Any thought on fitting a kiwi prop on to a long keel Neptunian?

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CalicoJack

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I need to replace my existing three bladed prop and am thinking of going for a kiwi prop which feathers. The main advantage that I can see is that it will feather when sailing and stop the prop shaft rotating (a noise which to my mind ruins the pleasure of sailing).

Does anyone have any thoughts about fitting one to a boat which already does not like to go backwards?

Nigel
 
If your boat doesn't like going backwards, a Kiwiprop seems the ideal choice. The blades are flat and rotate into a fixed reverse pitch. They are therefore just as effective in reverse as forward. There is also no prop walk at all. Only downside is the need for annual maintenance (in the form of greasing).

Service from the UK distributors, Vecta Marine, is absolutely first class (no connection).

Of course, other self-pitching props ) eg Brunton Autoprop) would do the same job in reverse but cost a lot more.

Simon
 
As a Kiwiprop user I can certainly vouch for its performance going astern. It'll give you a lot more power astern. Don't worry too much about the maintenance but make sure you get the maintenance kit from Vectra Marine which has the recommended grease and the correct nozzle size for the greasing points. It'll only take about 5 minutes to complete the greasing.
 
My KIWI prop on a 31 ft Parker has awesome power in reverse. Up to the point that, if the Yanmar 2GM20F is not fully warmed up, it will stall the engine. On my boat, prop walk in reverse is NOT absent, and stronger than on the 2-bladed prop it has replaced. However, I suppose this would be much less of a problem with a long-keeled boat.
Make sure you have a prop af the very latest series, because all the ones made last winter (350) are recalled. Corrosion issues with the blade carrier, preventing the blades to go in reverse.
I've fitted a tacho on the shaft; it still turns about 10 RPM.
 
Sorry to hijack post but have thought of fitting one of these on my boat. I'm based in Dubai which is warm water and high fouling. I have to clean barnacles off the current one every fortnight - so I'm worried about the prop sticking and not feathering -- any thoughts guys?
 
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The main advantage that I can see is that it will feather when sailing and stop the prop shaft rotating (a noise which to my mind ruins the pleasure of sailing).

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Seemes like an expensive solution to a minor problem. Have you considered just locking the propshaft by putting the morse control in reverse?
 
Good point. I had trouble with my first Kiwiprop going into reverse. It may have something to do with my engine/geabox combination, but for some reason, the blades would not pitch into the reverse position. This loads the engine and accounts for the previous post's experience with stalling (something the manual warns about on low powered, slow turning props).

The replacement worked fine at the start of the season, but is now exhibiting the same symptoms. This could be due to some fouling on the boss around the blade roots; these are a close fit to the boss. It might be that normal use would keep this area clear.

That said, apart from this problem they perform really well and there are a lot of satisfied customers. I just think they need an engine with a bit of grunt and a reasonably fast turning prop. If you want to give one a try, the sevice from Vecta Marine is absolutely first class and they have a no-quibble guarantee - money back if not satisfied.
 
Steven, the KIWI manual proscribes putting hard antifoul on the complete assembly. I checked the prop two weeks ago by drying the boat out. The antifoul stuck very well to the blades, but was completely gone on the central boss. Make your own conclusions.
 
As a keen sailor and employee of Vecta Marine, I can assure you Thalassa's statement about a recall on Kiwipropos is wildly inaccurate. The UK is Kiwiprops largest world market and there are hundreds of props here. A sporadic binding between two stainless steel components on a very small batch this year led to the replacement or rectification of just 5 props. No corrosion, no recall. <span style="color:blue"> </span>
 
I'm a great fan of feathering props; they improve the sailing and I agree that the ability to prevent shaft rotation when under sail is a high priority for peace and quiet. BUT, don't expect a cure to the age old problem of making (controllable) sternway with a long keeler. The 2 boats of which I have first hand experience before/after fitting a feathering prop,exhibited very little difference astern - I still know what they'll do, but there's s*d all I can do to change it!
 
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