Flexofold Oddesy And Results

[BJH]

After much research and back and forth with Flexofold we decided on a 3 blade RH 15X10 prop ($2,463). Our boat is a 2005, M35B with a 1:88 gear ratio. Friday we splashed, pulled back out for a correction and slashed a 2nd time to sit and regain shape (story below). Saturday they checked alignment and FINALLY we took it around to our club, we found this was the correct prop. 7kn at 2,400 RPM, max RPM 2,850 (top OEM rated RPM 3,100) with not much further speed gain (maybe 1/2 knot) above 2,400 RPM. This was in relatively calm water with empty holding tanks and not loaded with supplies for cruising season yet.

That was the easy part. The hard part was the actual change out. I hired the boatyard to remove my prop thinking I'd simply install the new prop. The boatyard ended up breaking their mechanical puller and resorted to their hydraulic puller. The shaft was damaged from the removal of the prop beyond repair. A new shaft was bought along with a new PSS shaft seal, cutlass bearing and split coupler. This with dropping the rudder and all the yard work put us at a total cost of around $7,000 for this prop change. OUCH!!! She has all new running gear from the transmission back now but WOW did that hurt! Naturally the yard has forever lost my business as a customer, not just due to what I believe was them initially rushing the job resulting in damaging the shaft but their arrogance and not initially believing me when I told them the PSS that they put on my boat was what looked like a repaired shaft seal (discolored used ss nipple on the carbon disc surrounded by thick epoxy) which I had them pull my boat back out and install the NEW PSS seal I PROVIDED! They did admit their mistake after a heated exchange between me and the head mechanic/manager. Their final excuse? They couldn't find the PSS I provided (that was in the same box as the cutlass bearing I provided that they DID find) on my navigation table and they installed a "new" one provided by a local supplier. Regardless of which story they gave me (there were a few) the mechanic SHOULD have noticed the condition of the water injection nipple and abundance of epoxy on the carbon disc, I did right away and I'm sure the mechanic has seen way more of them than I have. In the end I have all new running gear behind the transmission but damn was that expensive!!!

[yodagwb]

Sorry, this may be a bit like closing the gate after the horse is out but if you are replacing the shaft you don't need to drop the rudder. You cut the old shaft out in sections. You remove the cutlass bearing, cutting it out if necessary. Install the new shaft which will fit just past the rudder due to the additional play of no cutlass and the last thing is to install the new cutlass bearing.

[BJH]

The yard thought there was a possibility of having the shaft repaired, in hindsight I should've went with my instinct and just had them to cut it out anyway and order a new shaft. Higher education IS expensive!

[yodagwb]

You got to love the professional. Their main talent is running up the bill. You do not have to drop the rudder to change the drive shaft. Once you cut the shaft out in 3 sections you can take the cutlass bearing out. Now there is enough play to slide the new shaft in past the rudder and then install the new cutlass bearing.