Wednesday 8 September 2010

Props. Two different ones.

On looking through the photos I took on our exciting cruise I found that I'd taken one of the original propeller, the one which fell off at Bablock Hythe.


I had to clear rubbish from it along the Hertford Union Canal, and saw how clear the water was. When removing plastic bags etc. from the prop on a canal you can't usually see what you're doing as the water is too murky. With a fair amount of weed the water clears. Interestingly I can't see the locking washer, but this could be just the angle of the photo. It has been suggested that the washer could deteriorate over time, which might lead to Vetus props coming off all over the place, but this was denied at the Vetus stand at the IWA Festival. Perhaps the washer was never fitted in the first place.

And here is the new propeller, on the Thames at Chertsey five days after it was fitted the second time. It's still there! You can see the rim of the washer, and you should just be able to make out where it's been knocked over a flat on the nut.


The truncated conical grey thing on the back end is a sacrificial anode which is held onto the nut with a set screw.


And above is a shot of the nut and the vital washer (from the first callout).

No comments: