This happen to you

[qb12]

Yesterday we were out having a good time on the lake. Son is doing a good set on the board when all of a sudden I hear this horrible sound and the boat comes to a stop with a whinning sound coming out of the back. My first thought is the tramsission has burned up. I always check the fluids before each outing and now my stomach is sick. I've got the girlfriend and kids in the boat all wondering how we are going to get back to the ramp( about 4 miles away).

Well I lift the clam shell and check the oil and everything looks good. So I decide to play Scuba Steve and look under the boat and sure enough there is about 15 ft of someone elses rope wrapped around the shaft and prop. Well 20 minutes later of bobbing up and down I finally get the rope out of the shaft and prop and resume my sons set on the board.

Just a word of advice. Carry some goggles in the boat in case this happens to you. It sure makes it a lot easier.

Doug, t-town.

[ben624]

Just be glad it was a ski rope... I live on a river.... Where barges go up and down... I caught about a 8 foot piece of 3/4" yellow nylon rope on the prop and shaft.... Oh yeah you come to a quick stop... With your heart also... I don't know what stoped first the boat or my heart... But the goggles and kinfe worked great... But it still sucked.... At least I was able to get the boat to shallow water so I didn't have to swim... I just ducked down.... But I know it will happen again... Life of water sports.
Ben

[carsondoc]

Besides the knife and goggles, I've added a six foot piece of tubing to use for breathing to make it easier. These have saved me twice so far.

[smokedog2]

Sounds like an epidemic.

[Buttafewcoe]

A chronic one at that:p

[doug0446]

also, swim from the side not from the back of the boat. it is a shorter trip and you do not have to go around the rudder. Took me 5 minutes to figure that out. Also, be very careful that you do not get tangled up in the rope while you are cutting loose.

As my scuba diver instructor says, if you loose air, you have about 60-120 seconds before you pass out. You can either panic for that time or do something useful.:)