Guys, I am new to sailing with an inboard motor. My 28 has a folding prop. Should the gear remain in FWD position while sailing and the engine off or should it be placed in the neutral position? Your thoughts on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
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Reverse
While it can vary by transmission, most sailing trans are locked in reverse. However, with a folding prop, it may not make a difference, altho I find that putting it in reverse puts a positive fold on the blades that will otherwise still turn the shaft in neutral. RD
While it can vary by transmission, most sailing trans are locked in reverse. However, with a folding prop, it may not make a difference, altho I find that putting it in reverse puts a positive fold on the blades that will otherwise still turn the shaft in neutral. RD
reverse
there have been numerous posts regarding this topic, and the conclusion generally seems to be to sail in reverse. There is a yanmar mechanic who posts regulrly on this forum and he stated that there is an internal stop in reverse which keeps the shaft from rotating. If you sail in neutral, the shaft will rotate, and the danger is that the oiling pumps are not operating and there is a potential lubrication problem in the trans and engine. check the archives for more info. fair winds, chris
there have been numerous posts regarding this topic, and the conclusion generally seems to be to sail in reverse. There is a yanmar mechanic who posts regulrly on this forum and he stated that there is an internal stop in reverse which keeps the shaft from rotating. If you sail in neutral, the shaft will rotate, and the danger is that the oiling pumps are not operating and there is a potential lubrication problem in the trans and engine. check the archives for more info. fair winds, chris
Well...
While I agree that sailing in reverse is an excellent idea if you have a fixed prop, I don't think it makes any difference with a folding prop, because the prop shouldn't be 'windmilling.' Apparently, a windmilling prop slows the boat down quite a bit, and, more importantly, could result in rotational friction within your transmission under conditions where its lubrication, owing to it's design, might be compromised. The cool thing about a folding prop is, well,... that it folds, (obviously)... right? And, therefore, it shouldn't windmill,... (at least mine doesn't) therefore, ergo, ipso facto, etc., it probably doesn't matter at all whether or not you shut down in reverse, or in neutral, or whatever, as it would with a fixed blade prop. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it... however I'm ALWAYS willing to be educated by the smarter folks reading the forum. So lemme know what ya think. Have fun, Rick.
While I agree that sailing in reverse is an excellent idea if you have a fixed prop, I don't think it makes any difference with a folding prop, because the prop shouldn't be 'windmilling.' Apparently, a windmilling prop slows the boat down quite a bit, and, more importantly, could result in rotational friction within your transmission under conditions where its lubrication, owing to it's design, might be compromised. The cool thing about a folding prop is, well,... that it folds, (obviously)... right? And, therefore, it shouldn't windmill,... (at least mine doesn't) therefore, ergo, ipso facto, etc., it probably doesn't matter at all whether or not you shut down in reverse, or in neutral, or whatever, as it would with a fixed blade prop. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it... however I'm ALWAYS willing to be educated by the smarter folks reading the forum. So lemme know what ya think. Have fun, Rick.
Well, Kinda...
,,however, a folding prop, at least a geared one such as mine, will continue to rotate in neutral in LIGHT air and that is why I shift to reverse to positive fold it. I can then move to neutral again if I wish (altho don't usually since there isn't any point). Rick D. I should add that as a matter of course, I let the engine cool down for about five minutes at low RPM before shutting down, so there isn't a bunch of boat speed yet to fold the prop in our typically light early-day conditions.
,,however, a folding prop, at least a geared one such as mine, will continue to rotate in neutral in LIGHT air and that is why I shift to reverse to positive fold it. I can then move to neutral again if I wish (altho don't usually since there isn't any point). Rick D. I should add that as a matter of course, I let the engine cool down for about five minutes at low RPM before shutting down, so there isn't a bunch of boat speed yet to fold the prop in our typically light early-day conditions.
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