Yachting World — November 2017

90 November 2017

masterclass WITH PIP HARE

HOW TO ESCAPE UNDERWATER SNAGS

hether it’s a fishing pot, long tendrils of

Sargasso weed or your own spinnaker

sheets, getting stuff wrapped around

keels, rudders and propellers is an occurrence

every sailor will have to deal with at least once

in a lifetime afloat. The severity of this problem

can range from annoying to incapacitating,

and how you deal with the situation will differ

accordingly. There is no definitive guide to

sorting out all possible underwater snags,

but here are some thoughts from my own

sometimes bitter experience.

Avoid and identify

Keep a look out for large patches of weed as

well as fixed obstacles, especially when racing.

If communicating to the helm about an obstacle

give precise information – either position

relative to port or starboard bow, or degrees

and direction to steer for avoiding action.

Remember to allow for the tide on fixed objects.

At night ensure instruments are dimmed to

the minimum setting; plotters in particular can

ruin your night vision. Try covering them when

they are not needed.

If something does end up tangled under your

boat, getting sight of it is going to be the best

start to finding a solution. Offshore race boats

will often having small viewing ports in the

bottom of the boat; those with larger budgets

fit endoscopes.

However, now there is a wide range of small,

waterproof HD cameras on the market, a more

accessible solution is to tape a camera to a

spare batten or boathook, then dunk it over the

side, taking video or photographs. If visibility

is poor this may not work, but you will be

surprised how much you can see during the day

with a long batten, even if the water is murky.

Sailing backwards

Sailing backwards is a great way to clear weed

and also to unhook fishing pots from the front

of keels. Roll or drop headsails to avoid them

backing, then release the mainsheet – ensuring

plenty of slack in the falls. Throw the helm over

and hold your boat head to wind. In lighter

conditions an experienced crew can back the

main by pushing the boom outboard.

Keep the bow pointing exactly into the wind

as your way comes off. As the boat starts

gaining backwards momentum remember to

reverse your steering and hang onto the helm.

Look forward of the keel to see what floats up.

In reality you may only be able to get going

backwards around 50 per cent of the time, and

PRACTICAL

this is easier to achieve in lighter displacement

boats. However, just stopping in the water

may be enough to dislodge weed and if you are

certain there is nothing around your propeller,

try motoring in reverse.

Tools for the job

To clear weed without stopping, try using a

flossing line. This is a just a rope, or rope jacket,

with overhand (stopper) knots tied down its

length at regular intervals. Hang the rope under

the bow with a crew member on each end and

then walk backwards down the deck, while also

pulling the rope back and forth under the boat

in a sawing motion.

For transom-hung rudders a weed stick can

be made using a piece of curved wire on a long

batten or carbon pole. The wire hooks onto the

leading edge of the rudder and is kept in place

by the passing water, enabling the user to push

any weed down and off the tip of the rudder.

Rope cutters are available for both shaft

driven and saildrive motors, but they do impact

sailing performance. A bread knife strapped to

a boathook can also be surprisingly effective.

Prop wraps

If you’re quick enough to stop a shaft driven

motor and can get hold of the offending rope,

it may be possible to manually unwind a light

wrap. Have one person on deck holding tension

on the rope while another is below turning the

prop shaft by hand. If the rope gets tighter

rotate the shaft in the opposite direction. It is

worth trying this on every occasion.

For saildrives, tighter wraps or when the

source of the wrap cannot be seen, diving under

the boat may be the only option. This should

not be undertaken lightly. Some key things to

consider when making that decision are:

Inspection – try to view the problem before

sending someone into the water

Location – find somewhere as sheltered as

possible and out of fast-flowing currents

Timing – can you wait for daylight or calmer

conditions? Can you possibly sail to safety

without the engine?

Equipment – carry a good quality snorkel,

mask and, if possible, wetsuit. Always wear

gloves to protect hands from scratches. Use a

waterproof torch in poor visibility and a good

quality knife with serrated blade. Single use

diving cylinders can be great for longer jobs,

but the diver must have previous experience

of using this type of equipment. It’s worth

reiterating that a good mask is essential

Diver – should be practised at using the kit and

be a confident swimmer

Safety – remove keys from the engine, heel

the boat to get your propeller closer to the

surface, use a recovery rope around the

diver’s waist, and do not allow the diver to get

excessively cold. Beware of diving in conditions

where the boat is slamming to avoid possible

A weed stick for clearing transom-hung rudders head injuries.

Sheerness RNLI

volunteers assist

a yacht which

snagged mooring

ropes at the

harbour entrance

RNLI/Vic Booth

W