Will a high trust "saildrive" prop be ok on a dinghy?

[firstascent2002]

I've got a 4m avon and an 8hp high thrust "saildrive" outboard. How much performance difference would changing to a standard prop make do people think? It sort of palnes with one and potters well with two. Be nice to sort of plane with two!

What i'd like to do is change to a 20 hp ss twostroke but that is a job for next year! This year do I spend £50 on a prop or not?

J

 

[Haven't-a-Clue]

As no-one else has replied, I'll put my tuppence worth in. Unless your Avon has a v-floor, I think you're lucky to 'sort of plane' one up with 8 hp pushing 4 metres. A coupla years back I had a 3.2m Honwave V-floor and with an 8hp (sodding heavy!!) 4-stroke, I could plane easily one up and could manage it two up on full chat, but you could hear the fuel tank whistling as it emptied! My opinion for what it's worth would be to stick with the saildrive prop if you're gonna be two up with gear on a regular basis, as it will maintain thrust in a much wider set of sea states for less fuel. There will be other opinions along shortly I expect............

 

[owen-cox]

I think it would plane easily with 2 if you had a high speed prop I have a ( slightly tweaked) 2 cylinder 5HP evinrude with a damaged, tatty, high speed prop and it planes easily with 2 persons and gear. An 8Hp should push it along much better. The saildrive props I have seen have almost no pitch and big blades so are very good for torque but hopeless at speed.

 

[Haven't-a-Clue]

As I said, other opinions along soon! May I enquire as to the type and length of your boat, as I would assume this has a bearing on your opinion. My opinion, and it IS only an opinion, I'm no expert trust me here, based on the details the OP gave, I did and still do think that a high thrust prop would be more useful most of the time. Of course, if the OP wants speed most of the time, then a prop change is probably best course of action. Just my experience to go by here.