Fixed vs Folding Prop

[doons60]

I have an S2 10.3 with a Martec II folding prop. Unfortunalty we lost one of the blades likely to being a bit overagressive on the throttle.
Now we're faced with replacing the prop and Im a bit torn over whether to invest teh extra $ in a folding prop, Martiec no longer has parts for the Mark II so we'd have to replace the entire prop.
We're not racers, so I need to ask what does the folding prop actually buy me that a well fitted fixed prop won't.
Also, OK I'm a bit frugal, is this going to be a huge pain to replace without pulling the boat out of the water?
Thanks...

[sailingdog]

Get a Kiwi Feathering Prop. It is less expensive than folding props and works quite well from all accounts.

[SanderO]

I've had a fixed 2 blade for 21 years and never had a problem and it's one less mechanical "thing" to worry about.

Jef
sv shiva

[sailboatcnc]

Performance is important to me but maybe not to you. Get the cheapest prop if money matters. I would get another folder or that feathering prop but I wet sand my VC bottom paint.

[captnnero]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Get a Kiwi Feathering Prop. It is less expensive than folding props and works quite well from all accounts.

Be careful before you buy one of these things. I've had one of these Kiwiprops for a year. They warn on their website about being overpitched in reverse and that is no joke. My max rpms in reverse are 1500 versus 2800 forward.

While it is easy to set the forward pitch in the water, there is no control of the reverse pitch, which with my M25XP is definitely overpropped in reverse. This mean that I must rev up to about 1300 before even selecting reverse or the engine usually stalls. It also means that the reverse thrust is weaker and sometimes the engine smokes when setting the anchor. After setting the anchor I rev the engine in neutral to clear the black out of the exhaust system.

The Kiwiprop does have some very innovative features and attractive pricing. I've followed their guidelines on the Kiwiprop website for reverse issues. After a year with this prop, I still feel that it needs some more development to provide reverse pitch control. In hindsight, I'd rather have spent another $1500 to get a more evolved design.
They do give you thirty days to evaluate the thing on your boat. In my case, that wasn't long enough before I realized the true shortcoming (in reverse) of it's design.

[Faster]

For non racers, the campbell sailor prop is worth a look. Much less drag than a michigan wheel, and the 3 blade is very smooth. Less cost compared to any folder or feathering prop.
http://www.westbynorth.com/

[haffiman37]

The answer to Your question might be as many as there are sailors.
There are a lot of factors to concidder:
The price You are willing to pay
The use of the boat(racing, cruising, daysailing, 'round the world', 'motorsailor'.)
The gearbox type (some boxes need to be locked in reverse, some may be allowed trailing)
Availability on Your 'local' market.
Your priority of speed by engine, by sail, maneuvering, reversing, prop noise and comfort.
Easiness of attaching and servicing.

Im happy with my Flex-O-Fold 3 blade on my 37 Jeanneau.

[cardiacpaul]

could always try this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MARTE...spagenameZWDVW

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by captnnero

Be careful before you buy one of these things. I've had one of these Kiwiprops for a year. They warn on their website about being overpitched in reverse and that is no joke. My max rpms in reverse are 1500 versus 2800 forward.

While it is easy to set the forward pitch in the water, there is no control of the reverse pitch, which with my M25XP is definitely overpropped in reverse. This mean that I must rev up to about 1300 before even selecting reverse or the engine usually stalls. It also means that the reverse thrust is weaker and sometimes the engine smokes when setting the anchor. After setting the anchor I rev the engine in neutral to clear the black out of the exhaust system.

The Kiwiprop does have some very innovative features and attractive pricing. I've followed their guidelines on the Kiwiprop website for reverse issues. After a year with this prop, I still feel that it needs some more development to provide reverse pitch control. In hindsight, I'd rather have spent another $1500 to get a more evolved design.
They do give you thirty days to evaluate the thing on your boat. In my case, that wasn't long enough before I realized the true shortcoming (in reverse) of it's design.

This is why I went with VariProp. You can set the forward and reverse pitches to different pitches...if that makes sense, and you can do it in the water.

[drynoc]

I had a left hand Martec folding prop on my boat when I bought it, but then I replaced the Volvo with a Yanmar, and needed a right hand prop. I bought the two blades from Martec (I forget the price, but a lot less than a new prop), but since they didn't fit the old prop housing, I had to have them machined very slightly (cost: $99). I now have a like new folding prop. You can call them with some basic information and they will take care of it all.