Maine sailors share our waters with thousands of lobster traps. I've
been careful, lucky & carry insurance, but don't want to to dive in
freezing water to cut off a wayward line.

My Pearson 323 has a fiberglass enclosed keel with about 7 feet from
the aft section of the keel to the leading edge of the rudder skeg. A
fine trap for lines, with the otherwise unprotected prop waiting for
any line (or floating seaweed) that comes within reach.

I've made many a fishing hook weedless by bridging the gap between hook
and eye with light line, and I'm wondering if a small cable or line run
from the bottom of the keel to the bottom of the skeg would provide me
with protection. The line would be 20" deeper than the prop, and
should permit sufficient side clearance as well.

Has anyone tried this? Will it work? Should it be cable or rope? What
are the hidden detriments (assuming that I install it appropriately)?
Do I need to design some mechanism so that the line/cable would part
(similar to the device used to permit fishing gear to release on undue
stress)? What would work for last purpose?

Steve Hayes
Readfield, Maine

I've thought about something like this but been concerned about the
potential for singing and damage. I've sometimes seen a vortex coming off
the keel with enough energy that the water has cavitated, boiled into steam
at seawater temperature due to the low pressure. The prospect of rope or
wire, and metal fittings screwed into the fiberglass standing up to this
much energy doesn't seem like a good bet to me. Grounding could put
enormous strain on the cable, one end of which is attached to the rudder.
If a pot warp ever did get around it, it would be an incredible snafu.

I've found this method for disentangling to work very well the two times I
have resorted to it, and those were without practice. No swimming or
cutting involved. You should have this equipment handy and always try this
first. Even if it doesn't work, it will set you up for safer and easier
attacks by other means.

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Pots.htm

Now that I've done this a couple times, I expect to be able to get
disconnected with not much more time or trouble than stowing the main.

All three times I've fouled, it's been pots that were twisted around
themselves and not lying naturally. I now watch for pots unusually close
together or which look like their warps are unusually tight.

--
Roger Long

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I've thought about something like this but been concerned about the
potential for singing and damage. I've sometimes seen a vortex coming off
the keel with enough energy that the water has cavitated, boiled into
steam at seawater temperature due to the low pressure. The prospect of
rope or wire, and metal fittings screwed into the fiberglass standing up
to this much energy doesn't seem like a good bet to me. Grounding could
put enormous strain on the cable, one end of which is attached to the
rudder. If a pot warp ever did get around it, it would be an incredible
snafu.

I've found this method for disentangling to work very well the two times I
have resorted to it, and those were without practice. No swimming or
cutting involved. You should have this equipment handy and always try
this first. Even if it doesn't work, it will set you up for safer and
easier attacks by other means.

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Pots.htm

Now that I've done this a couple times, I expect to be able to get
disconnected with not much more time or trouble than stowing the main.

All three times I've fouled, it's been pots that were twisted around
themselves and not lying naturally. I now watch for pots unusually close
together or which look like their warps are unusually tight.

--
Roger Long


Where did you get the knife portion?


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Capt. JG wrote but didn't bother to erase the copy of everything I
originally wrote so I almost missed his question way, way, down at the
bottom:


Where did you get the knife portion?

The link is on the web page but here it is repeated:

http://captnhooksolutions.com/

Nice unit. Looks like it would be good for repelling borders as well. I
haven't used it for pot warps yet since my other method works so well but it
did a great job of pulling a bunch of weed off the prop that dropped my
speed to 3 knots. I did this from the dock but it still would have been
hard with any other tool I can think of.

The situation I wane to have the knife on board for is snagging a pot close
to a lee shore or obstruction where I need to get the boat sailing and under
control within seconds of clearing it. Even after clearing a pot warp, I
don't like to start the engine until I've turned it a few times in both
forward and reverse with the throttle closed so it can't start. All the
pots I've snagged have been fouled with others so there could always be a
second still around the shaft waiting to be wound into an unpenetratable
blob by the spinning prop.

--
Roger Long

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Capt. JG wrote but didn't bother to erase the copy of everything I
originally wrote so I almost missed his question way, way, down at the
bottom:


Where did you get the knife portion?

The link is on the web page but here it is repeated:

http://captnhooksolutions.com/

Nice unit. Looks like it would be good for repelling borders as well. I
haven't used it for pot warps yet since my other method works so well but
it did a great job of pulling a bunch of weed off the prop that dropped my
speed to 3 knots. I did this from the dock but it still would have been
hard with any other tool I can think of.

The situation I wane to have the knife on board for is snagging a pot
close to a lee shore or obstruction where I need to get the boat sailing
and under control within seconds of clearing it. Even after clearing a
pot warp, I don't like to start the engine until I've turned it a few
times in both forward and reverse with the throttle closed so it can't
start. All the pots I've snagged have been fouled with others so there
could always be a second still around the shaft waiting to be wound into
an unpenetratable blob by the spinning prop.

--
Roger Long


Ah... missed it... thanks!

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Gentlemen,

I have in fact tried out this idea. We have a Camper Nicholson 39' ketch
with an extended fin keel and skeg hung rudder that is a couple of feet
shorter than the keel. I thought of the line idea a number of years ago and
I fibreglassed a small block of wood to the aft corner of the keel and one
to the bottom edge of the rudder on the vertical line of the pivot. Both
these blocks had stainless eye bolts imbedded in them and a piece of
stainless cable ran between them. It was taught enough so there was no
flexing and the ends we covered and bound so that nothing would catch on
them.

I felt sure that this would protect me completely from the nefarious trap
lines and toggles. But I was wrong! I found that when a line went under the
keel and the buoy was along side of the boat sometimes the buoy would be
pulled under and it would wrap around the cable and secure me well to the
trap.

I caught more traps that summer and I quickly ground off the blocks the next
fall.

I would not recommend this approach but if you want to try it I probable
still have the eyebolts and cable for you.

Cheers

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem

Ansley W. Sawyer wrote:

trap lines and toggles. But I was wrong! I found that when a line
went under the keel and the buoy was along side of the boat sometimes
the buoy would be pulled under and it would wrap around the cable and
secure me well to the trap.

This confirms my expectations about the arrangement. If there is any
leeway, which will be the case anytime you are not dead downwind, there will
be a vortex trailing off the keel tip. Anything floating will tend to
follow this vortex which can be quite intense as described in my other
response above. There is the potential for a floating object to go around
a rope aligned closely with the center of the vortex several time. What a
mess!

--
Roger Long

I have a Nic 35 and did the following
I attached a tang through the lower training edge of the keel and another
tang to the bottom of the skeg.
Every year I tie a thing (1/8") staysetx line between and pull it very
taught. The only thing is I have to remember to cut it before I haul as it
would interfere with the aft strap.
I have seen it pass over many lobsterpot lines without incident. My only
problem was when we passed over a line of buoys. There was sufficient
bouincey to push up enough to draw the buoy up to the hull and catch us. To
release us, I just pushed down hard on the buoy and the line passed over the
skeg.

I have used this system for many years and never had any "vortex" issues
Dennis Gibbons
Dark Lady
CN35-207
"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Ansley W. Sawyer wrote:

trap lines and toggles. But I was wrong! I found that when a line
went under the keel and the buoy was along side of the boat sometimes
the buoy would be pulled under and it would wrap around the cable and
secure me well to the trap.

This confirms my expectations about the arrangement. If there is any
leeway, which will be the case anytime you are not dead downwind, there
will be a vortex trailing off the keel tip. Anything floating will tend
to follow this vortex which can be quite intense as described in my other
response above. There is the potential for a floating object to go
around a rope aligned closely with the center of the vortex several time.
What a mess!

--
Roger Long

In article ,
"Roger Long" wrote:

Ansley W. Sawyer wrote:

trap lines and toggles. But I was wrong! I found that when a line
went under the keel and the buoy was along side of the boat sometimes
the buoy would be pulled under and it would wrap around the cable and
secure me well to the trap.

This confirms my expectations about the arrangement. If there is any
leeway,

We catch crab pot traps fairly often on the Chesapeake, but only when we
have significant leeway. If we're doing 6 knots, I don't recall picking
one up.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Look on http://www.endeavourowners.com/ I remember someone there did this
with a rope rather than steel then when he was ready to haul out he would
cut the rope so the sling could be placed.
- Allen

"steve_hayes_maine" wrote in message
oups.com...
Maine sailors share our waters with thousands of lobster traps. I've
been careful, lucky & carry insurance, but don't want to to dive in
freezing water to cut off a wayward line.

My Pearson 323 has a fiberglass enclosed keel with about 7 feet from
the aft section of the keel to the leading edge of the rudder skeg. A
fine trap for lines, with the otherwise unprotected prop waiting for
any line (or floating seaweed) that comes within reach.

I've made many a fishing hook weedless by bridging the gap between hook
and eye with light line, and I'm wondering if a small cable or line run
from the bottom of the keel to the bottom of the skeg would provide me
with protection. The line would be 20" deeper than the prop, and
should permit sufficient side clearance as well.

Has anyone tried this? Will it work? Should it be cable or rope? What
are the hidden detriments (assuming that I install it appropriately)?
Do I need to design some mechanism so that the line/cable would part
(similar to the device used to permit fishing gear to release on undue
stress)? What would work for last purpose?

Steve Hayes
Readfield, Maine