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25 April 2016, 00:13
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#1
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Seil Island
Boat name: Ron Mor
Make: Delta
Length: 5m +
MMSI: 235116643
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 92
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Prop Guards
Hi All,
Been thinking about prop guard for the rib. Red 14" for me. Cost £185.
For diver safety, rope/creel lines, cetacean/piniped encounters. And the potential of a boat meets terra firma issue!
Out yesterday and "found" a rock at 4 knots! Big bump, no prop damage, small chunk out of the skeg but that can be filed smooth.
Just thinking a plastic prop guard would have been smashed to bits (as Alisdair MacFadyen said they probably would just 2 hours before we set off!). An inflexible SS one may have made it even worse!
So do they just protect against the soft stuff (mamalian flesh) and not the hard stuff? And do the claims of working like a Kort Nossle stack up to low speed/pick up performance and fuel economy improvements?
Cheers Stevie
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25 April 2016, 02:45
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#2
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Midlands
Boat name: SR4.7
Make: Avon
Length: 4m +
Engine: Mariner 60 EFI
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,106
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Those plastic ones pretty much smash on first impact. The stainless steel ones are better, but they will ruin the performance and handling of the boat in every way.
I would only fit if required by legislation, i.e specific safety boat work.
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25 April 2016, 08:46
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#3
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Leicester
Length: 5m +
Engine: 135hp Mercury
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,431
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Quote:
Originally Posted by samt
Those plastic ones pretty much smash on first impact. The stainless steel ones are better, but they will ruin the performance and handling of the boat in every way.
I would only fit if required by legislation, i.e specific safety boat work.
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Zapcats would tend to disagree........
That said the only way you are going to avoid damage to the prop & skeg or to any guard you fit is not to run into things. Which isn't that difficult.........
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25 April 2016, 10:14
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#4
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Retford
Boat name: Spy-sea-one
Make: Excel 435
Length: 4m +
Engine: Suzuki Outboard/25/4
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 7,535
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we had a plastic one at work first time out something went into the guard [rod/stick] wiped out the guard and prop £300 gone
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25 April 2016, 13:33
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#5
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: West Bromwich
Boat name: Ellie V
Make: Excel Voyager 520
Length: 5m +
Engine: Evinrude 75 HP
MMSI: 235 908 287
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 689
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I had one on the last Rib, (Blue) tohatsu 50, performed well, and when in and around swimmers/bathers such as picking people up from the beach in Spain, gave a sense of assurance.
Last year with newer rib no prop guard, a kiddy decided to swim around the rear of the boat as we were picking folk up, had to give is father a Bol*****, even though no power on, still sharp bits to do damage.
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25 April 2016, 20:50
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#6
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Seil Island
Boat name: Ron Mor
Make: Delta
Length: 5m +
MMSI: 235116643
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 92
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So they just protect against the soft stuff and not the hard stuff?
What about the claims of low speed/pick up performance and fuel economy improvements?
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26 April 2016, 17:07
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#7
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Stonehaven
Boat name: Sunday Best
Make: Tornado
Length: 5m +
Engine: Yammy 90
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 409
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they are good for inexperienced boat handlers around people in the water. Apart from that, they are the devil.
Bring on the cavitation!
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I always apply maNthematics to my purchases - tell her it cost a chunk less than it did, then tell her I got a chunk more than I really did for the one I sold... The new purchase seldom costs a penny...
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26 April 2016, 18:18
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#8
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RIBnet admin team
Country: UK - Scotland
Boat name: imposter
Make: FunYak
Length: 3m +
Engine: Tohatsu 30HP
MMSI: 235089819
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,639
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SimonCh
they are good for inexperienced boat handlers around people in the water. Apart from that, they are the devil.
Bring on the cavitation!
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I'd say they are really bad for inexperienced boat handlers around people: they encourage complacency and you can do a lot of damage without using the prop.
Zapcats are one of the cases where I think there is a compelling case.
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26 April 2016, 19:47
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#9
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Member
Country: UK - England
Make: Zodiac
Length: under 3m
Engine: Scull
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 531
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevie J
So they just protect against the soft stuff and not the hard stuff?
What about the claims of low speed/pick up performance and fuel economy improvements?
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Anything that 'drags' through the water will hit your fuel economy, never in a million years will a prop guard improve your figures.
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27 April 2016, 12:25
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#10
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Isle of Lewis
Boat name: Macleod Special
Make: Mako Thundercat
Length: 4m +
Engine: Yamaha 70ces
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,268
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The zapcat racing series runs prop guards, the thundercat series doesn't. Its generally accepted that there is a 10% top speed penalty for using one.
Interestingly the only serious incedent in the sport involved someone getting their arm stuck a prop guard. I wouldn't get one, as mentioned in other replies, it will ruin the performance and reduce fuel economy
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27 April 2016, 12:42
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#11
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: West Bromwich
Boat name: Ellie V
Make: Excel Voyager 520
Length: 5m +
Engine: Evinrude 75 HP
MMSI: 235 908 287
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 689
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevie J
So they just protect against the soft stuff and not the hard stuff?
What about the claims of low speed/pick up performance and fuel economy improvements?
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I did not experience any lack of speed or pickup, I suppose there maybe an effect on fuel economy, however when out boating, I tend to just put in the petrol, if I thought about the cost, I probably would not have a boat !!
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02 May 2016, 23:56
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#12
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Member
Country: Australia
Make: Nautica
Length: 6m +
Engine: Twin outboard
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 60
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Safety Safety Safety. That's all it is.
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