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Found: Uncharted Unmarked Oyster Bar...OUCH!
cummings	#1  Posted on 09/03/12 - 6:26 PM
Member Posts: 50 Comments: 6 Joined: 05/04/11	Another beautiful day on the water east of the St Marks, FL lighthouse getting the limit of fat scallops. So, headed from one spot to another at about 20 mph the motor found and uncharted, unmarked oyster bar...BAM...up flies the motor...BAM BAM up comes the motor again...turned key off, engine hits the bar again and we stop. Damn. That's putting it politely. Raised the 30 hp Tohatsu four stroke motor for a look. We started to float with the tide so good, we never scraped bottom. Raised the motor...OUCH. Quarter size chunk out of the skeg and bent a little to the left. Aluminum prop chunked on all three blades. No fluids leaking. After floating about 30 feet motor down, fingers crossed, turned the key and it started. Forward and reverse worked and could feel a slight vibration. No unusual noises from the motor. The problem: Cannot get on plane as motor only revs to 3K and maybe 8-9 mph. So we vibrate the 11 miles to the landing at 2200 rpm and 5 mph. No unusual noises like gears grinding The Question: Any thoughts on what is broken? Is there a rev limiter to protect the motor after such an incident? Other? Thanks, GJC
spuds	#2  Posted on 09/03/12 - 8:41 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 166 Comments: 5 Joined: 08/01/07	Very likely a bent prop shaft as well. 1985 Outrage 18
mtown	#3  Posted on 09/04/12 - 9:40 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 613 Comments: 5 Joined: 07/06/08	Most likely the prop damage is causing both problems.
Tom W Clark	#4  Posted on 09/04/12 - 10:59 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 4280 Comments: 7 Joined: 09/30/05	- You had a hard grounding at speed. - The propeller is mangled. I do not think it is any mystery why your motor will not go very fast. Get it to a mechanic for an inspection and repair of the lower unit. You probably have a bent propeller shaft as well.
tedious	#5  Posted on 09/04/12 - 12:12 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1072 Comments: 2 Joined: 09/07/08	Presuming that the prop shaft is indeed damaged (and unfortunately it sure sounds like it) this is more ammunition against the old wives tale that an aluminum prop will protect your drivetrain! Tim
cummings	#6  Posted on 09/04/12 - 5:18 PM
Member Posts: 50 Comments: 6 Joined: 05/04/11	Thanks all. It went to the shop early this a.m. All in the shop thought it had a rev limiter of sorts but the "real" mechanic was not there. Hopefully next I'll get the bad news and will reveal to all the OUCH...
zappaddles	#7  Posted on 09/05/12 - 3:53 AM
Member Posts: 478 Comments: 2 Joined: 06/03/10	Sorry to hear about your boat. Hope everything turns out as good as is possible. When I saw the title of your post my thought immediatly went to the Oyster Bay/Appalachee Bay area. Looks like I might have been correct. That's some tricky boating down there. Zap If you can't play hurt....stay home.