I am looking at getting a flexofold prop and they asked what size the shaft is. Since my boat was abuilt in France I am pretty sure the shaft is metric but they want me to measure it to make sure. Can I measure the shaft in front of the dripless seal or do I have to get in the water and measure it at the prop?
New Prop
- Thread starter Southpaw
- Start date
Should be the same at both ends. Mine is 30mm (first 38) I think yours will be 25mm but measure to be sure! Will be a metric taper rather than Morse too.
I told them that I think that it was 25mm but they said it could be 25.4mm and since I did not buy the boat new I do not know if the shaft has been changed. They said 25mm is ISO and 25.4 is SAE. I did not know if the shaft tapered after the cutlass bearing or at the prop.
25mm would be standard for Beneteau. If replaced 25.4 is 1". The tapered part is where the propeller sits. Metric is 1:100 Imperial is 1:96. Measure in the boat, will have to haul to change prop. anyway.
If you measure and find shaft is 25.4mm the taper could be either. Metric to use old prop. or morse taper and use a taper ream on the prop. If 25mm everything is likely metric.
If you have instant acccess to the new prop. Head Sail has the best procedure. I had a prop custom made for my boat and didn't want to spend 2 weeks on the hard waiting for it. When it came I hauled out for bottom paint, cutlass bearing , zincs and the prop. Worked out well for me.
I am going to have the boat hauled out to get a bottom job done. They include a week with the bottom job any more time and l would have to pay for it. The prop takes 10 days to get so I was hoping to get the prop done at the same time as the bottom job.
That's why I measured and ordered the prop before-hand. Plus there is no haul-out on our island so it meant a ferry ride to the boat to do the work. Not so bad if you are in close driving distance to your boat.
A couple of options...when you remove the prop, reinstall hand tight. Have your diver observe the process. Put back in water. When new prop arrives, diver removes old and installs new.
Option 2. Instead of using a diver have the boat short hauled. Put prop on while it's hung without putting it on stands.
Just a recommendation to measure (twice) very carefully given that there is only a 1.6% difference.
Umm... no he won't. No prop, be it fixed, folding or feathering, requires a houlout to remove or install.
Right. I keep forgetting there are so many SCUBA divers around down there. Not so many on my island where the water is COLD and we are all OLD.