I'm really giving this forum a workout since i started partnering on a Bavaria 38 this season... (with Volvo Penta D2-55 saildrive and 3 blade fixed prop)
Yesterday I motored out of the marina and shut the engine down for a day sail in very light winds. When winds died i started engine again to go seek some wind. Engine worked fine but no propulsion. After determining that a) we were not stuck on a pot; and b) the transmission linkage was attached; I was left with the conclusion that we had thrown the prop. Had to be towed back in.
Yard just pulled boat and sure enough, prop is missing. But the even bigger surprise is learning that this is the third time this has happened on this Bavaria 38, circa 2004. Huh?
Anybody ever hear of such a thing? How do I make this the last time this happens? Yard checked with Volvo Penta specialist and is getting prop mounting hardware and instructions from them, including using red loctite. Presume they did all the same the last two times. What gives?
BTW, when I was out there diagnosing the problem, how do I determine that the transmission is working properly? No shaft to watch spin, so how do you know power is being transferred down into the lower unit?
Jeff