Anybody got ideas as to why my prop shaft is spinning while sailing? I have checked it underwater the feathering action seems fine. Also, as it is spinning while sailing, the engine rocks back and forth.....why??? Surely, it's not cranking the engine over.
- Status
Have you checked....
Gary....first off I visit Pirate's Cove as much as possible....was last there in May on my boat.....I bought my Kirie Elite 37 from Mike Hall who kept it at Pirate's Cove Marina. Anyway, the question to ask is...Have you taken the prop apart and cleaned and re-greased it lately? My Kirie has a feathering prop and in April I cleaned and re-greased it....it works like a champ. When sailing you should put the engine in reverse for the prop to work like it should. Good luck....
Gary....first off I visit Pirate's Cove as much as possible....was last there in May on my boat.....I bought my Kirie Elite 37 from Mike Hall who kept it at Pirate's Cove Marina. Anyway, the question to ask is...Have you taken the prop apart and cleaned and re-greased it lately? My Kirie has a feathering prop and in April I cleaned and re-greased it....it works like a champ. When sailing you should put the engine in reverse for the prop to work like it should. Good luck....
Whoa....
maybe I don't know how to use my prop? Never heard that it should be in reverse. I've always killed the engine while in forward. I bought my H31 from a guy in Pascagoula (ironically). It would do hull speed at 1800 RPM's. After 3 haul outs, I finally got the pitch correctly adjusted. Anyway, we did disassemble, clean and re-grease at that time. I just may take it out tomorrow and give it a try in reverse. Next trip to the Cove, look for me...."Cool Change". Thanks much
maybe I don't know how to use my prop? Never heard that it should be in reverse. I've always killed the engine while in forward. I bought my H31 from a guy in Pascagoula (ironically). It would do hull speed at 1800 RPM's. After 3 haul outs, I finally got the pitch correctly adjusted. Anyway, we did disassemble, clean and re-grease at that time. I just may take it out tomorrow and give it a try in reverse. Next trip to the Cove, look for me...."Cool Change". Thanks much
Starting
Dick's correct about sailing with the transmission in reverse - that'll make all the noise and vibration go away and it'll be q u i e t. When you go to start the engine it'll probably be difficult shifting it into forward with the engine off - standardly that's the way it is. So, with the transmission in reverse just start the engine and put it in idle, shift into neutral and then into forward. That's the standard operating procedure.
Dick's correct about sailing with the transmission in reverse - that'll make all the noise and vibration go away and it'll be q u i e t. When you go to start the engine it'll probably be difficult shifting it into forward with the engine off - standardly that's the way it is. So, with the transmission in reverse just start the engine and put it in idle, shift into neutral and then into forward. That's the standard operating procedure.
Reverse with care
Had a MaxProp for many years. Remember to allow the engine to STOP before selecting reverse. If you inadvertantly select reverse before the gearbox stops turning the prop will go into its reverse setting and will not feather until you run it in ahead again.
Had a MaxProp for many years. Remember to allow the engine to STOP before selecting reverse. If you inadvertantly select reverse before the gearbox stops turning the prop will go into its reverse setting and will not feather until you run it in ahead again.
To make sure I got it.....
After sails are raised, kill the engine in forward, then shift to reverse? Then when ready to re-start the engine, start in reverse then, in idle, shift to forward? I can't believe I've been doing it wrong for so long. Thanks for the help.
After sails are raised, kill the engine in forward, then shift to reverse? Then when ready to re-start the engine, start in reverse then, in idle, shift to forward? I can't believe I've been doing it wrong for so long. Thanks for the help.
Prop manufacturer's directions are clear
Max Prop specifically recommends to stop the engine in FWD gear and then shift into neutral. Do not shift into reverse as it defeats the purpose and will preclude the prop from feathering. All putting it in reverse will do is give you the false sense it has feathered by locking the prop from turning. Don
Max Prop specifically recommends to stop the engine in FWD gear and then shift into neutral. Do not shift into reverse as it defeats the purpose and will preclude the prop from feathering. All putting it in reverse will do is give you the false sense it has feathered by locking the prop from turning. Don
Gary....
Who did you buy the boat from? I probably know him/her.....my boat is docked in the city harbor...where in Pirate's Cove are you docked....behind the restaurant or at one of the private docks? Take care....call if I can help... 251-753-4494
Who did you buy the boat from? I probably know him/her.....my boat is docked in the city harbor...where in Pirate's Cove are you docked....behind the restaurant or at one of the private docks? Take care....call if I can help... 251-753-4494
Don & Dick....
shifting into neutral a few times after I hear the rocking of the engine, but with no success. Since there are dissenting opinions here, I'll call the manufacturer today. I have looked for on-line instructions to no avail. Dick....bought the boat (Jet Lag then) from a GREAT guy by the name of Greg Johnston. Can't remember the name of the marina where it was kept. Do you know the status of the marina in Gautier located on a small bayou just north of 90 behind a residential district? Great folks there....did a bottom job for cheaper than I thought possible. I suspect Katrina did them in though. I'm in a slip behind Paul Mueller's (owner of PC) home on the bayou....through the channel, around the first point to the left. Thanks
shifting into neutral a few times after I hear the rocking of the engine, but with no success. Since there are dissenting opinions here, I'll call the manufacturer today. I have looked for on-line instructions to no avail. Dick....bought the boat (Jet Lag then) from a GREAT guy by the name of Greg Johnston. Can't remember the name of the marina where it was kept. Do you know the status of the marina in Gautier located on a small bayou just north of 90 behind a residential district? Great folks there....did a bottom job for cheaper than I thought possible. I suspect Katrina did them in though. I'm in a slip behind Paul Mueller's (owner of PC) home on the bayou....through the channel, around the first point to the left. Thanks
Don - re Shifting Into Reverse
Shifting into reverse will not preclude the prop from feathering, and this wasn't mentioned, - unless the engine is running and then turned off while in reverse, and perhaps in neutral. The problem with the Max Prop is that it requires a certain amount of water to flow past it to overcome friction so the blades can change position. If the boat is going slowly, say, drifting along under 2 or 3 knots for example, the blades may not feather or not feather fully when in neutral and this will cause the shaft and prop to continue to spin. There has to be enough water pressure on the large part of the blades to overcome the friction. The Max Prop manual doesn't, as I remember, address what to do in the event the blades don't feather but then I have a really old manual. The fix for this ill, call it Plan A, can be to fire up the engine again, accellerate to 5 or 6 knots, turn the engine off, then quickly shift into neutral while you've got some good way-on. Plan B work-around, what I usually do when the blades don't feather properly, is to just shift into reverse. To check to insure they're feathered just shift again (if you can) into neutral and the shaft shouldn't spin. The problem is the transmission doesn't like to be shifted in this direction when the engine is off. It's fairly easy to detect if the blades are feathered or not because there's no turbulance and the boat is more lively and responsive, plus you don't hear the turning of the prop shaft. Life is full of choices and the real world doesn't always go according to theory.
Shifting into reverse will not preclude the prop from feathering, and this wasn't mentioned, - unless the engine is running and then turned off while in reverse, and perhaps in neutral. The problem with the Max Prop is that it requires a certain amount of water to flow past it to overcome friction so the blades can change position. If the boat is going slowly, say, drifting along under 2 or 3 knots for example, the blades may not feather or not feather fully when in neutral and this will cause the shaft and prop to continue to spin. There has to be enough water pressure on the large part of the blades to overcome the friction. The Max Prop manual doesn't, as I remember, address what to do in the event the blades don't feather but then I have a really old manual. The fix for this ill, call it Plan A, can be to fire up the engine again, accellerate to 5 or 6 knots, turn the engine off, then quickly shift into neutral while you've got some good way-on. Plan B work-around, what I usually do when the blades don't feather properly, is to just shift into reverse. To check to insure they're feathered just shift again (if you can) into neutral and the shaft shouldn't spin. The problem is the transmission doesn't like to be shifted in this direction when the engine is off. It's fairly easy to detect if the blades are feathered or not because there's no turbulance and the boat is more lively and responsive, plus you don't hear the turning of the prop shaft. Life is full of choices and the real world doesn't always go according to theory.
Called Max Prop....
The tech said that 99% of the time, killing the engine while in forward will effectively feather the prop. However, some engines/transmissions require a different procedure. He said to do whatever it takes to lock the prop shaft from turning. Next sail, I'll experiment to see what mine requires.
The tech said that 99% of the time, killing the engine while in forward will effectively feather the prop. However, some engines/transmissions require a different procedure. He said to do whatever it takes to lock the prop shaft from turning. Next sail, I'll experiment to see what mine requires.
OK....the jury is back...
Went to the Blue Angels show in Pensacola yesterday and got a chance to experiment with your suggestions. Good wind and on a beam reach and the enging started rocking and shaft spinning.....shifted into reverse and....I swear....IT WAS LIKE HITTING PASSING GEAR!!!. The noise subsided and everyone aboard felt the boat sort of lunge forward. I am sailing substantially faster, on all points of sail (GPS confirmed), than before. Thanks for the help!
Went to the Blue Angels show in Pensacola yesterday and got a chance to experiment with your suggestions. Good wind and on a beam reach and the enging started rocking and shaft spinning.....shifted into reverse and....I swear....IT WAS LIKE HITTING PASSING GEAR!!!. The noise subsided and everyone aboard felt the boat sort of lunge forward. I am sailing substantially faster, on all points of sail (GPS confirmed), than before. Thanks for the help!
re "HITTING PASSING GEAR"
Gary - your comment ".....shifted into reverse and....I swear....IT WAS LIKE HITTING PASSING GEAR!!! is exactly what I think it feels like. If you're going along at a fairly good speed and the prop is causing drag like a fixed-blade prop and then you shift into reverse so it feathers you can actually fell the boat accellerate. Maybe not exactly like being in a vette doing 0 to 60, but close. And then there's the q-u-i-e-t-! With all that swishing turbulence noise caused by the fixed-blades gone it becomes quiet. That is, except for perhaps the bow wake up forward.
I've been doing it that way for years and it's worked for me. Anybody that's still towing around a sea anchor just doesent know what they're missing. Thanks for the update and I'm glad to see it's working for you now.
Gary - your comment ".....shifted into reverse and....I swear....IT WAS LIKE HITTING PASSING GEAR!!! is exactly what I think it feels like. If you're going along at a fairly good speed and the prop is causing drag like a fixed-blade prop and then you shift into reverse so it feathers you can actually fell the boat accellerate. Maybe not exactly like being in a vette doing 0 to 60, but close. And then there's the q-u-i-e-t-! With all that swishing turbulence noise caused by the fixed-blades gone it becomes quiet. That is, except for perhaps the bow wake up forward.
I've been doing it that way for years and it's worked for me. Anybody that's still towing around a sea anchor just doesent know what they're missing. Thanks for the update and I'm glad to see it's working for you now.- Status