Canal Day (Fest)

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RobertB
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Canal Day (Fest)

Post by RobertB »

Just spent a week on the upper Chesapeake Bay. Spent time around Havre de Grace, North East, Bohemia River, and ended up in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the weekend for the annual Canal Day event (renamed Canal Fest this year) in Chesapeake City. This is a very wild event akin to Marti gras on the water and yes there are alot of beads flying and bikini tops "repositioning". :) :) :)

All this was great until Friday about midnight. Picture well over 100 boats rafted together in a small basin when a storm hits with up to 80 knot straight line winds :o Most boats had anchors out both bow and stern and not one boat stayed in place. My group of about 8 boats (mine was one of the smaller ones) rotated about 90 degrees and moved 50 yards. Anchor lines were getting tangled in props and moving the boats more. The closest I saw was when we came about 5 feet from a really large catamaran. What a wild half hour. Am not aware of any damage other than snagged anchor lines and spun prop hubs (mine :( ). Oh, some people had a great time tracking down thier tenders :P .

One of the best hysterical lines I heard from the boat next to me was that we should jump in the water to save ourselves. Seems akin to getting out of the car during a pileup on the highway :P

The spun hub made for a quiet and scenic trip back to Elk Neck State Park. Within a mile or so of the Chesapeake City basin, saw at least 13 of the really big houses on the water crushed by large trees. Many trees also down in the park.

BTW - not meaning to ignite an old spirited discusion, but the anchor I saw that held the best was my 7 pound Fortress FX-11 anchor. I was so impressed, I have already ordered a second as my spare.
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Miss_Dallie
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Re: Canal Day (Fest)

Post by Miss_Dallie »

I don't mean to sound ignorant (it comes naturally), what is a "spun prop hub?"
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RobertB
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Re: Canal Day (Fest)

Post by RobertB »

A spun propeller hub refers to the safety device that protects the engine from a locked propeller (say you ground out on a log or wrap an anchor line around the prop :( )

Between the metal propeller body and the steel splined sleeve that fits on the motor shaft is a rubber sleeve (the rubber sleeve and the spline are the hub). It is designed so the rubber sleeve to spline vulcanized bond will shear if the prop suddenly stops. After that happens, you can move at low power (displacement speeds) but it will continue to slip at higher power.
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Miss_Dallie
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Re: Canal Day (Fest)

Post by Miss_Dallie »

costly or just a bummer when it happens?
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RobertB
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Re: Canal Day (Fest)

Post by RobertB »

A have ordered a new propeller for about $110 (Solas 14x11)

New hub estimate between $45 and $79 (needs to be pressed in by propeller shop)"
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Phil M
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Re: Canal Day (Fest)

Post by Phil M »

Do Honda outboards have a spun prop hub?
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RobertB
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Re: Canal Day (Fest)

Post by RobertB »

I believe this is pretty standard on outboard motors - to have a propeller hub that acts as a shear pin. I now plan to make sure I always have a spare prop with me

AND SPARE COTTER PINS :x - I cannot describe the frustration trying to get the old pin to fit back in the shaft as I was leaning over the motor in the storm (had to take off the prop to get the anchor line off). Chose not to wait since with over a hundred boats being blown around the harbor (small basin, look up Chesapeake City Maryland) a functional motor (with a propeller) may come in handy.
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