Thanks for the several responses from readers. I went out in the Gulf Stream this weekend and tried different ways to deal with prop rotation. Here are the results: Neutral... prop spins at anything above 1.5 kts Reverse... Same thing [spins backwards] Foward... no spin but transmission should be engaged with the boat at a near stop to avoid big thunk [damage] When sailing , the transmission is locked in gear. To free it up it is necessary to bring the boat up to windward and nearly stop. Then it will shift back into neutral so you can start the engine. Or you can start in gear [not recommended ] A very efficient prop with more speed at less rpm than my 2 blade folding Martec but the above is something you may wish to consider