DIY Prop Shaft Coupling & Prop Removal | Alaskan Gypsy Restoration

An hour in the Wrangell shipyard with our 80’ steel schooner s/v Alaskan Gypsy — removing the prop shaft, coupling, and propeller. Not without some significant struggle and confusion. Like any good DIY mechanic project. This is long-form, “slow TV” boat work: no quick highlights, just the real step-by-step of loosening bolts, wrestling with the coupling, dealing with seized parts, trying pullers, heat, penetrating oil, and sheer persistence. Highlights include: • Disconnecting the prop shaft coupling inside the engine room • Fighting old bolts, drive savers, and a corroded keyway • Trying wedges, pullers, and heat to free the parts • The stubborn reality of propeller removal after decades in place If you like DIY boat repair, shipyard life, or detailed restoration content, this is for you. 👉 Subscribe to follow the Alaskan Gypsy’s full restoration journey in Wrangell, Alaska - welding, grinding, shaft work, and all the reality of bringing an old steel schooner back to life. 📑 Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Prop Shaft & Prop Removal Begins 01:00 – Tools & Setup for Prop Work 05:00 – Removing Propeller Nuts & First Inspection 10:00 – Inside the Engine Room: Shaft Coupling Bolts 15:00 – Drive Saver & Alignment Problems 20:00 – Pulling the Coupling Bolts & Seized Hardware 25:00 – Roll Pin Battle in the Shaft Coupling 30:00 – Using Pullers & Wedges on the Coupling 35:00 – First Attempts at Prop Removal 40:00 – Heat, PB Blaster & More Puller Action 45:00 – Propeller Still Stuck Solid 50:00 – Slow Progress with Torque & Tapping 55:00 – Final Efforts Before Calling It a Night 59:00 – Wrap-Up: Next Steps in the Shipyard Refit