Running over your rope

How often do you run over your tow rope? With over about 180 hours of boating this year I did it twice. The first time was in a pretty clear lake. It was fairly easy to see the rope and handle, after a few minutes of diving I cleared the rope from the prop. The second time was in a somewhat murky lake. I couldn’t see a thing under the boat. I was pretty far up stream of the damn and had plenty of time to clear the rope, otherwise it could have gotten exciting.

I’ve run over my rope in my old I/O. Unraveling the rope was much easier; just lift the out drive for a good view of the problem. It’s a lot more difficult to clear your rope on an inboard.

How about carrying a water proof flash light on board, a cheap and obvious solution. A high end inboard manufacture could even build an under hull lamp near the drive shaft, what do you think?

I know, I know, watch what you’re doing, pull in the rope when you stop, but you’re going to miss it once in a while and then you're going diving. A little preparedness could go a long way.

i freak when people are going under my boat.. i know of a guy a few years back who lost his life getting tangled up trying to untangle the rope from the prop..ive never ran one over but have had them float under the boat while parked.. usually they just get caught on the skags or barely hook the prop..just be careful when under the boat with all that rope!

I have never done it. I also carry a knife on the boat to cut the prop free if needed.

I keep a pair of goggles and a knife on the boat. Fortunately, I've only done it once.

I should probably get goggles too but I am not sure they would make a difference in the delta!

Also, I have loaned out my knife for others to cut their boat free.

Just happpened me twice, the last time two weeks ago. I seriously damaged my carbon Straight Line handle. No matter how much attention you pay, always comes a time where you are looking elsewhere for a while and you run over the rope.

i havent done it.









not in 2005 anyways.

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One of my mates caught the stainless steel cable of the slalom course in the prop when he was replacing a bouy during the summer. I had to row out to him to help. It took the 2 of us 1 1/2 hours to free it. Lucky we had 5mm wetsuits to hand!!

ive never done it but my dad has done it 3 times in the past 2 years, we keep a knife on the boat just in case. needless to say i have gotten pretty good at untangleing a rope from the prop cause i dont want to have to cut my $70 rope

We had a brand new line a couple of years ago that we ran over. Had a bunch of my husband's drunk friends in the boat and I was trying to get the rider in and we forgot about the rope, and my husband put it in reverse and ran over it. We were just so used to having people in the boat who know what to do and help out with things like the rope. Anyhow, we ended up beaching the boat - where we ride it is mud, so we were in a few feet of water, and our feet in a foot of mud in our drysuits! Some fishermen were telling us to cut the rope, but it was brand new, so we were trying to avoid that. I think it took an hour to get it out. It would have taken much less time if we'd thought of taking off the swim platform sooner!

Now we carry goggles and a piece of hose (to use for breathing) on the boat.

I did it once but not very bad. I just dove under about 5 times(No Goggles) and got it untangled. The time I did it I was being lazy and went to pick someone up at the dock without bringing the rope in and I backed over it.

Never done it, but mistakes happen....although I think I would be very wary about riding with someone who has it happen to them more than once or twice a year.

If they aren't paying attention to their $70 rope, how much attention are they paying to you??

Put a scuba mask and razor knife in your boat, it has saved me once and I loaned it to another boater this summer, saved his butt.

A couple of years ago a distracted teenager put the boat in gear after the no-stretch wakecord had drifted under the boat. When the line tightened up around the shaft, it bent the strut and the rudder. The $100 rope was the least expensive part of that mishap.

I remember running my rope over once back when I had my ski centurion the 1st year when I used the boat only for transporting stuff and people.I wanna say like 3-4 years ago and that was my 1st year owning a boat.Haven't ridden over the rope since and not planning on it.

Isn't it kind of hard since the prop is completely under the boat?

i've run over my rope many times. well i guess i drifted over it many times with the motor off...one time i actually drove over my friend's rope w/ his boat! that sucked. it got all tangled in the prop and shaft. thank god my boat was there too, or we woulda been sh:t outta luck.

(Message edited by madchild1 on October 27, 2005)

Its embarrassing as hell but ive got one for you. Boat is tied off to beach with one anchor and the front with another shared anchor. Pretty new crew on board. Pull in back anchor idle away for a ways... Getting ready to pull a rider up and take off, boat starts to plane and the loudest metal grinding sound comes from below. One anchor chain and one aluminum anchor down. Now a $60 aluminum anchor might pale in comparison to a $150 rope but my $600 prop that got thrashed is nothing to laugh at not to mention the damage to an outdrive.

$600 prop

was this labbed prop?!?! 600 bills man...that's a lot.

4 years in the sport. I've never done it.

8 years... Never done it, people need to know what is arond thier boat, people, boards, ropes, or rocks. Be alert.

I did it twice this summer. My uncle decided he wanted to try the ski around the boat trick so we head out to try it. Neither of us knew exactly how to drive for it (where you actually kill the throttle and then turn, I just turned). In any case in 8 attempts, the rope got under the boat and I couldnt reverse fast enough to miss it. Luckily both times I put it in neutral almost immediately so it didnt get tangled to bad.

Never! Driven boats 20 years. Boat safely. If you run over ropes on regular basis limbs can't be far behind. If you do run over one, don't panic if your in dangerous area's, ie= dams, ship traffic lanes, etc. Be calm and clear the line. Have seen people die as a result of panicking in situations like that because they weren't prepared. Go over how you would clear such before it happens. Probably seem pretty critical, but it's the small stuff that jack's up a day. Don't want to come off rude, but driver's need to pay attention.

Never over our rope. Our neighbor at our lakehouse lost a stairwell and it had a sunken rope tied on to it that was under the water about 1 foot and it got tangled up. Not a big deal though, just cut off the engine and cut it lose.

Nope never ran over my own rope. I have ran over another persons rope who didn't have a flag up though. Oh well I guess next time they'll put up the flag huh?

Razor knife and goggles on my boat also. Razor knife has a floaty on it in case you drop it. Not my own, but one someone had left in the water that I didn't see. The hose for breathing idea sounds good.

Someone above mentioned how difficult it is to keep track of everything when with people who don't know how to help.

My wife had some friends come in from out of town and were excited to go on the boat. I had some work I couldn't get out of, so it was her first time all alone. I usually do most things, but have always tried hard to teach her. Now was her first time to go out on the boat without me. Her friends were useless for help, and she ran over the rope. The bad part is she didn't notice it until he said 'hit it' and the rope was noted to be coming from under the boat. They couldn't get it untangled and had to be towed in. Luckily, there was no damage done except to cut the rope in multiple spots. It was actually all around the shaft too before they thought to take a pic.




(Message edited by talltigeguy on October 27, 2005)

When no riders riding or switching sets...my rope always comes in. It sounds like a waste of time since the rope will then go right back out, but remember...everytime you switch riders, people are BSing and you end up drifting over the rope. It really diminishes the chance of that happening.

Did it the other week. I ride in the sea and the tidal currant pulled the line round the front of the boat.

First time in a good 4 years or so.

My expensive spectra line is now 2 expensive (but shorter) spectra lines!

Not my own, but one summer (early 80's) in Lake Of the Ozarks, we had another boat run over our ski rope, he was going slow enough that it didn't snap and it drug our boat backwards filling it up with water and flipping it over. Everyone jumped out and nobody got hurt. Kind of reminded me of "Jaws". Be aware of other boaters.

I haven't in 8 seasons of owning my ski boats. Never using my parents boats a few more seasons before that. I can remember my dad pulling a few out of jet intakes back when I was a little kid.

Now that I said that, I figure I'll do it soon.

I've never done it myself, but it seems everytime I have a new driver in my boat, it some sort of rope seems to make its way into the prop.

Happenned once last year, only one turn. Pulled the key from the ignitn and had a buddy put the goggles on and free it up. No damage, we were lucky.

I never ran over a rope but someone else did while I was out wakeboarding with a neighbor. Luckily it was a tube rope and it caught a knot and put three bends in my prop. Although I have gotten my line caught under the scags about twice this year.

we always drift over the rope getting it stuck in the fins, not sure why it happens, we just do. so as soon as it's rider change i quickly coile the line.

i ran over my rope to the point where i think it was about to catch the prop then i slammed the boat in reversed and missed it...although last year we were just out riding and then my friend riding noticed a handle right in front of him so we ran over someone elses rope that what just floating around..

never got a rope, but have got fishing line a couple times... (dont ask me why fishing out of an inboard is a good idea...) went under and cut it all off real quick.

Never on my boat, but we've fouled props a few times while trolling with multiple lines while blue water sailing.

You get a hit on one line and need to bear off, circle around and bingo, you've fouled one or both of the other lines.

Mask, fins and a sharp knife solved the problem every time. I carry the same on my boat just in case.

Are you guys serious??? I"ve been towing for 10 plus years and have never came close to running over the line. Learn to drive!!!

never done that either although i do pack a knife.*

*-disclaimer, i got the rope tangled once. buddy on the platform just finished riding and told me that the coast was clear...well, i guess the coast was clear but the line wasn't. it wrapped around the prop. i was pissed at my buddy so i told him to jump in and take a look...it was getting dark and cold and he was already wet, not to mention he caused it.

so he comes up and says it's bad...it's also my line, not his. so i pass the knife and pretty much watch in slow motion as our only knife sinks to the bottom of the lake...he dropped it! we got towed back in...i take no responsibility for that guy. he moved away- good riddance.

since he dropped the knife, the line was saved. it's still going strong after 5 seasons.

In 300 plus hours on my 2003 never have. "knock on wood". Like others said I pull it in between riders. Then next rider exits platform with rope in his hand ready to go.

"Not my own, but one summer (early 80's) in Lake Of the Ozarks, we had another boat run over our ski rope, he was going slow enough that it didn't snap and it drug our boat backwards filling it up with water and flipping it over. Everyone jumped out and nobody got hurt. Kind of reminded me of "Jaws". Be aware of other boaters."

Talk about a nightmare. Lucky no one got hurt!

Austin you must be a much better driver then the rest of us that have run things over. I actually have never driven over my ski rope, it was the anchor above that got me. I had someone run over my rope a couple years back and a friend was driving my boat and ran over a friends board rope while i was in tow.

Mad Child , you ever hear of a merc high 5, 5 blade prop?

no i haven't. i know 5 blades exist but not too well versed on them. all i know is that hole shot is stupid fast.

out of curiosity, why'd you ask me?

I ran over the rope twice last summer....the first time everything was ok...the second time I ran over my brand new bullet line and cut wright thru the handle Damn that sucked. Bent my prop blade just a tad.

Never tangled a rope here...always someone watching and grabs it before we drift over it. We've come close, but never an issue.

Bob/Madchild,
the Merc higg 5 is an amazing prop. Once one tries a 5 blade SS, they will kick themselves for never having tried it sooner. Well worth every penny.

Mad Child , because up above you had asked me what prop cost 600 and if it was labbed. Well it wasnt labbed but ill bet it needs to be now

I've never done it, but a guy pulling me this year did on my boat. Always have the passenger pull the rope in, if they don't do it automatically do it, I just say, "Can you get the rope for me?" They always pull it in.

And this may be obvious - but when untangling a rope, please pull the key out of the ignition, and PULL THE KILL SWITCH ON YOUR BOAT! The key alone shouldn't give you enough sense of safety, use the kill switch, its why its there.