Of Bunging On Another Thousand 2

My savings were nearly depleted. There was, however one more project to undertake and I knew it would probably come close to that extra thousand. 

Every time I take the boat along Well Creek I collect cott weed round the prop and shaft. Cott weed isn't the stuff with stems or the stuff that looks like underwater cabbage Cott weed is this boater's nemesis. Whenever I pride myself that things are actually going rather well there is cott weed. Like a snuggly blanket it collects around the prop and eventually the boat loses all forward and reverse thrust along with any control of the steering. That leaves the boat completely at the mercy of wind, currents and anything else Mother Nature wants to send my way. The very worst part of Well Creek is through the village of Nordelph en route to Salter's Lode, although I have had some awkward moments (for "moments" read "hours") going through Upwell and Outwell too. 

With my boat the first I know there is a weed problem is when I see the wash pattern change. I have learned to read my prop wash carefully and when I see the signs it is time to stop going forward and ease the boat into reverse. The theory is that this unwinds anything wrapped round the prop. It works at first, but in particularly bad places like Nordelph the prop is soon overwhelmed again. If I haven't been paying close enough attention I sometimes hear the pitch of the engine change and the engine, struggling to work, throws out black smoke in protest. If I ignore all these signs the engine generally keeps going but I lose all control over direction and speed. That is annoying enough, but when I am passing moored boats it can be terrifying. Were I to travel with a crew I could at least ask someone to fend off the danger, even when in truth my twenty tons of steel is the danger to any "yoghurt pot", the affectionate name we condescendingly use for glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) cruisers as it appears to loom at its mooring.

I've spoken to a few boaters who have fitted rope/weed cutters to their prop shafts and have checked out a number of YouTube videos. The theory seems sound. I decided that I would get one fitted. The boat has to come out of the water for the fitting and using the slipway just about doubles the price. Still, if it works it will be more than worth it.

The boatyard ordered one from T. Norris Marine in Chichester. We had to wait for a while because they had an upgrade to the original and the stocks had not yet arrived. I took the boat into March this morning and by this afternoon the work had been done. Alan at the boat yard suggested making and welding on some weed baffle plates too They used to fit them to all the hire boats they made. In theory these prevent the moving propellor from dragging weed up from the river bed. In for a penny, in for many pennies  ... all to the good if the measures work.

Rudder and skeg before weed baffle plates are fitted

Weed baffle plates cut out and welded to the skeg and swim

"Hopefully it's evil enough to do the job" was my response to Alan's declaration that the rope cutter was an "evil-looking thing". We'll find out in a future video!