Disconnect prop shaft from tranny before hauling?

[Bill Shreeves]

I recently read that Catalina recommends disconnecting the propeller shaft from the tranny before hauling to avoid possible shaft damage from the hull flexing.  Do most practice this?


-Thanks,

[Jim Hardesty]

Bill,
Where did you read that?  What is meant by hauling?  Trucking down the road or lifting for winter storage? 
Jim

[Bill Shreeves]

Jim,
It was related to hauling.  I read it earlier in the week and I'm struggling to find it again.  I'll keep looking and reference it when I find it again.  It was something that I was unaware of and wanted to ask to if that's what other C34 owners typically do.

[patrice]

Hi,
I do haul out every year and never did this.

[Stu Jackson]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>What is meant by hauling?  Trucking down the road or lifting for winter storage? 

Jim's right.  Definitions are important (just my inner engineer speaking  ).

How about "hauling" vs. "haulout?"

[Bill Shreeves]

Unfortunately, I flushed my browser history and I'm unable to find the source from earlier in the week.  So, I'll retract "Catalina recommends" with an apology.

That aside, does anyone disconnect or decouple the shaft before haul-out?

[Fred Koehlmann]

Good God no. Never for hauling-out. And for that fact, not for "hauling" over land (i.e trucking the boat to a new location). Our C34 was "hauled" by truck, one from Sackets Harbor, NY to Midland, Ontario, placed on a cradle in the winter and then dropped in the water in the spring. The shaft was connected the whole time. Our C425 was trucked from Florida to Whitby, Ontario, dropped in the water and "hauled-out" several times, then "hauled" by truck to Midland, with the shaft connected the whole time.

So "no" on both types of "hauling". 

[Jim Hardesty]

FWIW.  My previous boat a 1979 S2 9.2  30'  had the shaft exit just behind the keel.  The only place to put the lifting strap was half on the keel flair half on the shaft.  Bothered me but was never a problem.  The cutless bearing was the original and was always tight.
Need to be careful in this "information age" where information comes from. A lot of bad information out there.  Also a lot of good.  I'm glad we have it.

I'll keep my shaft bolted, safety wired and marked.
Jim

[KWKloeber]

If you think it came from CTY roundabout, ask Warren.
Warren@catalinayachts.com

Ken

[Ron Hill]

Bill : Have NEVER heard that.  Makes no sense!!   WHY????
My boat has been hauled out 30+? times and NEVER had the drive shaft disconnected.

Whether you go on jack stands or shipping cradle or a truck - the hull needs to be supported and the travel-lift need to have the straps in the proper location.  Just like it shows in your owners manual!

A thought

[Jon W]

Hi Bill. I don't disconnect the shaft when getting hauled out at the boatyard. I can't think of a reason for doing that.

My 2 cents-
I can think of a reason for disconnecting the shaft when hauling a distance, but is a pretty big reach. Hauling a boat should be done with the boat in a proper cradle and the shaft blocked to stop movement. The transportation shock loads would be mitigated by the cradle and the blocked shaft would keep the shaft from pounding the transmission and cutlass bearing/strut, and reduce whipping from the cantilevered weight of the prop. If the shaft is disconnected you would accomplish the intent of blocking the shaft from moving.

[Roc]

If you think what's happening when the boat is out of the water and on jack stands, it does make sense to disconnect the shaft from the trans.  Out of the water, the hull is flexed, out of it's normal in water position.  We see that by noticing gaps and differences in the cabinets and door fitments.  On one end, the shaft is bolted to the trans.  On the other end it is fixed at the skeg.  If the hull is flexed, then there is pressure trying to bend the shaft.  By disconnecting the shaft at the trans, it takes that pressure off.  I disconnect my shaft every winter.  4 bolts, it only takes a few minutes. 

[Dave Spencer]

Hi Roc,
Do you see any evidence that the flanges have moved when you disconnect and then haul out?  Do you haul with the mast up?  I'm sure there is some hull movement when the boat transitions from in the water to out of the water but I would think the movement would be greater when rigging tension is applied and released. Common wisdom (which is surprisingly uncommon) is that shaft alignment should be done with rigging tension applied while the boat is in the water which I have done. But, until now, I'd never heard of disconnecting the shaft for haulout or overland transportation.  Any flexing of the shaft would be minimal; especially since it's a static load and the xmsn end of the shaft is ultimately supported by flexible mounts. 
YBYC!   

[Jim Hardesty]

Roc,
I like Bill have never heard of disconnection the prop shaft.  After some thought I'm thinking that the small adjustment to the shaft packing each spring may be due to the shaft mis-aligning over the winter and not drying out as I thought before.  Now I'm interested.  Do you have to adjust your shaft packing every spring?
Jim

[britinusa]

Here you go: https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/disconnecting-the-propeller-shaft-coupling.168127/

Paul