The rope has been cleared and the propeller now turns freely by hand. Should the engine simply be restarted and the trip continued as normal?

A. Assume no damage is possible from this kind of fouling, regardless of how tight it was wound

B. Before restarting, check the propeller for any visible damage, check the stern gland or shaft seal area for any sign of new leaking, and start the engine gently in neutral first to listen and feel for anything unusual before putting it into gear and using it properly

C. Restart immediately at full power with no checks at all, since the rope is now cleared

D. Only check for damage once safely back in harbour, even if this means using a potentially damaged propeller for the rest of the trip

A. This always means the engine has suffered a major internal failure needing a full rebuild

B. This pattern always means the fuel has run out completely

C. A sudden bang and slowdown like this is completely normal and needs no investigation

D. A rope, mooring line, or fender line has almost certainly wrapped around the propeller, jamming it or stalling the engine — this is one of the most common causes of a sudden loss of drive with this exact pattern of symptoms

A. Increase engine revs to try to cut through the rope with propeller speed

B. Ignore the engine entirely and focus only on the boat's position for several minutes

C. Put the engine into neutral and switch it off straight away — continuing to run the engine winds the rope tighter around the shaft and propeller, making the problem worse and risking damage to the shaft seal, stern gland, or gearbox

D. Keep the throttle open and try repeatedly going forward and reverse to "shake" the rope free