Feathered Prop?

[Cyrus Safdari]

Any use on a 36 foot modified full keel boat?

[neilpride]

I have a max prop in my csy 44, and work fantastic.
pros: speed, no shaft turning under sail= longer life for bearings , perfomance in backwards.
cons: expensive, some noise under engine , and need to be greased every year,
Cheers

[svquest2]

Not sure what you mean by a modified full keel. If you have a prop in an aperture in the rudder, then probably not. If your prop is off center and comes out the quarter then yes. So the answer depends on how your prop is situated in regards to your keel and rudder. Some full keel apertures don't have enough room for a feathering prop.

If it's a 3/4 keel with a cut away forefoot like mine then the answer is a big yes.

Joe S

[Sten]

I have had this type of prop on my Nicholson 32 (traditional long keel), later on my Nicholson 35 (long keel with separate rudder) and now on my Southerly 110 (swing keel). Only problem was on the Nic 32 where I had to enlarge the cut-out in the rudder in order to ensure sufficient space otherwise only positive experiences: lower drag, better performance in reverse. Expensive yes, but worth every penny. Yachting Monthly had a test some month ago which might be worth while studying. As I recall it would be worth while looking at the NZ Kiwi prop.

[Pete the Cat]

I would give another reason for a feathering prop: you can adjust and readjust the pitch (on the good ones) to get it right. With a fixed pitch prop you guess (or do a calculated guess) and live with the result which is usually too much or too little. The adjustable (especially those that can be adjusted while in the water) pitch allows you to get it right and maximize the efficiency and save your engine. In addition I get .6 kt more sailing speed over dragging previous prop. Worth more than a new sail in speed.

[Sandero]

I don't doubt that performance increases with the right prop and with a folding or feathering prop.

What I would like to know is specific examples of improvement. I am not talking about comparing a fouled crappy fixed against a brand new folding or feathering... but between a clean properly sized fixed and a folding or feathering.

My fixed 2 blade backs well "enough" considering I don't back very much. What it will do is pull the boat's tern over nicely for docking and I can use it to get some way on when backing out of a slip once a year or so... I stay on moorings or anchor so the back is for getting out of winter storage. My 18" fixed 2 blade pushes me at hull speed well before the "red line" and when sailing stands straight up aligned with the keel so it's profile is quite small.

I can't imagine how much improvement I could get out of an "upgrade" to folding or fixed,yet I have heard others say they simply could not back down until they installed a MaxpProp.

Comments please.