A line that tangles around a propeller is real bad luck, but it can happen. Let’s discover together the different ways to resolve this unexpected event that occurs in certain particular situations

Winter is entering its harshest period, so the staff at Marina Porto Antico thought to address another somewhat challenging topic that deserves the attention of boat owners, sailors and captains, perhaps during an evening of reading by the fireplace.

A line tangling around the propeller is an unpleasant occurrence that can happen despite our best efforts. Let’s look at some advice on how to untangle the propeller and what to do in case of necessity.

Why can it happen? It happens in crowded ports and it happens on summer days: the line from some buoy, the well-known mooring line, or even a plastic bag adrift, and suddenly the engine stops. It’s the propeller that, encountering a foreign object, blocks the shaft and consequently the engine.

The first operation to perform, as soon as you notice that the engine is no longer running, is to definitively shut down the propulsion system. Marine mechanics explain that if you don’t promptly disengage gear and throttle, the risk is then to increase the stress on the transmission shaft, with the consequence of inevitable damage to it.

A small tip. If you notice these “symptoms” we just mentioned, a trick is to reverse the gear for a fraction of a second. This sometimes helps by allowing the propeller to be freed in the blink of an eye. The positive result often occurs when the foreign object is a large-sized cable.

Another tip. If it were the onboard lines tangled around the propeller, for example the spinnaker sheet, in some cases these can be untangled by applying simple traction to their free end, always after putting the engine in neutral, not before.

Propeller Tangled by a Line, What to Do

If this is not the case, the next step involves stopping navigation immediately and dropping anchor for the necessary checks.

If it’s not possible to anchor, it’s necessary to proceed as best as possible. We suggest securing the person who will go underwater to inspect the propeller and doing so with a safety line tied to the boat.

What you need in terms of equipment. You need a good mask, fins, snorkel and a knife. Then dive in the propeller area to see who the “enemy” is. Well armed with a sharp and serrated knife, you can easily defeat the line wrapped around the beautiful propeller fitted to your yacht.

It should be added that during mid-season days, it would be advisable to navigate with a wetsuit on board, as this would help intervene in these emergencies with suitable equipment in case of cold waters. Needless to say how advantaged anyone with diving skills would be, perhaps acquired through an appropriate course, which certainly doesn’t hurt.