Dinghy Painter And The Propeller

 
I remember my brother Bob relating to me a story about anchoring in the San Juan Islands once.  The boat was over the spot where he wanted the anchor dropped.  The anchor was on the bottom and the boat was backing away from the anchor; when the dinghy painter (tow rope) fouled the propeller and shaft - - stopping the engine dead.  One of the fellow sailors aboard ran below and grabbed a butcher knife.  Holding the knife - pirate fashion in his teeth - this sailor jumped overboard to cut away the painter... only to discover that the water temperature was about 45 degrees F...... Can you say "BRRRRRRR"?????

Needless to say, the first attempt at cutting the painter didn't go well... and it was sometime later that the painter had been removed from the propeller and the shaft.

Here's a good way to cut the painter if the same situation happens to you.

Secure a sharp knife (with a serrated blade - like a bread knife) to your boat hook with a couple of hose clamps.  You might be able to lean over the side far enough to cut away the painter - - or simply get into the dinghy to do the job.  This is way better than playing "pirate".