[06405]

WE Attempted to make are way out to the edge Friday seas flat calm. Ran SW planning to hit the dip and make are way SW towards the mouth of the Hudson. Plans changed drastically ran 24 knots and made it 60 miles just before the edge just short of where we wanted to start the day. Water changes to a nice dark clean blue and the water temp hits 71-73 as soon as we found the break and the clean water. Bad news happened motoring 24knts all of a sudden we hear BANG and felt a very strong thud!!the boat stalls out and comes to a complete stop engines revving still at full RPM. Captain throws the throttles to neutral and cuts the engines. WE all look at each other like what the F### was that. Look behind the boat and nothing in the wake no floating objects or anything that could cause the boat to stop. Took a look over the side we were not hung up on any thing, nothing dragging from the boat. Looked in the engine room Starboard engine is vibrating drastically. So The captain takes a look in the water to see if the props are caught on something. He goes in and takes a look to find that we are missing the starboard shaft and prop oh [email protected]$. We tried to figure out how and what caused this to happen and if we should keep motoring south to get some meat in to the boat or head north for a very long 10knt ride back to the point?
We decided to head North and not take the chance for the port engine to give out. Took us 8 hours to reach the point and was getting dark so we stayed the night in Montauk not wanting to run back in long island sound at night on one engine. Had a bite to eat and a good time in montauk

Left Montauk early as soon as the sun broke and paced are selves for another long ride back to port going 10knts and finally reaching home port in 5 hours and had the boat pulled right when we arrived to port to check the damage. Some pictures to speak for the damage.

Every body was safe and we where lucky the shaft and the prop did not come through the deck. Instead of going a long 10knts we could have been taking on water and possibly sitting in a life raft right now.
To who ever ventures offshore check everything and make sure everything is in proper order and working correctly. Be safe and catch some fish.
To all the boats that where out there i hope they loaded up and have a safe trip back.

 

[MAKO69]

wow, scary story, glad you made it back. I wonder what you hit?

 

[inthebite]

Your shaft does not break like that from hitting something. That was a crack that went undetected for a long enough period of time to harmonically work all the way around and shear off.
This is very common to not so common depending on lots of things IE boat type shaft size horsepower and cavitation burn. Most of the time it can be caught with yearly haul out - Have props removed and Dye check the shaft for micro cracks. I have replaced 4 shafts in the last ten years. Although you dont have to replace the shaft you can have a machinist grind out the crack fill and re-machine the taper and key way it is not the "right" fix. Most yards can perform this check and IMO everyone should have it done at least once a year-more often if your boat is suseptable to cavitation or cruises over 30kn.
BTW I have seen this with the prop stuck in the bottom of the boat and were it put a hole right thru and fell away. As a mate many years ago(about 20) on a light 54ft custom boat I worked on we sheared off 5 props and 7 rudders.(over a four year period)

Thankfully you made it back with no "real" problems like you said.
Sorry for your luck, the price of stainless has gone thru the roof dont get sticker shock when you get the price of a new shaft.
I replaced the port side this winter @ $26,000 however it is a 4inch dia.
Here is a picture of a crack that no dye was needed the crack was very visible if this was not replaced the same fate would have been met.
Ben

 

[Boonebird]

Blake was that on your old mans boat? Man that sucks.

 

[tunaorlater]

As inthebite said your shaft just broke. Its a terable loud noise when it happens. I would have the other one checked out because that and right infront of the strut is where they go. Same thing happened to me in the 100sq years ago, 9 hour ride in.

That is a sucky way to start out the season. Better luck next time.

 

[Brenainn]

Wow Blake, glad everyones all right. I'm sure its an eyeopener for some of the newer guys venturing far offshore, something to think about.

 

[MakoMike]

I had the exact same thing, minus the bang, happen to me some years ago. Luckily fo me the prop never hit the hull at all, just all of a sudden one engine starts to rev up. As the others have said, it comes from metal fatigue, usually right around the keyway. A machinst friend says it often happens because the metal gets hot when they machine the keyway. Anyway, glad you're O.K. and there wasn'y more damage, those slow rides back from the edge really suck, especially when you have to fight the wheel all the way.

 

[carlynewlondon]

I had the identical thing happen to me 3 years ago on my old Luhrs. Lost the screw on the way in from the Hudson as I was passing the Ranger. Thought I hit something as well until the dealer I traded it to had the same thing happen to him and told be it was a stress fracture.

Glad to hear you made it in safely.

 

[06405]

Boonebird

It happened on my buddy's boat that i run on allot, a 40 ocean.

F troop is still in business for the canyons.