On our Catalina 36 we have a three blade fixed prop. It has significant port prop walk while in reverse but most of the time I can use that to my advantage. For extended cruising/motor sailing, should I stay with the three blade? Or look at a folding or max prop? We had a two blade max prop on our 34 and it was excellent for control, but this is a another reasonably good size expenditure with few years left to amortize it over. Welcome anyone's thoughts, thanks, Rich
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Rich
Richard & Joan Bain
PAZZO Hull#1670
1997 Catalina 36 MK11
Bayfield, Ontario
My Day Job Below
www.richardbain.com
www.bineapress.com
Folding propeller- for me the biggest frustration WAS the learning curve of how to use a folding propeller. To minimize prop walk for both fixed and folding props is learning to PULSE the props. Pulse means to engage and dis engage transmission at lowest engine RPMs. When backing out of dock, engage in reverse at lowest RPM, once engaged increase the RPMs hard enough to get the water flowing, drop RPMs and put transmission back in neutral. Due to my narrow dock situation I have to make two
90 degree turns to enter fairway and do this in reverse.Then drop ROMs as slow as possible, go to neutral, then forward (again keeping RPMs as low as possible when shifting from neutral to forward). Once in forward, Goose (low to high to low to high 2 - 4 times) the RPMs slowly to allow props to fold out and engage. When going into a dock, approach dock as SLOWLY as possible. Basically drift in, with engine RPMs as low as possible, to allow you to PULSE forward if you need it, or pulse in reverse to slow or stop you forward movement.
IMO, I think your faster sailing speeds with the folding prop, especially for long distance sailing is a huge benefit.
peter g
2000 C36, MK2, Hull. #1897
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ! ! !. 5 th Catalina