Which is the better propeller, Gori or Brunton

[Maatsuyker]

They are both claim to be the best. Anyone have experience with both? Opinions anyone ?

 

[Tranona]

Are you talking about folding propellers or the Bruntons Autoprop? There is no "best", all are good. My preference from experience is Flexofold for folding and Featherstream for feathering. Nothing wrong with Gori. The Bruntons Autoprop is very different in concept and does not suit all boats or patterns of usage but is popular with motor sailors as its really benefits are the ability to match pitch to conditions and engine loads.

What boat do you have and what sort of sailing do you do?

 

[doris]

A definite vote for featherstream. I got one for my last boat and it was outstanding both performance wise and economically

 

[Concerto]

I have had a number of Gori 2 bladed folding and very pleased with them. They have all worked perfectly in forward and reverse.

 

[RupertW]

A definite vote for featherstream. I got one for my last boat and it was outstanding both performance wise and economically

How did you find it for fouling? Our boat is kept in the water all year round apart from a couple of scrubs so anything which could stop working with a bit of growth would be an issue, hence lugging along a great big 3 bladed prop which must slow us down.

 

[westhinder]

Gori three-bladed folder here and quite satisfied with it. No experience with the other brands.
One of the advantages of Gori is the overdrive setting which reduces rpm and consumption for the same speed, or gives an extra knot for the same rpm. Like any folder it reacts slower to a burst in reverse to stop, but when you’re used to that it is ok, you just adapt your timing.

 

[Tranona]

How did you find it for fouling? Our boat is kept in the water all year round apart from a couple of scrubs so anything which could stop working with a bit of growth would be an issue, hence lugging along a great big 3 bladed prop which must slow us down.

Variable untreated but coating with Velox is worth doing. I did mine last haulout after bad experience with Ecopower, but based on my experience with Velox on the Flexofold on my last boat. Prepared as per the Velox instructions but with Hammerite Special Metals primer as suggested by others on here. Don't think fouling would prevent it operating

 

[noelex]

As others have indicated, "the best" depends upon your requirements and the specifics of your boat.

For our most recent yacht, we trialled a number of propellers. The Brunton Autoprop did not work well. We did not trial the Gori; the boatbuilder indicated he had seen too many engines damaged by using the overdrive incorrectly. In the end, a four blade Brunton Varifold was the best option on our vessel, but of course, your results would be different.

 

[CJTurner]

I had a Brunton H5 autoprop on a Moody 336 with VP2003 engine. There's no doubt about how well it performs whilst motoring or motor sailing (especially). It dropped 500 rpm and added at least 1/2 a knot. But it was not good in harbours. It took high revs to get any reaction - very little bite. There was also a significant thump when put in gear - I thought, to the point where damage could occur to the drivetrain or gearbox clutch. Not good...I won't be buying another.

 

[Poecheng]

I have three blade Featherstream FeatherStream
I have found it to be very good - it always folds (you just put the gear into reverse and you can hear it stop spinning) even at the end of the season. It always opens and bites straightaway.
Importantly, it bites in reverse immediately and really stops the boat; in fact, I have had to learn to put the boat in reverse only whilst it is almost touching ahead as it stops the boat almost instantly and quicker than you would expect.
Anodes are simple enough and they have put a bit more 'meat' on them now.
To grease it up: take out grubscrew, insert grease nozzle/nipple and pump it full of their green grease (which I also smear over the clean blades, as told to me by experienced boatyard manager, and which seems to work as well as anything else) - a very simple process.
Darglow answer the telephone.

 

[Malish]

I have three blade Featherstream FeatherStream
I have found it to be very good - it always folds (you just put the gear into reverse and you can hear it stop spinning) even at the end of the season. It always opens and bites straightaway.
Importantly, it bites in reverse immediately and really stops the boat; in fact, I have had to learn to put the boat in reverse only whilst it is almost touching ahead as it stops the boat almost instantly and quicker than you would expect.
Anodes are simple enough and they have put a bit more 'meat' on them now.
To grease it up: take out grubscrew, insert grease nozzle/nipple and pump it full of their green grease (which I also smear over the clean blades, as told to me by experienced boatyard manager, and which seems to work as well as anything else) - a very simple process.
Darglow answer the telephone.

Yep, spot on, plus they are made in the UK by a company that understands that a professional service results in loyalty. I've changed boat and the winter purchase was another Featherstream to ditch the fixed, towed bucket. I can't speak highly enough of the support during purchase and the delivery timing.

(no association etc)

 

[doris]

I totally agree with posts 10 and 11.

 

[Tranona]

Another good feature of the Featherstream is the ability to have different pitch forward and reverse which is particularly useful for some boxes that have different reductions in reverse. Even though my box is the same both ways it is set with less pitch in reverse which avoids that fierce jolt when engaging reverse to stop.

 

[Malish]

If you have not seen this test then it may assist you... Folding and feathering propeller test

 

[Koeketiene]

My previous boat came with a fixed 3-blade prob.
After 2 years, I put a 3-blade Darglow Featherstream on it.
Performance under sail, response in close quarters under engine, fuel economy, ... everything was better.

So much so that a Featherstream was the very first purchase I made for my current boat.

My first boat had a folding prop (don't recall the make - over 20 years ago) and it was 'a bit shit' (understatement).
Especially susceptible to fouling (in my experience).

 

[Channel Sailor]

My last yacht had a three blade Featherstream, owned it for about 7-8 years. It was 2nd hand by at least 5 years when I bought the boat. I was very pleased with the product and my dealings with Darglow for anodes. Later in its life I had the blades tidied up and re balanced by Darglow, again a very good result. It was the easiest yacht I can recall for handling under power. The only negative was it could pick up weed when feathered on my swinging mooring in a river, but it seemed to fling it off easily enough. Suggest a rope cutter is a good idea. Twice (in 7 years) while on motor I picked up excessive weed and weed + rope, which was very problematic to clear away.

I currently have a yacht with a two blade folding race Gori, it is a different experience because astern does not appear to have so much grip on the water compared to Forward. Forward seems fine, very good in fact. But that could be the yacht design, two blades instead of three, gearbox differences and a less powerful engine.