How much faster?

[James_Calvert]

Are there any folding/feathering props that don’t need annual maintenance?

As a matter of routine I take the blades off our prop when we are laid up, and grease the pivot pins.

But I don't believe the grease has any lasting effect, there's no sign of it at the end of the season, so it's probably not strictly necessary.

The essential task is getting it clean, and recoated with a choice of unguent intended to reduce fouling, which kind of works.

But this would be the same with any prop, folding or not. How do you deal with your fixed one?

Ours is a simple two bladed one, no integral anode, relies on the shaft anode for protection which obviously needs changing from time to time. Similar ones still available on the market.

 

[RupertW]

As a matter of routine I take the blades off our prop when we are laid up, and grease the pivot pins.

But I don't believe the grease has any lasting effect, there's no sign of it at the end of the season, so it's probably not strictly necessary.

The essential task is getting it clean, and recoated with a choice of unguent intended to reduce fouling, which kind of works.

But this would be the same with any prop, folding or not. How do you deal with your fixed one?

Ours is a simple two bladed one, no integral anode, relies on the shaft anode for protection which obviously needs changing from time to time. Similar ones still available on the market.

For our fixed one, if the hull isn’t getting a full scrubbing from a diver or an antifoul if possible then I snorkel down an scrub off barnacles and slime as needed.

 

[Concerto]

I would love to install a folding/feathering prop but it’s the annual maintenance that puts me off. We often don’t have access to a yard with haulout over winter, let alone one with the experience to maintain a complex prop, so it’s as non-starter. This winter we have a broken seacock and no real options for getting it fixed as the big marina we are in has no haul out facilities.

Are there any folding/feathering props that don’t need annual maintenance?

I have a Gori 2 blade folding propeller fitted and the only maintenance it gets is cleaning off the barnicles when lifted out. If I am leaving the boat in the marina over the winter then every few weeks I run the engine in gear, both forward and reverse, to charge the batteries and lubricate the engine. Basically there is no more maintenance than a fixed propeller. This is not the first Gori propeller I have experience with, so my advice would be to fit a folding propeller not a feathering one which do need maintenance and adjustment.

 

[johnalison]

I have a Gori 2 blade folding propeller fitted and the only maintenance it gets is cleaning off the barnicles when lifted out. If I am leaving the boat in the marina over the winter then every few weeks I run the engine in gear, both forward and reverse, to charge the batteries and lubricate the engine. Basically there is no more maintenance than a fixed propeller. This is not the first Gori propeller I have experience with, so my advice would be to fit a folding propeller not a feathering one which do need maintenance and addjustment.

It would be a shame to fix an expensive folding prop without being able to check the anodes.

 

[dunedin]

I'm in a similar position. I need to change prop and while I am tempted by either a flexofold or an autoprop, I rather like having something with no moving parts (well, one moving part) down there.

Flexofold are great props. So far not aware of any maintenance needed other than replacing anode and cleaning, the latter done when annual lift for antifouling.
However, I find less fouling if left polished metal rather than painted, but this means anode best checked after 6 months. Tend to pay diver (cold water here) to replace in autumn as cheaper than a lift, and much cheaper than corrosion.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Flexofold are great props. So far not aware of any maintenance needed other than replacing anode and cleaning, the latter done when annual lift for antifouling.

My apologies - I meant "featherstream or autoprop". There is no room for a flexofold and even an autoprop would need a modification to the rudder cut-out. A featherstream would go in the existing 'ole.

 

[Concerto]

It would be a shame to fix an expensive folding prop without being able to check the anodes.

A large hull anode a 2 shaft anodes is plenty of protection I have found. Gori do not have an anode fitted to the propeller.

 

[LittleSister]

I would love to install a folding/feathering prop but it’s the annual maintenance that puts me off. We often don’t have access to a yard with haulout over winter, let alone one with the experience to maintain a complex prop, so it’s as non-starter.

I have a feathering prop*, and would have no trouble doing the annual maintenance between tides on scrubbing posts. Cleaning off the fouling is the most time consuming part. Then it's removing a couple of screws and pumping it full of grease, and changing the prop anode (another 3 screws).

(*Can't remember brand name offhand. German made, and Bruntons used to be UK agent.)

 

[RupertW]

I have a feathering prop*, and would have no trouble doing the annual maintenance between tides on scrubbing posts. Cleaning off the fouling is the most time consuming part. Then it's removing a couple of screws and pumping it full of grease, and changing the prop anode (another 3 screws).

(*Can't remember brand name offhand. German made, and Bruntons used to be UK agent.)

Thanks for the reply but we don’t have tides. So the folding prop looks like the best compromise at the moment.

 

[LittleSister]

Thanks for the reply but we don’t have tides.

Not the Greenwich I remember, then!

 

[Laminar Flow]

We have been through the folding/feathering should we/should we not exercise to distraction ourselves. Despite of her appearance, we push and sail our boat hard and we have done everything to make her sail better and faster.

At relative speeds around a factor of 0.9 (generally accepted average sailing speed), in our case 4.8kts:

Fixed 3 bladed and non-rotating prop causes a loss in speed of 16%, or 0.75 kts
Fixed 3 bladed and left to spin causes a loss in speed of 8% or 0.38 kts (this is our case)
Fixed 2 blade, left to spin and feathering props cause a loss in speed of 4% or 0.2 kts
Feathering prop causes a loss in speed of 1% or 0.05 kts.

We do not have the space for a feathering prop, so the max gain for us, with a feathering prop would be 0.2 kts. Hmm...

We do make some effort to keep her bottom clean. In Holland they have severe restrictions on (toxic) contents of their bottom paints and last year, after just three months, we were already starting to grow weed and slime after having transited back to Brittany. Loss of speed: 0.5 - 0.7 kts.
Fixed that; the tidal grid at Bas Sablons (St. Malo) costs only 20 Euro and comes with a power washer powerful enough to toss you across same grid and they also collect the run-off.

 

[michael_w]

Get rid of all that 'essential' stuff you've got onboard. Re-discover the correct waterline, as the designer intended. Ask yourself, 'Do I really need 15 Fray Bentos snake and pigmy pies?' Plus that string of shackles suitable for a 60'er.

 

[geem]

Get rid of all that 'essential' stuff you've got onboard. Re-discover the correct waterline, as the designer intended. Ask yourself, 'Do I really need 15 Fray Bentos snake and pigmy pies?' Plus that string of shackles suitable for a 60'er.

We have been through the folding/feathering should we/should we not exercise to distraction ourselves. Despite of her appearance, we push and sail our boat hard and we have done everything to make her sail better and faster.

At relative speeds around a factor of 0.9 (generally accepted average sailing speed), in our case 4.8kts:

Fixed 3 bladed and non-rotating prop causes a loss in speed of 16%, or 0.75 kts
Fixed 3 bladed and left to spin causes a loss in speed of 8% or 0.38 kts (this is our case)
Fixed 2 blade, left to spin and feathering props cause a loss in speed of 4% or 0.2 kts
Feathering prop causes a loss in speed of 1% or 0.05 kts.

We do not have the space for a feathering prop, so the max gain for us, with a feathering prop would be 0.2 kts. Hmm...

We do make some effort to keep her bottom clean. In Holland they have severe restrictions on (toxic) contents of their bottom paints and last year, after just three months, we were already starting to grow weed and slime after having transited back to Brittany. Loss of speed: 0.5 - 0.7 kts.
Fixed that; the tidal grid at Bas Sablons (St. Malo) costs only 20 Euro and comes with a power washer powerful enough to toss you across same grid and they also collect the run-off.

We have a Brunton Varifold. Its a three blade folder. We change the anode annually but no other maintenance required. I suspect it gives us about 3/4 of a knot of extra speed. I love it