Rope Cutter

[Sabre27Admin]

Graham
United Kingdom
9 Posts

Posted - 07/01/2008 : 22:54:36
Hi, chaps !

I am looking to fit a rope cutter to Blue Mist, however on measuring the space between the end of the cutlass bearing housing and the prop it works out to be 36mm. I have looked at 2 rope cutters one (Stripper) appears to need 36/38mm and the other(Gator)40mm. I have been told that I may obtain enough space by sliding the prop away from the gearbox/prop coupling!?
What amount of clearance would you expect between the end of the cutlass bearing and the cutter? (would need to maintain good water flow thro the cutlass bearing !?) Also it would appear that I may need to drill and tap the cutlass bearing housing- to me there does'nt appear to be a lot of thickness for the thread?
The old cutlass bearing taken off the boat is a solid rubber one pushed into the housing, I have not managed to find a replacment indeed I am being told that the solid rubber ones are not available any more and the course of action is to buy a brass sleeve version with the rubber moulded in it. Due to the OD of this sleeve and the ID to suit the prop I have to have another brass sleeve made to fit into the cutlass housing !
Anybody had the same prob? Any advise/info welcome.
( If I end up with a a couple of brass sleeves I suppose at least there will be more thickness to take the rope cutter fixings!!)

P.S Hope the above makes sense to someone!
n/a
38 Posts

Posted - 21/01/2008 : 01:44:29
Hi Graham,
Having a serious problem in the mid 80’s with weed in the river Frome, and Japanese weed in Poole harbour, we decided to fit a cutter. As at that moment had no time to do it myself, I hurriedly instructed the yard to fit one, suggesting they use Ambassador Marine’s ‘Stripper’. I was furious to find, in the event, they actually fitted a ‘Spurs’ cutter, marketed in the UK by Harold Hayles, Yarmouth IOW. They assured me that it was the best of the bunch by far and was used by the RNLI and fishing boats all over the world, but I was not convinced as the cutting blade root seemed too small to take the force of cutting big lumps of ropes etc.

From that day to this we have never been stopped and have chopped our way through fields of weed, many unseen pot lines, a carelessly laid kedge anchor warp, my own dingy painter (courtesy of a grandchild), one of my mooring warps (you can’t get the crew you know), polythene by the acre and much to my amazement, unseen in the dark, a huge agricultural fertiliser bag. This stopped the engine dead before I could get my hand to the throttle. It encased the prop completely and the boat hook could not shift a bit of it! A few minutes of quick alternating ahead and astern chopped the thing up into small pieces and I shortly resumed our course into Falmouth sporting a big grin on my face. We still have this cutter!

You will need no more than about 5-6mm clearance between cutlass bearing and cutter to have adequate lubricating water flow. Slide the shaft back if you can at the engine end but make sure the Prop – Skeg clearance remains adequate. If that is a difficulty then cut off the end of the bearing and housing. To my horror, my yard did just this to my own, saying that it would make no practical difference in the long term, and they removed about 18mm! They were right, it lasted 20 years.

Fitting the stationary part of the cutter will not be affected adversely by any extra sleeving. Ensure the fixing bolts clear the propshaft. Keep the drilling and tapping swarfe out of the bearing!

Cutlass bearing. You local marine engineers will be able to supply all the stern gear you will need.

Have fun,

Paul Howard. Tech Officer S27OA
Edited by - n/a on 21/01/2008 01:48:47

Mike
United Kingdom
4 Posts

Posted - 25/01/2008 : 02:22:56
Second what Paul says about the Spurs cutter, I have the same fitted on Sabredancer, though its not had the same amount of use as Pauls....maybe i got better eyesight joking Paul...

The first time it saw action was in the Tamar, the noise it made sounded like a gear being stripped in the gearbox, and to be completely honest thats what i thought it was for a few seconds till a look over the transom revealed lots of chopped up bits of blue rope the sort that Telecom use to pull cables with mixed with parcel wrap.

A well recomended bit of kit.

Mike

yerffoeg
United Kingdom
48 Posts

Posted - 29/01/2008 : 11:37:07
Hi Graham,

I have just fitted a 'Stripper'. Beautiful bit of kit but not cheap. It is relatively esy to fit. On my boat there was 1 1/2 inch clearance on the shaft between the stern gear and the propeller boss, leaving enough space for free water entry into the cutlass bearing. The people at Ambassador are helpful and have experience fitting the Stripper on Sabres.

phillmat
United Kingdom
18 Posts

Posted - 07/07/2008 : 23:22:12 Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Click to see phillmat's
Hi. i need some help on this subject after just swimming in the channel in my boxers weilding a knife! And to no success. with the boat dried out it took 30 mins to remove some polyester rope raveled round the shaft and with the ends in a big mess. It would oppear not all cutters get through this. what should i go for?

n/a
38 Posts

Posted - 08/07/2008 : 00:49:30
Hi Mathew,
As you will have seen from my previous posting we have had a Spurs cutter on Corsair for 20 odd years. It chops its way through bundles of ropes, no problem. I will mail you a pic of the latest coil the prop ran into on the way back from Aldernay, January this year. It stopped the prop, which was freewheeling at 6kts at the time, and I hooked the ends over the stern, tied them off loosely to a cleat, started the engine and gave a few turns forward and reverse which chopped it all off! I pulled the rest of the 50 meter coil inboard and took it back to the yard! Yet another Trophy!

For us, Spurs rules.

Paul Howard. Tech Officer S27OA