feathering prop worth it

Apr 24, 2020
85
Hunter Cheribini 37 South Portland
Is a feathering prop worth the effort and expence for a
cruising sailor on a 37' boat?
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,077
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Depends on how you use the boat and for what. Daysailing - not so much. If you like speed, race or do passage making, absolutely. The difference in speed compared with a fixed 3blade prop can be startling.
 
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Likes: Justin_NSA
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Two sailboats on the water is a race. A folding/feathering prop might give you the edge.
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I don’t know about feathering but our folding prop is worth every penny on our 37 footer. Much better speed sailing, just enough prop walk in reverse, and less turbulence in front of the rudder so better steerage in high winds.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
A better question is why have a fixed prop on a sailboat
Economy. A 2 blade Sailor prop is more than adequate and inexpensive. Aligned with the rudder when sailing it doesn't add much drag. A folding or feathering prop is a big investment.

A better question might be "why have a three blade prop on a sailboat?"
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,077
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Economy. A 2 blade Sailor prop is more than adequate and inexpensive. Aligned with the rudder when sailing it doesn't add much drag. A folding or feathering prop is a big investment.

A better question might be "why have a three blade prop on a sailboat?"
Fair enough. I wonder if you have any experience comparing a 2blade vs. 3 blade prop in terms of power both in forward and reverse?
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Fair enough. I wonder if you have any experience comparing a 2blade vs. 3 blade prop in terms of power both in forward and reverse?
I had a two blade for years, and now a Maxprop. And I read a lot.[/QUOTE]
 
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Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,420
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
We have a 3 blade flex-o-fold on our HC 37, installed in 2004:

1 It definitely makes a difference, especially to upwind performance in light air
2 If you have the original 3QM30 Yanmar recommends sailing in neutral with the prop spinning and the whine will drive you crazy.
3 Our old fixed blade was knackered and in need of replacement. The new prop was much smoother.
4 It is a great status symbol. It is also a work of art. If I ever win the lottery I will buy one just to hang on the wall.:biggrin:

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Feb 10, 2004
3,919
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
My 2 cents: I don't race. My cruising is generally under 50 nm/day. But I do like to sail as fast as possible. So I replaced my OEM 2 blade prop with an AutoStream 3 blade feathering prop 20 years ago.
Comparatively expensive? Yes. But the performance is very noticeable. Up to 0.5 kt faster in light air. Reliable to open and feather since all blades are geared together. In reverse the blades flip so that the leading edge in forward is still the leading edge in reverse. This results in unbelievable stopping power. Three blades let me power through heavy chop much better. And I chose the AutoStream because it was all stainless (no different metals with the stainless shaft) and it was the only feathering prop at the time that could be re-pitched for forward or reverse while in the water, and also greased in the water. Since I was going from a 2-blade to a 3-blade I was concerned about getting the pitch correct.
 
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Likes: jon hansen
Apr 8, 2011
768
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
I'll just add that I motor a lot more than I'd like. The wind dies, or its on the nose, or I just need to get somewhere so I'm motorsailing. My fixed three-bladed prop was fine - functional and got the job done. I definitely appreciated it over a 2-bladed prop when powering against current or (more usually) chop if I wasn't sailing, which is preferred. But when sailing it just slowed the boat down (more than I realized), and the prop walk in reverse was something you had to consciously contend with. Yup, I could use it to my advantage too, but often it was just a PITA. I could always feel/hear it turning when sailing too, as Yanmar's bulletin directed the transmission be placed in neutral when sailing with the motor off.

This season I replaced it with a three blade Flex-o-Fold and even though its early in the season I couldn't be happier with the change. We can discuss the relative merits of folding vs feathering - but while interesting, I don't think there's a noticeable difference in performance for the purpose of this discussion from the OP. I'll just recommend wholeheartedly he consider one or the other and take the plunge. I have gained NOTICEABLE speed through the water with this prop, up to a knot under many circumstances up to 15 kts of wind. And there is absolutely no propwalk anymore - I just back up straight (well, if you zero out wind and current). There's no sound or vibration when sailing with the motor off. I am almost at hull speed at my cruise RPM now, which is nearly 2 kts faster than the same RPM with the three blade fixed prop. It is - hands down - the best upgrade I've made in three seasons. I nearly bought a spinnaker instead of the prop (budget!), but this was the right choice.

So do your research on folding vs feathering, make your decision, then your best deal, and just do it. Buy once, cry once. But every time you leave the dock you'll appreciate the upgrade.

YMMV.
 
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Likes: FastOlson
Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Really like our original 1991 three blade fixed prop. No plans to replace it. Suitable for our cruising style.
 

JerryA

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Oct 17, 2004
549
Tanzer 29 Jeanneau Design Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie
Folding prop gets my vote. Every sailboat should come with one.
 
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