Propeller Upgrade

[Captain Kirk]

I've had Sand Dollar for about 10 years now and have made do with the 2 blade (15x10 -I believe) but its time to upgrade.

I want to stick with a fixed prop. I have had, in the past on my C320 both a 3 blade fixed that came with boat and then a Kiwi 3 blade feathering prop.

I'm mostly considering another fixed blade but a 3 blade this time. This existing 2 blade cavitates terribly when pounding into big seas. The speed drops to 1 -2 knots in some extreme instances. Yes I do usually fall off and motor sail but sometimes i just tough it out.

I've looked at a few options and would like to get some feedback from other owners.

We use the boat on shorter trips for several 1- week cruises in the spring, then in late June we go out until Labor Day. So lots of goods times on the boat - love the 350!

[russp]

Hi Kirk,

Since you have had a Kiwi you know all about them but I have found them fantastic. Added about 0.5 kt under sail, very powerful reverse, and after about a decade of use and recent 5 years of neglect, was easy to clean up, re-lubricate, and it is still working perfectly. Infinitely better than the 2 blade fixed my 350 came with.

Regards

[cuthbert]

I think I had the original 15x10?? (3 blade) on the boat and about 6-7 years ago changed to the upgrade/revised Catalina recommended 14x9RH 3 blade which I think has its own thread here. I only did this after the original "pinked" (variability of bottom cleaners and zinc replacement is a totally different subject).
I looked long and hard at folding props, but the general consensus seems to be unless you are a racer or similar the cost let alone the upkeep (bottom cleaning again and general maintenance) it's just not worth it. My most common trip is Catalina and back towing a dinghy. Nearly all the time it's a beam reach and the drag of a flat bottom dinghy is unnoticeable to me under sail, It feels like I'm zipping along in 12-16kts of wind with about the same speed with/without the dinghy, so I imagine the benefit of more speed with a folding prop may be there but for me as a once a year racer, not so.

I just changed over to a Highfield dinghy with an aluminum keel, slightly more weight perhaps a slight increase in drag but again when sailing I don't see it being a difference.

When I'm coming into my slip towing vs non towing at very low speed the point at which I go to idle and coast in changes, so there is obviously a measurable difference of drag that I'm sure shows up with the folding prop in the same way. So, you pay your money and make your choice. I bought my prop from

The Prop Shop
3610 South Rd #100
Mukilteo, WA 98275

They seemed the best around when I shopped.

[JohnNorton]

I just lost my rudder- it simply fell off !! Reading about this many sources say something to watch out for is a "pinkish" or unusually colored deposit on a propeller. This will most likely be from stray current of any source which in turn causes the rudder post to act like an anode, releasing metal into the water- degrading the rudder post until....well, my rudder is gone. Conclusion- A PROP SHOULD NEVER LIIK "PINKISH".