On Mon, 15 May 2006 14:43:40 -0700, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

Do you think there would be a significant difference between a 3-blade
feathering prop and a 2-blade folding prop? I guess my question is why would
you prefer that prop?

FYI, most of the sailing is on the SF bay, so lots of wind, strong currents,
etc.

It's hard to say without actually trying the swap. You might be able
to find a diver who can swap the props underwater at a reasonable
price.

Is there racing involved? If yes, I would choose the folding prop
regardless. In order to get the prop to fold reliably it is necessary
to mark the shaft when the hinge pin is vertical, and manually align
the shaft to that point every time you shut down the engine before
racing. Otherwise the lower blade will flop downward and defeat the
purpose of drag reduction.