Propeller porn

[Loki9]

Santa came early :)

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/6656/img0231b.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/545/img0231b.jpg/)


http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4302/img0230ab.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/img0230ab.jpg/)


http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/5470/img0232iw.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/546/img0232iw.jpg/)

[Laker]

Beautiful prop , absolutely beautiful.

The beer however .....

[Gordo]

Love that last shot!!!!!

[msmith10]

I love my Martec prop. Pay attention to the instructions that come with the prop, though. Don't shift into gear above idle speed. The prop blades open and hit stop shoulders which are machined into them. Opening the prop at speeds above idle forces them against those stops which are then bit-by-bit knocked down, and which will eventually throw the prop out of balance. You can send the prop back to Martec to rebuild, but it's not a cheap proposition. I think it cost me about $275 a few years ago.

[Dave Neptune]

Jeff, yes that is indeed propeller porn for racing, however I whole hardidly disagree on the total concept of light beer:eek: and something wonderful. No matter your liquid bread preferance a prop like that should be "shot" with a real beer not a light one or perhaps some good rum. As you are an Afourian ;) I can frogive you and wish you luck.
Pay attention to msmith10's advise on slamming into gear, it's good advise!
At least I did not get blamed for this one :p.

Dave Neptune :eek:

[congoboard]

My new to me 1978 Newport 30 came with an "extra" folding prop like the one in your pictures. The first owner was big into racing and changed out the original for the folding prop. The second owner (I am the third) told me it caused too much "cavitation" so he put back on the original.

I am saving my pennies for one of the Indigo three blades so my folding prop is available if anyone wants it (or wants to trade for it) - just make me an offer I can't refuse. I have the original documentation from the early 80s when it was purchased. I can be reached at donnello@bc.edu

[sailhog]

Normally I don't condone porn... but in this case.... well, that was pretty good. Woof! Time for a cigarette....

[Maurice]

Laughing hard Dave and Jeff...nice prop but I have to agree with Dave. What's with the "training beer"?

[dvd]

Congo

I am going to email you about your folding prop.

dvd

[sastanley]

Jeff...great pics. Wonder where the inspiration for that last shot came from!!! :rolleyes:

Interested to know how the Martec prop works with the A-4. I still don't like giving up sailing performance for a 3 blade prop! :eek:

What's the pitch and diameter?!?!

[Loki9]

Jeff...great pics. Wonder where the inspiration for that last shot came from!!! :rolleyes:

Interested to know how the Martec prop works with the A-4. I still don't like giving up sailing performance for a 3 blade prop! :eek:

What's the pitch and diameter?!?!

Thanks for appreciating that last shot :D The others just razzed me on my admittedly poor beer selection without giving the proper nods to forum tradition.

The prop is a 12x6 as per Martec's recommendation. The drag I imagined from the original fixed 2 blade made me sick to my stomach. I could not even consider an Indigo 3 blade.

[jpian0923]

This Forum is hard on people! I get picked on for drinking Merlot, and I'm in CA.

[ILikeRust]

The drag I imagined from the original fixed 2 blade made me sick to my stomach. I could not even consider an Indigo 3 blade.

I put the Indigo on my boat - haven't had it back in the water yet, but I'm betting it won't make any discernable difference in speed under sail. First, even if it does, I don't care, because I'm not racing anywhere. Second, I have to think that even if it does, it's going to be a teensy-tiny difference, because the prop I took off was a 12" 2-blade, non-folding and the Indigo is only 10" diameter. I have a full keel, and the blade is in an aperature behind the keel - so I'm thinking if the 2-blade stopped in a horizontal position, I would have had those two big blades hanging out there. Chances are, with the keel blocking some of the prop, the Indigo will not have much more area exposed to the water flowing past.

Plus the Indigo looks downright tiny hanging off the back of my boat. I have to say I was surprised after I put it on and stepped back to look at it. It really does look almost comically small in relation to the boat. But I'm expecting it will get me higher revs, smooth running and - hopefully - better top speed and quicker reversing thrust.

Time will tell...

[ndutton]

I'm not a racer either but was involved in it in the 70's. In sort of a backwards way the race guys would add drag to their boats. Although I never saw anyone use a 3 bladed prop, one particular method was to widen the shaft strut.

The strategy in doing so was there was a greater benefit in handicap rating than actual drag produced.