Two Bladed or three bladed prop on Long Keeler?

[Transcur]

The sern post is only 4 inches wide and has long drift bolts through it to the dead wood. Drilling for the sterntube would nearly cut the post in half reducing its strength too much, as well as cutting through several of the stern post bolts. Cutting a hole in the rudder really mucks up sailing performance and balance. I really had no option. Therefore no centre line installation and no hole in the rudder. A bit expensive but so what. Spread over several years it doesent matter.

 

[Blueboatman]

Hi Roach,for what its worth my first-tired- boat had a Sabb engine which involved no gearbox but was connected to a 2 blade variable pitch prop that could be aligned 'fore and aft' when sailing.All very slick but a bit ponderous and lots of vibration when motoring,though most of that came from the tiredness of all the bits,I suspect. When I experienced the very same engine but fitted with a 3 blade fixed prop on two other boats,the difference was very noticeable when motoring,particularly the 'bite',motoring speed and better response time when nudging in and out of forward and reverse at low (marina) speeds...
Since theoretically one blade of a 3 blader will be pretty much behind the stern post when sailing,would one really notice the drag from the other 2 that much,I wonder?

 

[milltech]

I guess you could achieve both with a Brunton autoprop and a shaft brake.