"Gary KW4Z" wrote in message
...
Thankfully there is a very good Prop shop in the town where I'll be living
and using the boat. From what I'm told he is one of the best Prop shops
in
the state of Alabama so maybe there is some hope there. I think I'll let
him set me up with a prop. I know he has used and new and says that a
used
prop is much less money but I wonder if there may be a reason to buy new
over the used, Ohh well I have a bit more time to make up my mind on that
one.



You're fortunate to have a good prop shop near you. I would let him make a
recommendation as to where to start with diameter, pitch and blade
configuration. Tell him about your boat and motor, and what type of running
you typically do. I would bet that he can get pretty close on the first
guess. Usually, a quality prop shop will be more than happy to work with
you to achieve an optimal result. Most good shops will allow you to return
a prop and exchange it for a better solution if it is brought back in new
condition. I would verify that your shop has this policy in place, and if
so, let him make all the recommendations and then follow them. He's more
likely to see the process through to a successful conclusion if he's calling
the shots rather than you. BTW, I'm a firm believer in stainless over
aluminum. Assuming the theft was a fluke, and not likely to be repeated
anytime soon, I think stainless is well worth the premium. On the other
hand, if your boat remains vulnerable to theft, stay with aluminum.
Nobody's likely to bother stealing an aluminum prop.