Replacing Your Prop

Ok, so you’re an avid boater who knows the ins and outs of the local waters. You know all of the cool places to fish, swim and party, but how did you find them all? Hit n’ miss, word of mouth, experimentation? Then you no doubt have heard the grinding of your beloved prop on rocks or oyster beds. EWWW! It gives me chills just thinking about it! Have you replaced your prop yet? If so, then you can attest to this, if not then you will be happy to hear this.

It’s not uncommon to get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it, I know I do. We could simply take the easy way out and go to our local marina and say "Please install a new prop, I’ll be back in a few hours" (If you’re the luckiest person on earth). The rest of us who are keeping a close watch on our precious few dollars, and swallowing the growing costs of boating (i.e.; gas prices, maintenance, etc.), know that we would rather be spending our George Washingtons on fishing gear rather than on the installation of a new prop. Ok I know, if you don’t have a prop you can’t go fishing, at least not in the boat. For those of us that are computer savvy and fancy ourselves as "handy people" (that’s the P.C. version), we are now thinking that "it can’t be that difficult". (This may be a good time to remind everyone of Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor) I have had many people tell me that prop replacement is "no big deal", it’s as easy as changing a tire on your car". Ok great, I’m willing to try anything once. If I mess it up then I can still take it to the professionals and have them do it, though with their costs I won’t be fishing for a while.

Now comes the matter of finding the right prop for your precious vessel, the baby you have nurtured and cared about since you were allowed to buy it. If you were lucky enough to purchase your boat new, or even luckier that the previous owner kept the manual, then finding a prop online is a breeze. If the previous does not apply, then check out the engravings on the prop. If they are still readable, copy them down and use that as your search criteria. There are many manufacturers of props, and if you are still the luckiest person on earth you may have a prop that was not made specifically for your boat. No matter what anyone says, size and quality matter!

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Should I replace my prop with an OEM prop, or should I spend the bucks for something that will last longer? Well now is when you have to weigh your options accordingly. Aluminum or stainless steel...hmmm... Don’t think about brass props unless your boat plays with the big boys! Did your prop get damaged by a fluke run-in with a rock pile or oyster bed, or have you been so careful to keep it pristine and polished that it has just lived its life? Aluminum will take a pretty fair beating until it’s so out of shape that it costs you in performance. Stainless steel will, of course, take more of a beating and last longer, but will also cost you up to 5 times as much. My personal opinion is that I am willing to replace my aluminum prop a few times rather than purchase the almighty stainless steel prop. Why? Partially because I’m a penny-pincher, and because I don’t revel in the fact that my boat has a shiny prop for everyone to see while I’m driving down the road. Plus, somehow I really don’t think that the fish care what kind of prop I have as long as I don’t stop in their neighborhood.

Finally, the fun begins. Don’t get the wrong idea, after all I have heard about replacing a prop; I was surprised to find out that they were all right! It took me less time than changing a tire on my car. No kidding. Remember your first car repair that you were so scared of performing that you went and got a rental car just in case. Well have no fear; you don’t need a rental boat back-up for this job.

Now go out and fish, swim, party, or do whatever it is that you do on your boat! Celebrate your victory over the local boat mechanics and all of the moolah that you saved.

Chris H.
Sarasota, FL

Back to the Main News Page