I'm currently trying to track down previous Purchaser to buy a copy of his survey.

That being said, it was advertised with a Gori prop and when I went to take delivery it had nothing. I'm hoping he will see sense and get someone to have a dive for it as it backed into its berth, so must be in the mud underneath. 

I can't see someone spending 30mins under water in that soup disassembling a prop to sell on black market - can you?

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Propellers are so specific to a boat, size, pitch, boat weight, shaft speed, spline size, shaft taper, locking nut type, that they aren't an easily movable second hand item. They aren't 50" plasma TV's...

You could possibly nick one for the scrap weight value, but really, Westhaven is nice and secure, CCTV and all, dive into that sh*t, with the right tools to lift a prop off. Most people that nick meta for scrap go for MH covers or fire hydrant risers fittings. They aren't going to dive under a yacht with all the required prep.

Props do fall off yachts though...

Unless it was stolen to order, but seriously? 

PS, good seamanship sailing everywhere in a new to you boat. Out of the Marina, up the river, onto the wharf. You would have been super showing off if you sailed onto your mooring... Is this new boat big enough that you want tip it over climbing the mast?

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Hahaha Fish I did warn Joel to look out for 830 rigs when we were eeking our way up the river on an ebb tide with f all breeze.

We only went backwards a couple of times, custodian motored his dinghy down river when he couldn't handle watching us contemplating kedging but respectfully stood off while we eventually made it to the dock!

I agree it seems a long shot to lose it to a thief, hoping the vendor sees reason and sends someone down to have a look.

Fingers crossed

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2 hours ago, Fish said:

FLC, you are welcome to borrow my scuba gear if you want to have a look for it yourself. 

I believe you've seen my prowess with tanks and regulators... therefore I shall defer to your skills ans offer you a ride to Q pier and a mcdonald's breakfast if you can recover a propulsion mechanism for me 

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13 hours ago, funlovincriminal said:

I believe you've seen my prowess with tanks and regulators... therefore I shall defer to your skills ans offer you a ride to Q pier and a mcdonald's breakfast if you can recover a propulsion mechanism for me 

Sorry FLC, not sure I'm qualified for such a mission. I've got a funny dislike for dark murky places underwater, more so if an apex predator frequents the area. A police diver would be one of the worse jobs I could think of. Trying to find dead people in murky dark water...

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I once watched a diver use two tanks and spend gawd knows how long looking for a perspex washboard under Pindaric, never found it.

but here's some diving similar to police diving: 

 

 

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, funlovincriminal said:

Hauled the boat today. 

Can anyone see anything telling in the pics?

20210503_124631.jpg

20210503_124604.jpg

20210503_124621.jpg

20210503_124550.jpg

There is no propeller on your saildrive. You should get that sorted FLC...

  • Haha 2
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Sail drive bits look ok, though the prop has been off for a while , if you want a good price for replacement contact me. I would suggest that the installer did not read the instructions, as some 'professionals' dont not far North of Auckland. 

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