When sailing with a fixed blade prop, is it better to allow the prop to free-wheel or place the transmission in reverse to stop the spinning of the prop? It seems to me that slightly less drag is encountered if one allows the prop and shaft to free-wheel (spin) When doing this on my Beneteau 331 with Yanmar 3GM and three-blade prop. I encounter a whuning sound that begins around 5 knots of sailing speed. Is there damage being done to the shaft bearings or transmission by allowing free-wheeling? For that matter, is there damage being done by placing the transmission in reverse when sailing? Any thoughts welcome. Regards, Dave Humphreys Patriot, B-331