On Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:41:51 -0400, HK wrote:

That's why I always carry and keep handy a stout, sharp knife.

That's a good idea of course but there's always the issue of being
able to get to the offending line in time to avoid a swamping.

Someone on "rec.boats.cruising" recently reported that they had bought
a knife attachment that fits on the end of those ubiquitous
telescoping mop handles. I haven't bought one yet but it does seem
like they could be useful for quickly cutting a submerged line.

Our GB is heavy enough that we generally break off crab and lobster
pot lines if we hit them, but then I have to dive overboard once in
awhile to cut loose the debris on the shafts. I've always carried
mask and flippers for that sort of thing but I've recently added a
small dive compressor, weight belt, hose and regulator to the
inventory.

The big risk with larger boats is getting tangled up in floating fish
nets or large polypropylene line. The big polypro stuff is strong
enough to break a strut or pull out a shaft if you get really unlucky.
When you walk along deserted beaches in the Bahamas you find it all
over the place, big 1 inch lines and all kinds of professional fishing
junk that has floated in.