Major incident: Strut, Prop & Shaft Electrolysis

[Lance Jones]

Two major events happened today. HELP!!!
1. While on way to pump out, it sounded like the prop shaft zinc came loose. When we arrived at our dock, the prop wrapped in the dock line.

2. Dove in and discovered:
   a) prop had corroded.
   b) prop shaft had pulled away from strut.
   c) underside of strut holding shaft was gone.

How do I fix this? And worse, how much do you think it will cost?

Parts?

[Jim Hardesty]

First thing.  If you haven't done so yet.  Check your stuffing box for leaking.  Think that I would over tighten the packing, you won't be turning the shaft till it's fixed.  I would just be quessing at a cost.
Hope the rest of your season goes better.
Jim

[Stu Jackson]

Lance, we're so sorry to hear, and glad that you both are OK and safe.

The answer is to get the boat hauled asap and have the yard describe what they plan to do, make a list yourself, share it with us and see if they're missing things or doing too much.  And comment on the $#s they're giving you.

We can help you with that kinda stuff online here.

Good luck, God bless and this, too, shall pass...

[Ken Juul]

My reply on the zinc was premature.  It sounds like your marina is hot. Before you splash again have it checked out so it doesn't happen again.  The other option is that you wired something on the boat wrong.  Review any work you have done recently.

[paule]

Lance,
If you are having work done by a yard I would recomend Sneads Boat works excellent!!!
Paul

What amrina did you finaly go to?

[Lance Jones]

Hey Paul,
I'm up in Shalimar.

To the rest, I have a ground wire to my starter battery combiner that had frayed and laying on the hull. Would that be the culprit?

[Lance Jones]

I know i'll need a replacement strut and cutlass bearing, Where can i find those? Primarily the strut as I know where to get the cutlass.

[Craig Illman]

Catalina Direct probably has a strut or Catalina Yachts themselves. The latter is probably closer to you.

[mainesail]

Lance,

Sounds like a pretty serious DC leak on-board your boat. Start with bilge pump wiring then examine every wire inch by inch or hire an ABYC trained corrosion tech... DC leaks are fast and can literally sink boats...

[lazybone]

Two major events happened today. HELP!!!
1. While on way to pump out, it sounded like the prop shaft zinc came loose. When we arrived at our dock, the prop wrapped in the dock line.

2. Dove in and discovered:
   a) prop had corroded.
   b) prop shaft had pulled away from strut.
   c) underside of strut holding shaft was gone.

How do I fix this? And worse, how much do you think it will cost?

Parts?

Does your boat stay in the water year round?

[Ron Hill]

Lance : I agree with Mainsail, you probably have "stray voltage" OTA!!

Do you stay "plugged into shore power" all the time you're at the dock?
 
When was the last time you had the boat out of the water and examined the running gear?

[Lance Jones]

I do keep her in year round and plugged in as we live aboard. I did a full inspection in Feb/Mar when she was transported here.
The actual strut look good down to where the shaft passes through it. At that point the bottom of the round piece is gone.

Could I cut the strut at that point and weld a new piece for the shaft there?

[Stu Jackson]

Lance, I've never heard of that, ever.  The work will require removing the old one and installing a new one.  Have you been hauled yet?

[Indian Falls]

Shouldn't there be a lot of corrosion evidence on the prop or the shaft and the zinc?
The strut is isolated by the rubber in the bearing. It can't be a path for current unless it comes in contact with the shaft.  Another way is the zinc moved and made contact with strut.  Is put possible that the shaft wore through the bearing and then out the bottom of the strut?
First someone loses a rudder and now this.  I'm getting worried!

[Kyle Ewing]

The C36 site has some good links related to strut replacement. See http://www.c36ia.com/node/1385 for one.

It seems like there were two issues: Something causing corrosion and wrapping a line around the prop. How fast was the prop spinning when wrapped?