Friendly reminder - always have this simple kit in your boat

[SilentSeven]

Simple set of goggles and a sharp serrated knife can save the day if you're unlucky enough to suck in the tow rope and wrap it around the prop.

I keep the items in a small plastic box under the drivers seat.

Best day ever was when my buddy ran over the rope and I was able to extract a quality beer toll from him to use mine.

[MN Ryan]

Good call! Thanks for the reminder/tip.

[greggmck]

Consider adding a sharp pair of wire cutters with a leash. A knife can save the day but when the water is rough and the boat bouncing around operating under the boat with a knife can lead to self-inflicted wounds. Plus cutters will almost always cut a rope quicker and cleaner than a knife saving time under a bouncing prop, rudder and hull.

[Scooter G]

Great reminders, love the "prop" box, and the wire cutter idea w/ leash. We always keep a snorkel mask and leatherman type tool. A little over the top, but we also have a spare air bottle pillaged from the scuba gear that gives about 20 minutes of breath time. Trying not to use any of the aforementioned items is the goal, but you know how that goes...

[MN Ryan]

Perhaps something like a "game shears" might be a good option.

[SilentSeven]

Consider adding a sharp pair of wire cutters with a leash. A knife can save the day but when the water is rough and the boat bouncing around operating under the boat with a knife can lead to self-inflicted wounds. Plus cutters will almost always cut a rope quicker and cleaner than a knife saving time under a bouncing prop, rudder and hull.

Really good suggestion. Next time I'm at Harbor Freight I'll get a cheap pair of dykes and conjur up some sort of leash. Fortunately, it's been eons since I've had to actually cut a rope out. On the rare occasion there is a captaining failure, I typically see the rope dive and kill the engine before the line wraps tight. If you're lucky and quick, you can just dive and unwind the rope from the shaft. I'd imagine some of the Kevlar wakeboard ropes are beyond difficult to cut out.

[XBIGPUN66]

Yeah we ran over a set of lines (three) and anchor that was loosely attached to a buoy that was floating alone at the tie up cove. I was pushing the boat through there on the way to the back of the cove for tie up and the lines got caught up in the prop and rudder. I then found that my Swiss army knife I had in the kit was rusted closed and my Leatherman tool was missing. Awesome!

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[Kenv]

I had goggles and a knife on this day… but was at the trailer when it happened.

[SilentSeven]

Carnage. What happened?

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[Scooter G]

Kenv, did you hack the prop on that one, no bueno?

[Kenv]

Yeah Scooter....low water conditions...mud. My son in law put the boat on the trailer no prob...but i was stuck in the mud getting out. I had him back off the trailer so I could move down the shore a bit When motored away, he sucked up an old dock line...full of shells and mud and it pulled the back of the boat down and hacked all four blades of the prop. It was an awesome day on the water....but the 3 hours trying to get the boat back out of the lake was a SHEET show.....LOL.

[Scooter G]

Dang man, that hurts, definitely a sheet show. We all have our war stories, and some are more expensive than others...

[Kenv]

Yeah....luckily it was just the prop and not any of the other gear or fiberglass. Put my spare prop on and had the bent repaired and was back at it a few weekends later. If there was one lesson taught that day, it was my kid's friends seeing what happens sometimes when you own and operate a boat. Gotta take the bad with the good every once in a while. Everyone was super helpful that day helping with anything I needed....including the extra truck to pull me out at four different spots on the shore.......LOL