Martec vs Max Props

[07Marjorie]

I have a max prop 3 blade (VP). In rough water had hard time getting it to feather in 8-12ft seas. In SF Bay it seems to feather just fine. I greased it when I got to the bay, and not sure when it had last been previously greased. But has anyone else experienced similar issues? Does anyone have other self feathering types of props that they like or don't like and should stay clear of? A friend suggested talking with the Martec guys, anyone used one of their props? Cheers-

[Astrid]

I have a 3 blade VP as well. Out of interest, did you have a shaft brake in place or the transmission locked? If not, the changes in hydrostatic pressure on the blades in 8-12foot seas might have led to feathering problems.

[JimF]

Originally Posted by Astrid

I have a 3 blade VP as well. Out of interest, did you have a shaft brake in place or the transmission locked? If not, the changes in hydrostatic pressure on the blades in 8-12foot seas might have led to feathering problems.

For what it's worth, in prepping a 40 foot Ketch for an Atlantic crossing and analyzing fuel capacity, motoring versus sailing mileage, I replaced a three blade fixed prop with Martec. (I'd used Gory and Martec props and experienced none of the problems appearing in yacht club scuttlebutt.) In the Med I changed back to the three blade fixed prop to "punch through choppy seas". After several years changing back and forth, looking for an advantage, I settled on the Martec. More recently I bought a smaller vessel in Florida equipped with a Maxprop. To me, Maxprop is a needlessly complicated piece of equipment. When the first adjustment was needed, I replaced it with a Martec. It's simple, it works and if there is a thrust trade-off under power, it's not significant enough to bother me.
Hope this helps-Good sailing