SHAFT LOK INC. Since 1979
Marine Shaft Lock, Boat Propeller (Lok) Lock (Loc) or Brake, Propeller (Prop) Brake, Shaft Brake, Propeller Drag or whatever; Shaft
Lok will keep the
propeller and shaft from turning. For
boat owners with Twin Engines run on one engine and save BIG on diesel, see below.
Email:
Shaftlok@att.net
Contact: Anne Marie
Phone: 262 786 6800
Leave a message if the machine answers. We will return your call. Open Monday through Friday 9am
to 5pm Central Standard Time. But, if the surf is up on Lake Michigan those hours are problematic.
LAST UP DATE: August 14, 2017 Our MacGregor 65 Sea Ya II was a great ride: http://www.shaftlok.com/MacGregor_65.htm MOD II EASY LOK UNIT IN A NORTHSTAR 40. S/V Loonsong, Captain
J.T.D., Thank You, April 2010. LINKS TO MORE PHOTOS AND
INFORMATION: Welcome to our
Web! (Prices) Easy Lok Mod II The only way to lock a prop. The
Simple Spring Locking System Replaces the cable and saves $$$$. YANMAR MARINE
SERVICE ADVISORY February 8,
2008. This advisory is issued as a reminder; Yanmar requires that if sailing with the engine OFF (not running) the transmission shifter must be in the neutral position or internal damage to the gear or sail-drive will result. FOR FASTER AND
QUIETER SAILING. The best way to keep the
propeller from rotating while the yacht is moving. Enjoy boating more with
SHAFT LOK... Properly Positions, Locks and
Automatically Unlocks the Propeller, Quickly and Easily Without Leaving the
Cockpit. ROTATING PROPELLER? Causes NOISE to the point where it may compared to the Chinese Water
Torture. This can ruin a nice day of
sailing. A spinning prop can also build
up heat in the transmission to such
an extent that the seals may be damaged allowing leakage. Long term freewheeling will wear all drive
train components unnecessarily.
While sailing SHAFT LOK locks the propeller in the most efficient position,
vertical in the rudder and keel opening (if that is what you desire), for the best boat
speed,quiet operation and without
transmission or propeller shaft bearing wear. Does a propeller cause more
drag freewheeling or stationary? Consider
riding in a HELICOPTER high in the
sky. Ooops, the turbine engine runs out
of fuel. Now, we are in trouble! If we lock the propeller blades from turning
we will have an awful day because we will not get any drag (or in this case,
lift) from the blades. If we auto rotate
(allow the blades to spin) using our altitude and speed of descent to rotate
the blades we will be able to land safely.
How is this possible? Because the rotating
blades create DRAG. Google: windmilling propeller drag for more information.
Cover Shows a picture of a Mod II unit
installed.
BackCover Has the dimensions of all units.
Selection Guide - 2
Bladed Propellers
Selection Guide - 3
Bladed Propellers
Shaft
Lok Yachts! A partial listing of the yachts with Shaft
Loks.
Freewheel
or Locked Propeller? Boat speed is
one reason to lock the propeller.
It is known that the slower
the propeller rotates the more efficient it becomes. An extremely fast prop may produce less
thrust than a prop at half that speed. An infinite slowly rotating propeller
will approach one hundred percent efficiency.
So now consider that efficient slowly spinning propeller while you are
sailing and not using the engine, what a wonderful speed killer.
For the least amount of drag
use a folding or feathering propeller and lock it with
SHAFT LOK.
SHAFT LOK
holds the propeller stationary regardless of yacht speed. All that is
necessary to release the lock is to start the engine and engage the
transmission. SHAFT
LOK automatically
unlocks.
According to a European magazine SAILING TODAY article: During manufactures comparison tests it was discovered that a standard 15 inch diameter 3 blade propeller increases the resistance of the hull by 48 pounds (this is) the equivalent of dragging a large bucket behind the boat.
HOW DOES SHAFT LOK WORK?
SHAFT LOK is
a simple device of few moving parts.
The main housing
contains long and short pins, a rotating disc and control cable.
The yacht propeller shaft slides into the main housing black rotating disc and is secured with set
screws. An anti-torque bracket
(included) holds the housing from rotating.
While
motoring the rotating disc turns with the prop shaft.
To lock SHAFT
LOK when sailing press down on the
control cable palm knob. The control
cable has the long locking pin attached to the working end. The long pin engages the rotating disc
locking it and hence the propeller from turning.
Inside the
main housing along with the long locking pin is a spring loaded short pin that
holds the long pin in locked and
unlocked positions. The short pin is the
heart of the unit. SHAFT LOK resists the static torque generated by the stationary
propeller as it is being dragged through the water while sailing.
SHAFT LOK is
designed to unlock when the engine is started and the transmission
engaged. The unit automatically
unlocks.
No
electrical or hydraulic power required.
SHAFT LOK since
1979 is installed on yachts worldwide. Shaft Lok
Yachts!
YANMAR MARINE
SERVICE ADVISORY February 8,
2008. This
advisory is issued as a reminder; Yanmar requires that if sailing with the
engine OFF (not running) the transmission shifter must be in the neutral
position or internal damage to the gear or sail-drive will result.
MANUFACTURER and BOATER COMMENTS:
June 26, 2015...I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your shaft lock on our Slocum 43. We installed it in Mexico in 2007 and just finished our 46,000 mile circumnavigation. It work(ed) flawlessly the whole trip, unlike many other pieces of our offshore equipment. Crossing the Indian Ocean and rounding S. Africa were the most demanding passages and the shaft brake was really put to the test. We purchased a Shaft Lok back in Nov. 2006 (sailing south
along the coast of California) for our Slocum 43. We love the unit. Slowing the boat down to lock the brake is
the one challenge we have. Anything over 2.5-3 knots and it will bounce
back out when I'm engaging it. With the shaft button (Simple Spring Locking System) located under the floor in our
cabin, it takes two people to set the brake, one at the helm, one down
below. We have it down though and it works wonderful. We typically
sail at 5-7 knots, but have hit 9 knots without the brake coming free. Thank you: Captain David Pryde and Admiral
Jan, S/V Baraka, 17 x 11 x 3 fixed propeller,
Mod II Easy Lok unit with Simple Spring Locking System. On the hard at Rebak Island, just off
Langkawi, Malaysia. December 17, 2010.
PRACTICAL SAILOR MAGAZINE,
To Shaft Lok: “Since installing a Shaft Lok on my 46 foot, heavy displacement ketch two years ago, it has performed as intended in over 2,000 miles of mostly weekend sailing, albeit with two ‘breakdowns'. In both instances, the producers attentively helped me in evaluation of the problem and readily replaced the broken parts, even though the malfunction, in the second instance, was partly due to my misuse of the unit. This simply designed, self-releasing mechanism offers a welcome alternative to the more complicated, trouble-prone systems around. Shaft Lok’s customer service can’t be beat. I believe this will be of value to those of your readers who face the problem of preventing damage caused by a freewheeling hydraulic transmission." John Walsh, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Autoprop Bruntons its use
(Shaft Lok)
is essential with the Bruntons prop otherwise a lot of drag will
occur while sailing. The boat
had a shaftlok fitted but unfortunately I thought that I
would not need it (wrong!) with a folding propeller and removed it while I was
changing the sternseal. I now re-installed it. Once I
got the knack of engaging the shaft lok it was easy and it is essential that it
is engaged otherwise the Bruntons propellor
rotates and causes more drag than the original fixed blade propellor. The new propellor +
shaft lok gives about 1/2 to 3/4 Knot more speed while sailing. Thank you
Captain A.S. of S/Y Tournesol, May 14,
2010.
This Mod II Unit was installed (twice)
in a Sea Stream 43, Hull #33.
S/V
Tournesol Captain A.S.,Thank You. May
2010.
Twin Disc transmission advised a motor yacht owner
that the transmission should only be allowed to freewheel with the engine
shut off for a limited time because of the heat produced. May 10, 2010.
Autoprop. Do I need to do anything to make the Autoprop feather
under sail? All you need to do is stop
the engine whilst motoring in ahead and thereafter leave the engine engaged in
ahead.With engines fitted with some
hydraulic gearboxes engage your shaft lock.
Your Autoprop distributor will be able to advise you if this is necessary. Autoprop Bruntons Propellers Ltd.,
AutoBrake
(Autolock) by Brunton~ The Prop is a AutoProp, Diameter
610mm (24.4 inches) with variable Pitch. The yacht was fitted with the
AutoBrake by Bruntons but because its (it is) subject to
oily water it did not work, the brake pads got oily.Thank You, Captain B. (Notes in red added by Shaft Lok Inc.)May 2011.
Volvo transmission 2.43 ratio D3110 110hp
diesel installed in a Hanse
540E; Somebody gives an advise (advice) that I can turn off the engine while
running and in gear, however the Volvo guys does not believe in this and think
a shaft lok is a good idea. Hanse Yacht owner A.F.D. of
Pearson 365 owners can click
on http://www.sailingseadragon.com/Shaftlok.htm
to see how Captain G.B.
installed a Shaft Lok Mod II Easy Lok unit
June 2004. Sea Dragon is a 1981
yacht with a Westerbeke 4-108 engine and Borg Warner V Drive Transmission
fitted with a 17 x 11 x 3 fixed (non feathering or folding) propeller.
Mod II Easy Lok Unit in a Pearson 365
S/V Sea
Dragon Captain G.B.,Thank You, June 2004.
YANMAR MARINE
SERVICE ADVISORY February 8,
2008 This
advisory is issued as a reminder; Yanmar requires that if sailing with the
engine OFF (not running) the transmission shifter must be in the neutral
position or internal damage to the gear or sail-drive will result.
Yanmar users should be aware that the
transmission may lock the prop shaft from turning BUT may cause serious damage
to the transmission.Contact Yanmar for details.We
learned this from several boat owners who experienced problems.
The voice of experience: A rotating propeller while sailing
can cause extreme heating of the transmission fluid which may destroy the
polymer seals causing leakage and transmission failure. (Thanks for the
heads up to TBG of NY 8/1/04)
Max-Prop and AutoProp, feathering
propellers, require that the prop shaft be held stationary momentarily while
the blades feather. Henry K. of
The
DUAL ENGINE YACHT OWNERS; DIESEL TOO EXPENSIVE?SLOW DOWN & SAVE BIG.
Mod III Easy Lok Unit in a Waveney Class
44 Life Boat.
Twin
27.6 Inch Diameter (701mm) x 24.7 Inch Pitch (627mm) Fixed Four Blade
Propellers.
Dual
Caterpillar Diesels 3208T 250 HP with Twin Disc Transmissions MG506
Mod III Easy Lok Unit in a Waveney Class 44 Life Boat.
MLB
Gryphon, Captain T.C.,Thank You, Tom
!~January 2011
Operating
on one engine can cut your fuel bill by 73%.
A 1977 cruising Hatteras 42
footer with twin diesel 165hp engines and 24 x 25 inch 3 blade propellers at
2200 RPM on both engines uses 15 GPH producing a boat speed of 11.5
MPH which is .76
MPG.~With one engine shut down the GPH drops to 7.5 and speed drops to 9.43
MPH which is an 18% speed loss with a
50% fuel savings at 1.25 MPG~.Still with
one engine off and reducing the RPM to 1800 the speed is now 8.05
MPHwith the GPH at 4 or 73% reduction results in a 2.01
MPG.~Thank you for
the information Captain Bob. 1/15/2010
NO SPACE IN THE ENGINE ROOM? Ask about installing the SHAFT LOK unit over the aft coupling half.
WANT MORE INFORMATION? CHECK OUT OUR LINKS!
Welcome to our Web!(Prices)
Cover Shows a picture of a Mod II unit installed.
BackCover Has the dimensions of all units.
Selection Guide - 2 Bladed Propellers
Selection Guide - 3 Bladed Propellers
Shaft Lok Yachts! A partial listing of the yachts with Shaft Loks.Easy Lok Mod II The only way to lock a prop.
Freewheel or Locked Propeller? Boat speed is one reason to lock the propeller.The Simple Spring Locking System Replaces the cable and saves $$$$.
If you have comments or suggestions,
SHAFT LOK INC. Since 1979
Contact: Anne Marie
Email:
Shaftlok@att.net
Phone: 262 786 6800
Leave a message if the machine answers. We will return your call. We are usually available Monday through
Friday 9am to 5pm Central Standard Time.
But, if the surf is up on Lake Michigan those hours are problematic. If you want to send a FAX 262 786 7492 contact us to make sure the machine is
operating.We have it turned off
sometimes when the spam gets heavy.
LAST UP DATE: August 14, 2017
Enjoy your day!~Shaft Lok for
faster and quieter sailing...
This page created with the help of SPN and Rebecca.