If you own a boat that has a propeller, you owe it to yourself to learn all about how it operates. Boats that use a propulsion system need their propellers to be operating at peak efficiency at all times. If anything goes wrong with your watercraft’s propeller, you’ll soon find yourself stuck on land or even crippled and unable to move while you’re out on the water.
There are plenty of places that sell boat parts if you need a replacement propeller, but if you properly maintain yours, needing to buy a new one becomes less likely. With that in mind, here are a few things you should know about changing a boat’s propeller.
Make Sure the Boat’s Engine is Off
First, you should make sure that your boat’s engine is off if you are going to replace the propeller. The propeller can’t start moving unexpectedly if your boat’s engine is not operating. This is basic safety knowledge that can save you serious injury or even death.
If You Know the Propeller Has Been Damaged, It’s Time to Replace It
If you know that your boat’s propeller ran into something like a rock or another inanimate object that damaged it, then it’s time to replace it without delay. The longer you go without replacing a damaged propeller, the more likely it is that your boat will stop working correctly. That makes getting stranded while you’re out on the water much more likely.
You Should Still Have a Replacement Schedule
Even if you have no reason to think that anything has damaged your boat’s propeller, there will probably come a time when you’ll want to switch it out for a new one anyway. It’s the same thing as replacing a furnace filter, your car’s battery, or any other part of a complex system.
Your boat’s propeller will likely last for many years, but it still has a usable life, and you need to be cognizant of when it’s coming to an end. If you’re not sure about how long you can safely use a particular boat propeller, you can read some online reviews or ask the manufacturer directly.
Make Sure You Get the Right Size
There are many different brands and sizes of boat propellers. Accordingly, if you’re going to switch yours out, you need to make sure you are buying and installing the right one.
Do some research and find out which size and brand goes well with your boat. There will probably be a limited number of workable options.
You Can Hire Someone to Do It for You
If you are not 100% confident about being able to switch out your boat’s propeller on your own, then you can hire someone to do it for you. There are often employees who work at marinas who will do this kind of task for a nominal fee. If you don’t feel that you have the technical expertise for this job, there’s nothing wrong with getting a helping hand from someone knowledgeable.
