thank goodness for engine shutdown system

[Jeff Kaplan]

just wanted to share an incident that ended ok. was sailing #219,sedona sunset, in the boston area heading back to port in salem on a nice reach with easterly 15kt wind. turned to go down wind and hit a dead area. had to make some time so fired up the diesel and started motoring toward a windy patch of ocean hoping to find the last puff of the afternoon. suddenly it seemed that we hit something and the engine just stopped, buzzer sounding. we were in 50' so i knew no rocks. couldn't get shifter out of forward. all i thought was sh-t, there goes the trans. well, i noticed we weren't moving and must have snagged something submerged, lobster pot probably, a million of them in this area. after a few minutes, i was able to free the shifter. engine started right up, but shifted in to forward and she died out. we then furled the genny and i knew i was going swimming, cold water up here. sure enough, a line was wrapped around the shaft. i freed us, climbed back on board, don't you think there should be another step on the ladder, fired up the engine, shifted into forward and was thrilled when we started making way. no damage. i suppose my point was to be thankful for engine shutdown systems. watch for pots...jeff kaplan

[Ron Hill]

jeff : Been there done that!!  
My Latest "swim" was to take off the heavy plastic wrapping (from a case of water bottles) that wrapped around the prop/strut.  It came off piece by piece by piece.
I've had some luck with spinning off the crab pot line by starting the engine and shifting it in the opposite direction( from where it was in gear) and flipping the pot line off.  Always worth the try.
Make yourself a swiveling step for that bottom rung.  

[Jeff Kaplan]

ron, thanks for the reverse tip. should of thought of it, but i was too freaked out thinking about a shot trans. ,having only my first season with the boat. i am thinking of purchasing the sole saver swim ladder steps shown in mainsheet. what do you think of them?...jeff

[Ron Hill]

Jeff : The Sole Saver steps look fine to me.  I have the teak steps which look great, but another teak item to maintain.

At one time the factory had some teak color "sole savers".  It might be worth a call and see it their's are less than $78.  Catalina's may only be 3 rather than 4 pieces, you need to check.  

[captran]

Our first crossing of the gulf stream motoring into a stiff breeze and seas 4-5' the engine died.  Put it in neutral and it restarted, which was a relief, but died when put back in gear.  Went over the side and saw a 2' x 6' piece of green poly netting wrapped entirely around the prop and up tight to the cutlass.  Took about a half hour to cut it away with the boat wallowing in those seas.  Not fun, but at least the water was warm.  I just can't believe how lucky we were to have been making our first day crossing rather than the usual night crossing, as it would have made for a very long sail if we'd decided to tack back and forth to continue to the Bahamas.  This year in the NW we noticed a change in RPM, every so slight.  At the end of the year we found a good size chunk of kelp wrapped around the shaft, but I wasnt going for a cold dip unless it was more bothersome!