A WHILE BACK I was editing an article for Good Old Boat magazine. It said:
When you select a propeller, you should match every dimension of that propeller to the hull and the engine driving it to attain maximum efficiency. This makes propeller selection and calculation very difficult for those of us who are not naval architects.
Well, thats not completely true in my opinion. The experts in too many fields, such as navigation and splicing rope, like to spread the word that its more complicated than it really is.
There are two ways of selecting a propeller: theory and practice. And even naval architects have to resort to trial-and-error after theyve tried their best with theory.
Lets say youre not satisfied with your boats performance under power, and you suspect the propeller is the wrong size. First check the diameter. Go to page 45 of my book, The Boatowners Handbook, where theres a handy little graph. Lay a ruler between horsepower and prop-shaft revolutions, and see where it crosses the column marked Propeller diameter.
On page 47 youll find another graph that shows you the pitch you need. This points you in the right direction for your prop. Its about as good a result as the naval architect will get with all his complicated calculations.
So much for theory. Now we come to the practice. This doesnt hardly need any brains at all, so it suits me fine.
Make sure your boats propeller is free of barnacles and the hull is reasonably clean. Take her for a run in calm weather. The ideal propeller will allow the engine to reach the manufacturers top-rated revolutions per minute (and therefore full power) with the throttle opened fully. And at this stage, your boat should be achieving full hull speed.
Make sure your boats propeller is free of barnacles and the hull is reasonably clean. Take her for a run in calm weather. The ideal propeller will allow the engine to reach the manufacturers top-rated revolutions per minute (and therefore full power) with the throttle opened fully. And at this stage, your boat should be achieving full hull speed.
Now, if your engine starts to lug, or emit black diesel smoke, before it reaches top-rated rpm, youve probably got too much pitch. Its like trying to ride a bike uphill in top gear.
On the other hand, if your engine reaches top revs too easily that is, before your boat reaches hull speed you probably need to increase the pitch. Youre riding downhill in low gear and your little legs are whizzing around but youre not going very fast.
On the other hand, if your engine reaches top revs too easily that is, before your boat reaches hull speed you probably need to increase the pitch. Youre riding downhill in low gear and your little legs are whizzing around but youre not going very fast.
A propeller shop can alter the pitch of most auxiliary sailboat props a couple of inches at a fraction of the cost of a new propeller. For auxiliary sailboats with the usual 2-to-1 reduction gearbox, a decrease in prop pitch of 2 inches will increase engine revs per minute by about 300 to 400.
Its unlikely that youll need to change the prop diameter, but you might like to know that for roughly equivalent performance, if you decrease the diameter 1 inch, you should increase the pitch 2 inches.
Its unlikely that youll need to change the prop diameter, but you might like to know that for roughly equivalent performance, if you decrease the diameter 1 inch, you should increase the pitch 2 inches.
You dont need to be a naval architect to check your propellers actual performance this way. Its as much art as science plus a bit of grunt work to get the damn prop off the shaft to which it clings so determinedly.
Todays Thought
An expert is somebody who is more than 50 miles from home, has no responsibility for implementing the advice he gives, and shows slides.
Edwin Meese 3rd, White House counsel
Tailpiece
A pessimist is a person who builds a castle in the air and then locks himself in the dungeon.An optimist, on the other hand, is a person who fixes your eyes.
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