Anyone got anything bad to say about feathering/folding props?

[ianj99]

Another vote for Kiwi props.
At least 0.5kt improvement in sailing speed especially in light airs.
Also much more powerful in reverse with a higher pitch that really aids close quarter manoeuvring. I find mine does rotate unless put in gear. And I think 55HP is the limit.
They're also cheaper than the competition.

Add me to the Kiwi prop supporters list!

Superb bite ahead and especially astern and my 10t steel ketch needs it.

With the fixed blade prop it always felt a bit out of control - ie like an under powered car towing a big caravan.

Now it feels like a sports car by comparison - a lot more responsive, albeit with more pronounced prop walk to port going astern.

I excercise the blades over the winter by running it in both gears for a few minutes once a week.

I can't comment on sailing benefits as I only had it fitted in October.

Ian

 

[Bosun Higgs]

my 10t steel ketch ....... feels like a sports car

 

[sailor211]

Biggest difference to us is that we can easily sail in 3-6kts of wind, when with the the bladed fixed we would hardly move. 1/2 knot at 1kt boat speed is a lot.

Sailing at 5 kts with 12 kts wind it may only be .25 to .5 kt so less noticable.

A vote for feathering if you sail as much as possible and do not use the donkey at any every opportunity

 

[NornaBiron]

Hundested multi pitch propeller

We have a Hundested multi pitch propeller system that gives great fuel economy when motoring. We can mechanically change the pitch at any time, giving more pitch to improve torque while punching through heavy seas. When the blades are set at negative pitch our sailing speed increases by 1 knot. The other benefit of this system is that you can fully reverse the pitch and go astern while going ahead, this enables you to prop walk in the opposite direction than is normal. This is a great help when mooring stern to when the wind is beam on, without a bow thruster.

Unfortunately it is incredibly expensive!

 

[Sybaris]

We have a Hundested multi pitch propeller system

Wow, I have never heard of Hundested before and they have not been in any of the recent propeller test. I went to their website and they look seriously good.

http://www.hundestedpropeller.dk/products/cp-propellers.html

I just got our Featherstreams last year and am very happy but always curious of what else is out there. Could you let us know how they pitch, i.e. do they change the pitch automatically like Autoprop, or using some other system? and can you indicate approximate prices (I can't find any on their site)?


Cheers,
Per

 

[scottie]

Hundested are big boat answer used with bigger engines when leaving a propeller trailing is not an option or fishing boats to enable best use of propeller for trawling or free running
They were fitted with a simple clutch rather than gearbox and when manoeuvring you simply adjusted the pitch to give direction and speed as hydraulic gearboxes became less expensive they would be used as clutches.

The shaft is hollow and has inner sliding shaft which alters the pitch.

The albin Vegas used a smaller version

The answer is also in the name they are controllable pitch propellers.

Don't ask the price and I doubt if it would be retrofit as it larger sterntube etc

 

[NornaBiron]

Wow, I have never heard of Hundested before and they have not been in any of the recent propeller test. I went to their website and they look seriously good.

http://www.hundestedpropeller.dk/products/cp-propellers.html

I just got our Featherstreams last year and am very happy but always curious of what else is out there. Could you let us know how they pitch, i.e. do they change the pitch automatically like Autoprop, or using some other system? and can you indicate approximate prices (I can't find any on their site)?


Cheers,
Per

Hi Per,

Each prop is handmade to order so you have to apply for prices. To give you an idea ours cost £2963 in 1983! The pitch is controlled by a separate wheel in the cockpit which can be used when underway. The wheel is connected to an FR type gearbox separate to our main forward and ahead gearbox. This allows full mechanical alteration of pitch range from fully feathered to fully reversing the prop.

Andy

 

[flaming]

That is simply not true of most of the props currently on the market as shown in the YM test. It may have been true in the past of some of the poorer folding props where the emphasis was on very low drag. It is not true in general of any of the feathering props that the OP is considering, and as several people in this thread have commented, performance in reverse is often superior to that of a fixed prop. Improvements in blade design and mechanisms have improved many of the folding props to the point that reverse and stopping performance is at least as good as an equivalent fixed prop.

I think the prop on the Elan I sail is an especially slippery racing one, but forward drive and reverse bite are more than acceptable. Only comment I would make is that stopping power in astern is definitely less than other folders I have experienced. However, when reversing in stopping power in ahead is very good. As a result, whenever the breeze is up, or the berth is especially tight I always reverse in, as I know I have the ability to stop the boat or to abort and go back out forwards.

The number of times I get accused of showing off.....

 

[Tranona]

The number of times I get accused of showing off.....

Yes, there is something about doing things the opposite way to normal that excites some people. My old long keeler will only go to port in reverse so I almost always reverse out and down the alley and get a round of applause. Really the applause should be on the odd occasion when there is no wind and I manage a small turn to starboard first so I can go out forwards.

Of course with the Bavaria you can do pretty much what you want proided there is no wind on the beam, but reversing in is still admired.

 

[flaming]

Of course with the Bavaria you can do pretty much what you want proided there is no wind on the beam, but reversing in is still admired.

I much prefer it with a full crew. When you reverse they can't all stand in front of you and obstruct your view!

 

[Tranona]

Years of practice backing up to Greek quays and standing facing backwards is the key.

 

[rotrax]

Another vote for Kiwi Prop. Faultless since installed. Much better stopping, less propwalk and .7knt. improvement when sailing. Exeptional value for money by comparison with others and spare blades are very cheap. Have a look- you wont be sorry!

 

[ianj99]

Another vote for Kiwi Prop. Faultless since installed. Much better stopping, less propwalk and .7knt. improvement when sailing. Exeptional value for money by comparison with others and spare blades are very cheap. Have a look- you wont be sorry!

One other plus point is the ease of pitch adjustment.
Simply turn a 4mm set screw near the root of each blade (astern pitch is fixed at max).