As long as you treat "propwalk" as the enemy, you will continue to have
problems with it and never learn to handle your boat well.
Learn to use it, treat it as your friend, compensate for it, and you'll
soon be wondering what all the fuss is about.
Accept it..... single screw or twin screw..... prop walk is an
important consideration to your boat's handling.

Shen

Roger Long wrote:
"Capt. JG" wrote

My question was how to correct it from a mechanical view, not how to
correct it by technique.

It's very difficult to correct mechanically. Physics are against you.
Open wheels are always going to walk. Variations in size and number
of blades with change the degree but the psychological effect of
spending a grand or more to reduce the problem will often be greater
than the actual change in forces.

The difference in water density with depth makes the wheel act like a
paddle wheel (grossly oversimplified explanation warning).

Three things you can do:

Put the prop in a nozzle. You really won't be happy with the drag
under sail of this arrangment!

Twin props. Not much better from the drag standpoint.

Angle the shaft to counteract the effect and normal backing speed.
Going forward faster and with more rudder authority, the off center
thrust will not be as noticeable.

Neither of these are practical as a retrofit.

--

Roger Long