I had put one of the "mouse ears" high thrust props on my 6HP motor so I could plane out on a loaded up inflatable dingy. It has worked very well and was a big improvement over the stock prop.
This past weekend we were headed back into the marina as a storm was approaching. We were getting pretty wet. As we got closer to the conglomeration of boats trying to make the inlet, I noticed that one sailboat appears to be waiving other boats past him, which looked confusing, then I realized he was trying to wave over boats to come to him. It was about a 25' sailboat with a full keel. He was adrift and heading toward the rocks, as the wind was building and the waves were pushing him toward shore. It was getting pretty rough and I was trying to stay out of the way while a couple of larger boats were trying to get close enough to him to pass a line. They could not get close enough because it was so rough. He only had a short line. I got up there close to him to see if I could grab the line and pass it to the nearest boat... but no dice. They did not want to get too close to him and now they were getting too close to the rocks too.
Then he hit the rocks. You could hear his keel bouncing on the rocks, and his hull was getting slapped against them. I was still in close so I grabbed the line and positioned the little dingy the the pointy end away from his boat. He hooked the line on a starboard beam cleat which was the only place it could reach (again, it was a short line).
Here's where the "high thrust prop" review comes in.
I hooked the line around one of the engine clamp bolts and hit the throttle. Engine revved and we weren't going anywhere but once a wave picked him up off the rocks, we started moving. I was amazed. We started pulling that boat sideways against the waves and wind and were able to pull him completely into safe water. Once we got some motion going his boat was trying to go one way and I had to pull diagonally to keep going (because of where it was tied on his boat) That prop just dug in there and let the engine rev to get enough power. We pulled him into deep enough water where he could drop anchor and wait for a real tow. We had to head in as it was getting pretty bad. We just made it back to the docks before the clouds unleashed all their water. He sat it out at anchor and got a SeaTow about an hour later.
I am VERY impressed with that prop!
This past weekend we were headed back into the marina as a storm was approaching. We were getting pretty wet. As we got closer to the conglomeration of boats trying to make the inlet, I noticed that one sailboat appears to be waiving other boats past him, which looked confusing, then I realized he was trying to wave over boats to come to him. It was about a 25' sailboat with a full keel. He was adrift and heading toward the rocks, as the wind was building and the waves were pushing him toward shore. It was getting pretty rough and I was trying to stay out of the way while a couple of larger boats were trying to get close enough to him to pass a line. They could not get close enough because it was so rough. He only had a short line. I got up there close to him to see if I could grab the line and pass it to the nearest boat... but no dice. They did not want to get too close to him and now they were getting too close to the rocks too.
Then he hit the rocks. You could hear his keel bouncing on the rocks, and his hull was getting slapped against them. I was still in close so I grabbed the line and positioned the little dingy the the pointy end away from his boat. He hooked the line on a starboard beam cleat which was the only place it could reach (again, it was a short line).
Here's where the "high thrust prop" review comes in.
I hooked the line around one of the engine clamp bolts and hit the throttle. Engine revved and we weren't going anywhere but once a wave picked him up off the rocks, we started moving. I was amazed. We started pulling that boat sideways against the waves and wind and were able to pull him completely into safe water. Once we got some motion going his boat was trying to go one way and I had to pull diagonally to keep going (because of where it was tied on his boat) That prop just dug in there and let the engine rev to get enough power. We pulled him into deep enough water where he could drop anchor and wait for a real tow. We had to head in as it was getting pretty bad. We just made it back to the docks before the clouds unleashed all their water. He sat it out at anchor and got a SeaTow about an hour later.
I am VERY impressed with that prop!
