I knew my old fixed 3 bladed prop on my 28' S2 sailboat was in bad
shape so I was expecting to replace it when I hauled her. It was
REALLY bad. Corrosion had got to it so bad that I could literally
break a blade off by pulling on it and it had huge chunks out of each
blade.
So........I got on the phone to Performance Props and with the Yanmar
transmission gear reduction ratio ordered one of their props by next
day mail, plus a prop puller, plus the reccomended anti-fouling
paint. From their description, I expected a thin bladed flexible
plastic thingy of some space age resin.
It got here today and I am sorta impressed and sorta worried. It isnt
a thin plastic, it is a massive plastic casting, impressive. The
blades are very thick and rounded on each face. The prop puller (for
about $30.00) I coulda made myself outa 2 1/4-20 bolts and an alumimum
bar but thats ok, small companies need their money and I really will
use it. The directions said to sand it and paint it with the supplied
anti-fouling paint. So, I sanded it. Opened the paint (for some
reason they sent two cans) and it is white, huh? Read the can, it is
some sorta zinc compound, non-toxic, hmmm. The paint does not go on
very well and streaks badly so I paint several coats sanding lightly
after each coat after waiting two hours tween coats.
So, the prop goes on the boat tomorrow. New prop, new bottom paint,
new zinc.
Will it work better under power than my old 3 bladed prop? I'll let
you know.

On 2007-11-28 19:00:56 -0500, said:

I knew my old fixed 3 bladed prop on my 28' S2 sailboat was in bad
shape so I was expecting to replace it when I hauled her. It was
REALLY bad. Corrosion had got to it so bad that I could literally
break a blade off by pulling on it and it had huge chunks out of each
blade.

Oh, wow....

Check the rest of the bronze underwater, too, as that could be a bad sign.

So........I got on the phone to Performance Props snip From their
description, I expected a thin bladed flexible plastic thingy of some
space age resin. It got here today and I am sorta impressed and sorta
worried. It isn't a thin plastic, it is a massive plastic casting,
impressive. The blades are very thick and rounded on each face.

I first saw one about 10 years ago. I lusted after one, if only for its
beauty, but they hadn't yet perfected the 3-blade for the Yanmar -- and
they wouldn't sell me the wrong prop. (and I believe it's more like
Marelon than plastic.)

So, the prop goes on the boat tomorrow. New prop, new bottom paint,
new zinc.
Will it work better under power than my old 3 bladed prop? I'll let
you know.

Please do! I've yet to know anyone that's actually used one, but when I
talked to the guy, I got the impression that their ads are a bit
understated.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On Nov 29, 2:56 am, Jere Lull wrote:
On 2007-11-28 19:00:56 -0500, said:

I knew my old fixed 3 bladed prop on my 28' S2 sailboat was in bad
shape so I was expecting to replace it when I hauled her. It was
REALLY bad. Corrosion had got to it so bad that I could literally
break a blade off by pulling on it and it had huge chunks out of each
blade.

Oh, wow....

Check the rest of the bronze underwater, too, as that could be a bad sign.

So........I got on the phone to Performance Props snip From their
description, I expected a thin bladed flexible plastic thingy of some
space age resin. It got here today and I am sorta impressed and sorta
worried. It isn't a thin plastic, it is a massive plastic casting,
impressive. The blades are very thick and rounded on each face.

I first saw one about 10 years ago. I lusted after one, if only for its
beauty, but they hadn't yet perfected the 3-blade for the Yanmar -- and
they wouldn't sell me the wrong prop. (and I believe it's more like
Marelon than plastic.)

So, the prop goes on the boat tomorrow. New prop, new bottom paint,
new zinc.
Will it work better under power than my old 3 bladed prop? I'll let
you know.

Please do! I've yet to know anyone that's actually used one, but when I
talked to the guy, I got the impression that their ads are a bit
understated.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages:http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips:http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Je

Sorry about that mixup but the Perfect Pitch from Performance Props is
a 2-blade to replace my old 3 blade bronze prop.
The only other bronze underwater is my prop strut and I filed away
enough material (about 2 mm) to reach good metal so I know there is
some good metal underneath. I plan to replace it as soon as I can
figure out how to get one or have one made.
My worries about the new (2 bladed) prop is if it will perform as well
under power as my old 3 bladed bronze prop. Drag under sail is a
small issue with me since I have found that about half of my cruising
time is spent under power anyway.
A good reason to order from these guys is that I have heard so many
horror stories about poor props that I despaired over getting a good
one from any other source. My old prop was so far gone that its pitch
couldnt be determined and maybe not even its diameter. I felt that
these guys had enough experience to get it close to right on the first
try. Multiple tries are not a possibility due to the difficulty of
getting her hauled or even pulling the prop on and off several times
over the winter. (boat stays in the water here but it is too cold to
swim).

David

David,
You have a severe electrolysis issue that you need to address. You can take
a bronze prop and throw it in the ocean for thirty years and at the end of
that it will be as good as new. When people put them on the end of a shaft
and they go away like yours nobody thinks anything about it. Do you see
anything wrong with that picture?
Steve

wrote in message
...
I knew my old fixed 3 bladed prop on my 28' S2 sailboat was in bad
shape so I was expecting to replace it when I hauled her. It was
REALLY bad. Corrosion had got to it so bad that I could literally
break a blade off by pulling on it and it had huge chunks out of each
blade.
So........I got on the phone to Performance Props and with the Yanmar
transmission gear reduction ratio ordered one of their props by next
day mail, plus a prop puller, plus the reccomended anti-fouling
paint. From their description, I expected a thin bladed flexible
plastic thingy of some space age resin.
It got here today and I am sorta impressed and sorta worried. It isnt
a thin plastic, it is a massive plastic casting, impressive. The
blades are very thick and rounded on each face. The prop puller (for
about $30.00) I coulda made myself outa 2 1/4-20 bolts and an alumimum
bar but thats ok, small companies need their money and I really will
use it. The directions said to sand it and paint it with the supplied
anti-fouling paint. So, I sanded it. Opened the paint (for some
reason they sent two cans) and it is white, huh? Read the can, it is
some sorta zinc compound, non-toxic, hmmm. The paint does not go on
very well and streaks badly so I paint several coats sanding lightly
after each coat after waiting two hours tween coats.
So, the prop goes on the boat tomorrow. New prop, new bottom paint,
new zinc.
Will it work better under power than my old 3 bladed prop? I'll let
you know.

On Nov 29, 3:46 pm, "Steve Lusardi" wrote:
David,
You have a severe electrolysis issue that you need to address. You can take
a bronze prop and throw it in the ocean for thirty years and at the end of
that it will be as good as new. When people put them on the end of a shaft
and they go away like yours nobody thinks anything about it. Do you see
anything wrong with that picture?
Steve

wrote in message

...

I knew my old fixed 3 bladed prop on my 28' S2 sailboat was in bad
shape so I was expecting to replace it when I hauled her. It was
REALLY bad. Corrosion had got to it so bad that I could literally
break a blade off by pulling on it and it had huge chunks out of each
blade.
So........I got on the phone to Performance Props and with the Yanmar
transmission gear reduction ratio ordered one of their props by next
day mail, plus a prop puller, plus the reccomended anti-fouling
paint. From their description, I expected a thin bladed flexible
plastic thingy of some space age resin.
It got here today and I am sorta impressed and sorta worried. It isnt
a thin plastic, it is a massive plastic casting, impressive. The
blades are very thick and rounded on each face. The prop puller (for
about $30.00) I coulda made myself outa 2 1/4-20 bolts and an alumimum
bar but thats ok, small companies need their money and I really will
use it. The directions said to sand it and paint it with the supplied
anti-fouling paint. So, I sanded it. Opened the paint (for some
reason they sent two cans) and it is white, huh? Read the can, it is
some sorta zinc compound, non-toxic, hmmm. The paint does not go on
very well and streaks badly so I paint several coats sanding lightly
after each coat after waiting two hours tween coats.
So, the prop goes on the boat tomorrow. New prop, new bottom paint,
new zinc.
Will it work better under power than my old 3 bladed prop? I'll let
you know.

Yes, I do see the problem. Solution, go to a different dock and keep
up my shaft zinc. I have no shore power at all so that is not an
issue. This is the first time in the 14yrs I have owned my boat I
have had a problem and most of that time I specifically did NOT use a
zinc because it causes a bronze prop to foul. However, the corrosion
only started when I moved to this dock. My 6 month old zinc looked
like Swiss Cheese.

On 2007-11-29 08:41:16 -0500, said:

Sorry about that mixup but the Perfect Pitch from Performance Props is
a 2-blade to replace my old 3 blade bronze prop.

No, it's me that's mixing you up. I needed a three-blade to eliminate
vibration from our long shaft and big blade.

The only other bronze underwater is my prop strut

No through hulls?

and I filed away enough material (about 2 mm) to reach good metal so I
know there is some good metal underneath. I plan to replace it as soon
as I can figure out how to get one or have one made.

They are somewhat standard; we replaced one fairly easily though it
wasn't an exact match. Take measurements before you splash, angles and
distances.

Sounds like you might have a bad ground, perhaps a bilge pump "hot"
lead in the bilge water, or as happened to a dock mate, a slightly
mis-wired alternator.

Bronze doesn't go punky for no reason.

My worries about the new (2 bladed) prop is if it will perform as well
under power as my old 3 bladed bronze prop. Drag under sail is a small
issue with me since I have found that about half of my cruising time is
spent under power anyway.

Our 2-blade gave us better performance and economy than the three-blade
because less blade area = less drag. We had to switch to eliminate the
vibration, or we'd have a 2-blade.

I suspect you're going to like the results, particularly as bad as your
old one was.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:41:16 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Multiple tries are not a possibility due to the difficulty of
getting her hauled or even pulling the prop on and off several times
over the winter. (boat stays in the water here but it is too cold to
swim).

A good diver with a wet suit can swap out a small sailboat prop very
quickly. My guy can swap out a pair of 30 inch props weighing over 50
lbs each in about 30 minutes.

On Nov 30, 8:19 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:41:16 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Multiple tries are not a possibility due to the difficulty of
getting her hauled or even pulling the prop on and off several times
over the winter. (boat stays in the water here but it is too cold to
swim).

A good diver with a wet suit can swap out a small sailboat prop very
quickly. My guy can swap out a pair of 30 inch props weighing over 50
lbs each in about 30 minutes.

Only one guy near here who dives under the boats and he will only do
it for $50 and is hard to reach too. A real problem if I need it done
sevral times.