Two blade props don't get much respect so I'd like to put in two cents for them in response to Mainsail's excellent report on the Campbell Sailor.
Fewer blades are inherrently more effecient as long as blade area is the same. Most production sailboats do not have sufficient aperture size or tip clearance to properly match the prop to the engine horsepower so two blade props are going to feel deficient in many cases. It's the addition of blade area, not the additional blade number that makes the difference.
In an aperture where a two blade has all blades behind the keel so that the whole prop is shadowed at each revolution, the three blade wheel will be noticably smoother. My boat has the blade out in pretty clear flow and I would not have believed until I owned her that a two blade prop on a two cylinder diesel could be so smooth.
I have all the power I can use on my two blade wheel. I've kept moving at a good clip into squalls where the rain stung my face, the sail cover thundered, and boats near us had shreaded sails after it passed. She will buck into head seas as well as any powerboat.
I'd like to have something other than anecdotal data on the difference in prop walk. My boat has plenty in reverse but I'm glad to have it. As long as I can dock port side to, I can make her do things that once got me applause from the dockside loafers. I'll do a lot to avoid a starboard side to landing alone though.
I wouldn't change the wheel on my boat but I will agree that a two blade is not going to give satisfactory powerboat performance on the majority of sailboats.
I'd like to try a Campbell pattern two blade wheel though.
Fewer blades are inherrently more effecient as long as blade area is the same. Most production sailboats do not have sufficient aperture size or tip clearance to properly match the prop to the engine horsepower so two blade props are going to feel deficient in many cases. It's the addition of blade area, not the additional blade number that makes the difference.
In an aperture where a two blade has all blades behind the keel so that the whole prop is shadowed at each revolution, the three blade wheel will be noticably smoother. My boat has the blade out in pretty clear flow and I would not have believed until I owned her that a two blade prop on a two cylinder diesel could be so smooth.
I have all the power I can use on my two blade wheel. I've kept moving at a good clip into squalls where the rain stung my face, the sail cover thundered, and boats near us had shreaded sails after it passed. She will buck into head seas as well as any powerboat.
I'd like to have something other than anecdotal data on the difference in prop walk. My boat has plenty in reverse but I'm glad to have it. As long as I can dock port side to, I can make her do things that once got me applause from the dockside loafers. I'll do a lot to avoid a starboard side to landing alone though.
I wouldn't change the wheel on my boat but I will agree that a two blade is not going to give satisfactory powerboat performance on the majority of sailboats.
I'd like to try a Campbell pattern two blade wheel though.
