Anyone with experience of featherstream props?

[Oscarpop]

I am considering buying one of these props and am comparing it to the max prop.
It is about £500 cheaper, but seems from the very nice chap at the company as if they do the same thing.

Can anyone give any advice?

Many thanks.

 

[wrr]

Very Pleased

I fitted one of these to our long keel/heavy displacement yacht. We have no discernable loss of power in forward and a huge gain in stopping power in reverse. Sailing is now silent, previously we had rumbling from the spinning shaft. I did have to increase the rudder cut-out slighly to clear the blades, as predicted by Darglow. Otherwise, fitting was straightforward.
Darglow were very helpful with the specification and advice.

 

[Georgio]

I have an earlier version of the featherstream called the JFProp.

Darglow have been an excellent company to deal with when sorting out prop-pitch and buying spare anodes and prop grease.

I know a few boats with the Featherstream and all seem happy with it.

 

[GrahamM376]

Fitted a 3 blade Featherstream to replace 2 blade fixed, when re-engining. Very big difference punching into wind & chop, about 1 kt gain at low speed when sailing, much reduced prop walk. Excellent company to deal with, got the pitch and diameter right first time.

 

[deltasig]

Motor-Sailing performance of FeatherStream

Could some user of 3-B FeatherStream comment on motor-sailing characteristics of the prop, please.

 

[GrahamM376]

Could some user of 3-B FeatherStream comment on motor-sailing characteristics of the prop, please.

Ours was to replace a 2 blade fixed + new engine & gearbox so unable to offer direct comparison. The 3 blade Featherstream certainly has more bite so the biggest difference I notice is when pushing into headwind and chop.

 

[Leighb]

Fitted a 3 blade 2 years ago in place of a fixed 3 blade. Performs very well, definitely much more bite going astern, similar amount of propwalk, which with a long keeler is a plus else turning short round could be tricky.

Does seem to need a anode change annually, otherwise no problems.

 

[Tranona]

Could some user of 3-B FeatherStream comment on motor-sailing characteristics of the prop, please.

Not sure what you mean by "motor sailing characteristics". It is a fixed pitch prop so will be no different from a non feathering fixed pitch prop of the same size. There are props on the market that are either varaible pitch or self pitching which claim to give better motorsailing performance by adjusting the pitch to match the load and speed - usually resulting in greater thrust at lower revs.

 

[Sybaris]

Taken from a message I recently posted on another thread:

In addition to Darglow being a very nice company to deal with here are the advantages I have noticed with one season of usage (note we have two engines, shafts, and props so for us the advantages are even bigger but the price is also doubled):

Sailing:
- Much more speed and response in light wind
- More speed in strong winds
- Less drift in light winds
- Port tack was always better before, now they are the same and my theory is that the free spinning props pulled the boat slightly on stbd tack
- The stern does not pull as much left and right when going downwind in strong following sea (again the free spinning props must have pulled quite strongly when surfing)

Motoring:
- Quicker start (take off) when going forward
- Much quicker start when going astern
- Much easier to maneuver the two engines in tight situations (marinas etc.) at slow speed (one back and one fwd for example)
- Better breaking force
- Much less prop walk

The fuel consumption has increased by around 3%

Cheers,
Per

 

[Babylon]

similar amount of propwalk, which with a long keeler is a plus else turning short round could be tricky.

Yes, but the beauty of the Featherstream is this:

If you want dropwalk to help turn a long keeler (I have one too), then use high revs immediately in astern as with any prop.

But if you want directional control without the boat going all unpredictable, then start by giving the engine low revs in astern - where you should get very little, if any, propwalk. Then, once you've started tracking nicely backwards, you can gently up the revs a bit - again without inducing propwalk.

So, once you've got the hang of this, you realise that you have two distinct options, depending on what you're trying to achieve.

Under sail, I've found that the feathering prop makes an undiscernable difference to boatspeed in moderate or fresh winds, but in light airs it can make as much as 50% difference to boat speed - ie 3kts instead of 2kts! - compared to the old fixed 3-blader.

 

[Leighb]

Yes, but the beauty of the Featherstream is this:

If you want dropwalk to help turn a long keeler (I have one too), then use high revs immediately in astern as with any prop.

But if you want directional control without the boat going all unpredictable, then start by giving the engine low revs in astern - where you should get very little, if any, propwalk. Then, once you've started tracking nicely backwards, you can gently up the revs a bit - again without inducing propwalk.

So, once you've got the hang of this, you realise that you have two distinct options, depending on what you're trying to achieve.

Babylon, thanks for that technique suggestion, I will certainly try it out this year, sounds like the answer to a maiden's prayer.

We have got round the problem getting out of our berth by not using the engine at all. I just push her astern until we have a fair amount of speed and hop aboard (well not exactly hop at my time of life. ) and SWMBO is meanwhile steering her gently in the direction we want. We can then start to use the engine to continue the manoeuvre.

 

[Babylon]

Babylon, thanks for that technique suggestion, I will certainly try it out this year, sounds like the answer to a maiden's prayer.

We have got round the problem getting out of our berth by not using the engine at all. I just push her astern until we have a fair amount of speed and hop aboard (well not exactly hop at my time of life. ) and SWMBO is meanwhile steering her gently in the direction we want. We can then start to use the engine to continue the manoeuvre.

A maiden? At your age?!

Yes it does - mostly - work. Its what the ever-so-helpful people at Darglow suggested to me when I ordered mine, and its positively improved my long-keeler's handling in astern. But, this being sailing, be aware that a decent puff of wind on the beam is going confound everything anyway.

 

[Ridax]

I fitted a 18" 3-blade featherstream prop last year and am very satisfied both with the prop and the company. Darglow are extremely helpful and friendly in their communication and they got the prop dimensioning correct at their first try.

 

[samwise]

I fitted a 18" 3-blade featherstream prop last year and am very satisfied both with the prop and the company. Darglow are extremely helpful and friendly in their communication and they got the prop dimensioning correct at their first try.

+1

 

[Koeketiene]

I am considering buying one of these props and am comparing it to the max prop.
It is about £500 cheaper, but seems from the very nice chap at the company as if they do the same thing.

Can anyone give any advice?

Many thanks.

Faced the exact same choice two years ago.
Went back and fro a couple of times, but couldn't find anything to justify the additional £££ for the MaxProp and got the Darglow Featherstream.

Gained some speed sailing, and diesel consumption is down when motoring.
Very pleased with it. Would do so again.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Prop test

Thought you might find this interesting.

This test was done in calm water on a Rustler 36.

It shows the difference in boat speed between a fixed 3 blade prop and a Darglow JF, which was very similar to the Featherstream.

 

[dulcibella]

The previous owner of my R36 had chosen a Brunton Autoprop. While this is evidently an excellent prop for many boats, it produces a lot of vibration at low revs in the Rustler - possibly something to do with the complex shape of the space round the prop aperture. Anyway, when it finally shook itself to bits, I consulted Rustler who said that they had met this problem before and recommended the Featherstream. Having had it for over two seasons, I am delighted - it runs smoothly at all revs, has excellent stopping power and requires no maintenance other than annual greasing and anode replacement. I also confirm fully the very significant improvement in handling astern on a fairly unforgiving long-keeler.

 

[Ridax]

It shows the difference in boat speed between a fixed 3 blade prop and a Darglow JF, which was very similar to the Featherstream.

But isn't the noted difference in this case mainly attributed to different dimensioning of the props and not so much of an indication of their efficiency? It seems the JF was larger/higher pitch and thus gave more speed in low revs and prevented the engine from reaching the same maximum as with the other prop?

I am no engine or prop expert, so could be completely wrong though. I am happy every time the engine starts...