Line in the propeller

Crap in the propeller that doesn't belong there; sometimes it's due to inattention, sometimes it's unavoidable.

Nets in the propeller

On large open waters, such as the IJsselmeer, we see mostly nets or lines in the propeller. Some ships lose a line that then floats around, but usually it is the ship's own lines. So make sure you store lines and ropes properly when you go sailing, that way you can already prevent this.

Traps and standing rigging

Various fishing methods are used in the Netherlands, such as traps and standing because.
Standing rigging is a net that "stands" vertically on the bottom. The length of the net can be several dozen meters to over a kilometer. At the top of the net are floats that hold the net up. The net is made of fairly fine fishing line, similar to the line on a fishing rod. The nets are marked with flags, usually every 50 meters. At the ends of the net there is a double flag, keep a close eye on this because there you can sail around the net.

The nets are usually no higher than 1 to 1.5 meters, so if the water is deep enough you can sail over them, but with a deep yacht you cannot always be sure. If in doubt, sail around them, as it is common for sailing yachts to get caught in them.

Traps are usually placed close to shore, between poles or at a weighted end. But sometimes traps are also located in the middle of larger bodies of water. Usually, traps do not pose a problem to navigation, unless one sails much too close to the shore.

Lines

When a line from the boat soon runs down it is often already a sign that it is in the propeller. If the engine then also fails as soon as it is switched on then the problem is obvious.

We advise water sports enthusiasts against removing lines from the propeller themselves unless you know what you are doing well. Especially on open water, a swaying boat and sometimes cold conditions pose danger. The propeller may have sharp edges and, in addition, some boats are equipped with a line cutter, a knife that turns with the screw and sometimes cuts lines before they get stuck. This is not something you want to touch with bare hands and poor visibility!

The safer option is to have someone come and fix this professionally for you. We do that at no charge within the assistance subscriptions!

Floating garbage

On smaller waters, especially near large cities like Amsterdam's inland waterways, a lot of trash floats around in the water. Therefore, there we more often see objects from outside in the propeller. Wooden beams, garbage bags, car tires, it all happens. Such objects are often jammed and visibility in the water is also poor. So think carefully before pulling this out yourself.

Wier

On the Markermeer, Ijmeer, Gooimeer and the other border lakes there is a lot of fritillary. This has increased hand over fist in the last 10 years and there is now even talk of a plague. When boats sail through the fountain weed, it can accumulate around the keel, rudder and propeller. Eventually, boats get stuck in this and it can cause damage to the reverse gear and engine due to overloading. Our advice is therefore to avoid large fields of weed. In the fairway it is rarely a problem, so when in doubt, keep to the fairway.

Breakdown on the water?

Are you having unexpected problems on the water? The boat watch from Vaarzeker is at your service. Do you own a boat and go boating regularly? Take a look at our breakdown service package. So you can get out on the water without any worries.