Folding props in the Bristol Channel

bitbaltic

bitbaltic

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Boat in Milford Haven
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Evening all,

I'm thinking of upgrading to a folding prop for our boat when she's hauled out in the next six weeks or so to be made ready for the new season. It seems a natural upgrade as she's a fairly well fettled cruiser/racer and I am interested in the half knot sort of improvence under sail which seems to be a rule of thumb for folders. However, I have encountered some skepticism about the ability of a folding prop to shift a boat against our tides.

Does anybody have experience of punching big tides under motor with a folder in the upper reaches of the channel, Cardiff/portishead? Do you make acceptable progress? Should I have anything to fear?

Boat is 30ft, light at about 3 to 3.5 tonnes in cruising mode, with a 19hp penta 2020 sail drive. Current prop is two bladed and I was thinking of a two bladed flexfold.

Advice appreciated

Cheers
 
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well I have a Starlight 35 sailoing out of CBYC and which a crane driver tells me weighs 7 tonnes fully loaded. We use a two blade folder with a 29 bhp volvo shaft drive. If anything the boat is a bit underpowered struggling to get much more than 5.5kn at 2250 rpm but I dont find that an issue. Nor do I have problems with power in reverse.

my prop is a radice which I suspect Bowman chose because it was the cheapest not the best. I see no reason why a modern two blade folder should be any worse than a two blade fixed.

I think the half knot is a bit overstated. That would be the difference between a big 3 blade fixed and a folder.
 
I don't think the issue of punching tides is relevant. Surely no-one tries to motor or sail against the tide. I see no reason why a properly specced folder should be any different to a fixed in motoring performance ahead. There may be more concerns astern, and that perhaps becomes a case of researching the particular product you are interested in. I sailed a few times on an Oyster 395 with a folding prop (sorry, no idea what) and it hardly worked at all astern.
 
I really would not worry too much about reverse. I join in the racing at cardiff bay at times and in the "weakest to the wall" fight to get into the locks, I have often found myself needing to reverse or stop quickly and without problem. Hit no one - well yet anyway!
 
We've got a Radice 2 blade folding on our GK29 with a 16hp Beta. Copes happily in the river but not great astern although it could be me of course. Some else at the club changed from a Radice to a feathering prop and found a big improvement going astern. Either way, no issue motoring with the two bladed folding.
 
Hi Huw

The prop was fitted as an optional extra when she was built / commissioned, so sorry not sure on the make but some photos are attached below.

2013-06-10 19.58.23.jpg2013-06-15 15.11.23.jpg2013-06-15 15.11.32.jpg

Cheers

Stu
 
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