IMHO, definitely IMO, cutter disks are a joke. Spurs are only a little better. Dive gear is an absolute neccessity, and the training and ability to use it. A sea anchor can be deployed if you have to wait out weather, and are not to close to "the rocks". If a good sized line gets in the prop, more than likely it will be loose enough that the disk won't do anything until it comes tight, then it's on the shaft and the prop. As for shaft savers, I have them on all my boats and even with multiple groundings and nets on props stalling the engines, have never had one come apart. They are good for shaft isolation from the electrical system, that's the only reason I use them. It's amazing what a good salesman can sell to a boater.> From: swansong@gmn-usa.com> To: passagemaking-under-power@lists.samurai.com> Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:38:59 -0400> Subject: Re: [PUP] Running gear fouling> > <Patrick wrote:....I have a line cutter on my prop shaft.>> > We too have a shaft razor and I suspect it saved us from a DIW situation> between Los Testigos and Grenada when we ran over something that dropped the> rpm and shuddered the boat for a few seconds. When we checked it in Grenada> we found some very shiny spots on it so we think it did its job.> > It was a brief wrestling match though as we have a slight leak in the stern> fitting to boat area now. We'll check closer on our next haul-out this fall.> > There is a huge amount of torque when something is trying to stop a prop on> a 500 cu in engine turning a 3-1 gear. Drivesavers may or may not be the> ticket here. If it shears your dead unless you can close couple the shaft to> the gearbox. If it doesn't and takes out the transmission your DIW...yipes> the list goes on and on. Maybe we all should just stay ashore and get a pair> of VR glasses ;-)> > Cheers> Dave & Nancy> Swan Song> Roughwater 58> Caribbean Cruise '07> _______________________________________________> > Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World Productions, formerly known as Trawler World Productions.> > To be removed from the PUP list send an email with the> subject "unsubscribe" (no quotes) to the link below:> > mailto:passagemaking-under-power-request@lists.samurai.com> > Passagemaking-Under-Power Mailing List _________________________________________________________________ Live Search Maps  find all the local information you need, right when you need it. http://maps.live.com/?icid=wlmtag2&FOR M=MGAC01

     http://www.prop-protector.co.uk/test.html

Bob England wrote: >IMHO, definitely IMO, cutter disks are a joke. Spurs are only a little better. There are opinions and there is testing. For the latter see this: http://www.prop-protector.co.uk/test.html The "joke" may be on you when you have to don your dive gear in mid ocean. Regards, Steve Steve Dubnoff 1966 Willard Pilothouse www.mvnereid.com sdubnoff@circlesys.com

I can tell you a couple of times they worked for me. On a haulout, I found a small loop of yellow PP line forward of the cutter and prop. Evidently, the cutter had cut off whatever tried to tangle up in my prop/shaft. The remaining loop was harmless, and just slipped off the prop. Another time, it cut some fishing lines where I was pulling into a shipyard, and some guys had left their rods out at the entrance. The thing about cutters is, if they're doing their job, you may never know it. I'm a proponent of the disc type cutters, not so much of the scissor types. At any rate, they don't hurt anything, and can only help. I am a certified diver and carry all the equipment on board as well, but hey... let's let the disk cutter try first! Keith _____ Applying computer technology is simply finding the right wrench to pound in the correct screw. ----- Original Message ----- From: "bob england" <bob_england@hotmail.com> > IMHO, definitely IMO, cutter disks are a joke. Spurs are only a little > better. > Dive gear is an absolute neccessity, and the training and ability to use > it. A > sea anchor can be deployed if you have to wait out weather, and are not to > close to "the rocks". If a good sized line gets in the prop, more than > likely > it will be loose enough that the disk won't do anything until it comes > tight, > then it's on the shaft and the prop. As for shaft savers, I have them on > all > my boats and even with multiple groundings and nets on props stalling the > engines, have never had one come apart. They are good for shaft isolation > from > the electrical system, that's the only reason I use them. It's amazing > what a > good salesman can sell to a boater