Prop very vulnerable to seaweed

[preservedkillick]

Hey everyone,

I've got a 3 blade Campbell Sailor prop that sits in an aperture in the keel/rudder on my Alberg30. My setup seems very sensitive to seaweed. I snag seaweed all the time and it kills my motoring speed. I don't remember this so much when I had a big bladed style prop. This past week was especially bad, lots of seaweed in the water after Irene. I'm sick of diving and using the boathook to clear the prop so I'll get a hook-knife.

It kills me to see other sailboats motor right through islands of the stuff when it stops me dead in my tracks! I've heard cutters don't work. Reversing the prop helps a little and then only sometimes.

Am I the only one with this issue?

[DoubleEnder]

I just subscribed to this thread as I'm curious also. I have a 30' full keel too!

The real funny thing is we are sitting on one of Tug Boat Inn's moorings in Boothnay as we are slowly sailing back home to Buzzards Bay after escaping Irene's rather up here.

Small world!
Brian

Ps how do you like the performance of the CS 3 blade?

[preservedkillick]

Hi Brian,

We were on a mooring outside of Tugboat on Saturday night. We have a mooring on the other side of the harbor but sometimes visit the inner harbor to get dinner.

I'm unsure about the CS 3 blade. This is my second season with it, and I noticed getting caught up with seaweed soon after we splashed last spring. I don't remember having as much trouble with my previous prop. Less drag? I don't know. I can't say I noticed a difference. When I got the prop, I was shocked at how small it is. Compared to my old 3 blade prop it looks like a trolling motor propeller. When clear of weeds it does push the boat well even with a headwind and chop. Plenty of power. I wonder if since the blades are so small, and rely on the a steeply pitched leading edge the prop is more sensitive to the smallest bit of weed.

I'd like to swap back and forth between the CS and my old prop..but I'm to cheap to get a diver or have the boat hauled.

[DoubleEnder]

I had a two blade CS in my previous. boat.(Frances 26) and liked it. I've been trying to decide if I should go 2. blade again or 3.
This might swing the deal back to 2.
What do you have for an engine? The prop I have now is definitely not right.

Brian

[preservedkillick]

Vetus 20hp. I'd think a 2 blade CS would be tiny, especially behind a full keel with fat deadwood in front of it.