Dear all

We are changing our propeller to our 32 ft sailing boat and wondering
weather to choose folding or feathering propeller? What kind of
practical experience do you have from these feathering ones and what
are the benefits and disbenefits comparing to folding ones?

For us folding propellers are more familiar, but after seeking
information from web, we decide to check this feathering option too.

Do you have also some "good recommendations" for appropriate propeller
(now we have thought Volvo, Gori or Kiwiprop).

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

- Sailor from Scandinavia.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Dear all

We are changing our propeller to our 32 ft sailing boat and wondering
weather to choose folding or feathering propeller? What kind of
practical experience do you have from these feathering ones and what
are the benefits and disbenefits comparing to folding ones?

Are you competing at a high level in regattas? If not, then buy a fixed prop
and use the saved money for something else more important.

If you really want to throw money at a fancy prop, get a Brunton Autoprop. A
brilliant piece of kit that permits low drag sailing and efficient
motor-sailing.

"Ric" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
Dear all

We are changing our propeller to our 32 ft sailing boat and wondering
weather to choose folding or feathering propeller? What kind of
practical experience do you have from these feathering ones and what
are the benefits and disbenefits comparing to folding ones?

Are you competing at a high level in regattas? If not, then buy a fixed
prop and use the saved money for something else more important.

If you really want to throw money at a fancy prop, get a Brunton Autoprop.
A brilliant piece of kit that permits low drag sailing and efficient
motor-sailing.



I think that really is the key question. My experience has mostly been with
fixed-blade. I'm sure a quick google search will produce the +/- for the
different options. A quick search produced this, which gives some decent
info... http://www.endeavourowners.com/dscsn...ion/props.html


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Any sailboat will benifit from a folding prop. It's a 1/2 kt gain.
There is no downside. When docking etc. you just plan in advance.
There's a little less power in reverse. You should never approach a
dock harder than yo'ur willing to hit it anyway.

"Ringmaster" wrote in message
oups.com...
Any sailboat will benifit from a folding prop. It's a 1/2 kt gain.
There is no downside. When docking etc. you just plan in advance.
There's a little less power in reverse. You should never approach a
dock harder than yo'ur willing to hit it anyway.

If you get a Brunton, it works equally efficiently in reverse. Same can be
said for Maxprop and other feathering (as opposed tofolding) props. But the
big advantage of the Brunton is that it is self-pitching and adjusts itself
to best pitch no matter what the engine regime or boat speed.

Folding props are not much good on a cruising boat. Terrible reverse
braking, and no significant speed advantage over a feathering prop.

If you google around you will find a very good pdf tabular comparison of all
props done by a German university. Somebody else may have a reference. The
police nicked my old computer eight months ago so I no longer have a
reference to it...

wrote in message
oups.com...
Dear all

We are changing our propeller to our 32 ft sailing boat and wondering
weather to choose folding or feathering propeller? What kind of
practical experience do you have from these feathering ones and what
are the benefits and disbenefits comparing to folding ones?

For us folding propellers are more familiar, but after seeking
information from web, we decide to check this feathering option too.

Do you have also some "good recommendations" for appropriate propeller
(now we have thought Volvo, Gori or Kiwiprop).

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

- Sailor from Scandinavia.

I have a 38' yacht with a Maxprop 2-blade feathering propeller which offers
negligible resistance when feathered. I think it is better than a folding
propeller because it is highly efficient in reverse and you can dock in a
civilised manner under full control with the engine just above idling and do
not have to rev up the engine in reverse to get decent braking as you do
with a folding prop.
Some will say that the relatively flat blades of a Maxprop are less
efficient than the more conventionally shaped blades of a folding propeller
but as mine is a sailing yacht, not a power boat, and I can get up to over 7
knots under power at 2/3 throttle why should this concern me?
The only downside I can speak of is that here in Norway I am finding it very
hard to find supplies of the very thin grease you need to lubricate it. It
needs Esso Cazar K6 or equivalent. I found some last year but now none of
the Esso agents seem to stock it and the Lubriplate equivalent they
recommend in USA is unheard of here. I am working on this problem as we
speak.

I have a three bladed "flexo-fold" prop. Seems fine and I have had nor
problem with reverse (not down to the prop anyway!).

www.flexofold.com

Regards

--
Derek Lumb
Westerly Typhoon
"Whispered Secret" NWVYC
"Edgar" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
Dear all

We are changing our propeller to our 32 ft sailing boat and wondering
weather to choose folding or feathering propeller? What kind of
practical experience do you have from these feathering ones and what
are the benefits and disbenefits comparing to folding ones?

For us folding propellers are more familiar, but after seeking
information from web, we decide to check this feathering option too.

Do you have also some "good recommendations" for appropriate propeller
(now we have thought Volvo, Gori or Kiwiprop).

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

- Sailor from Scandinavia.

I have a 38' yacht with a Maxprop 2-blade feathering propeller which
offers
negligible resistance when feathered. I think it is better than a folding
propeller because it is highly efficient in reverse and you can dock in a
civilised manner under full control with the engine just above idling and
do
not have to rev up the engine in reverse to get decent braking as you do
with a folding prop.
Some will say that the relatively flat blades of a Maxprop are less
efficient than the more conventionally shaped blades of a folding
propeller
but as mine is a sailing yacht, not a power boat, and I can get up to over
7
knots under power at 2/3 throttle why should this concern me?
The only downside I can speak of is that here in Norway I am finding it
very
hard to find supplies of the very thin grease you need to lubricate it. It
needs Esso Cazar K6 or equivalent. I found some last year but now none of
the Esso agents seem to stock it and the Lubriplate equivalent they
recommend in USA is unheard of here. I am working on this problem as we
speak.

"Derek Lumb" wrote in message
...
I have a three bladed "flexo-fold" prop. Seems fine and I have had nor
problem with reverse (not down to the prop anyway!).

www.flexofold.com

Regards


My prop is a fixed, three-bladed type. It has less drag than any folding
or feathering prop ever made. As a matter of fact, it has no drag at all
when under sail. It never needs to be cleaned of marine growth and it
never needs anti-fouling paint. It costs about a hundred dollars. It
weighs less than a pound. It can be removed and re-installed in about
two minutes. It is clearly superior in every way to any folding or
feathering propeller.

Wilbur Hubbard

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:04:58 -0500, Wilbur Hubbard wrote:

"Derek Lumb" wrote in message
...
I have a three bladed "flexo-fold" prop. Seems fine and I have had nor
problem with reverse (not down to the prop anyway!).

www.flexofold.com

Regards


My prop is a fixed, three-bladed type. It has less drag than any folding
or feathering prop ever made. As a matter of fact, it has no drag at all
when under sail. It never needs to be cleaned of marine growth and it
never needs anti-fouling paint. It costs about a hundred dollars. It
weighs less than a pound. It can be removed and re-installed in about
two minutes. It is clearly superior in every way to any folding or
feathering propeller.

Wilbur Hubbard

Wilbur! I have the latest five blade model of this. It has anti snare
too, a must for sailing right through those pesky drift nets and pots
they insist on dumping around here. I'm told that the manufacturers are
looking at developing the vortex-plus for the next design. This actually
acts as a multiplier and gives roughly half a knot extra speed under sail!
Crossing the Irish Sea as I often do, this will probably cut about 45
minutes of the crossing time leaving me to enjoy a pleasant wait for the
tidal gate to let me in to harbor with the joy of pitching and rolling at
anchor as those lovely Seacats zoom their way in before me. Oh the joy of
speed!
Regards

For what ever,

I choose a Martec folding prop with streamlined tips to get that extra
1/2 knt while sailing.

It proved to be better Prop than my fixed Prop in every way accept for
the prop walk in backing, It became my primary Prop and the Fixed my
spare.

I choose a Martec Folder because of the simplicity.













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