Re: Pro's and Con's of Martec folding prop?

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: David, : The other posts are correct. It appears you are "over propped". As to the question of the Martec folding prop, that's a different question. You'd need specific advice from Martec as to whether that prop is the correct pitch for your boat. A feathering vs fixed prop change woon't fix that. Either needs to be matched to the boat and engine. : I've used the Martec on other boats and you'll see much reduced sailing drag and decent thrust. You'll also see much reduced performance in reverse. That's the nature of folding props, although there are some that will disagree. : Matching sailing drag and performance under power is why many of us have gravitated to feathering props. They give much lower drag under sail than 3 bladed (I'll never go back!)and good motoring performance - better that a fixed prop in reverse. The MaxProp, J-prop, and Martec feathering represent pivoting blade feathering props with good thrust performance and excellent drag characteristics. The Autoprop is "self pitching" and you really need to go to their website (www.autoprop.com) to see how it works. The Autoprop has more drag than the Maxprop or Martec but better thrust performance. : Other feathering props are on the market. A friend put the 3 bladed J-prop on is Irwin 28 and loves it. The Gori is a work of art, but I don't know anything about its performance. : I have an Autoprop and like it a lot. It is very sensitive to fouling, but gives great motoring performance, good backing and a significant reduction in drag under sail. : Lots of posts in the forum on "which feathering prop?" that you should review. : Good luck, : Larry : Melelana, 175 : : On my '89 C42 I am running a "3 blade cruising propeller" (18x14) which came from Catalina when the boat was new. I am able to sustain approximately 6.5 to 7 knots at 2000 rpm. I have owned the boat for 9 months and the fuel consumption is around .5 gallons per hour. The boat motors well and the engine runs smooth as a sewing machine, except for recent rough idle. It has been maintained properly and does not burn any oil, etc. : : PROBLEM: I can not get the engine to go over 2000 rpm while in gear (out of gear it will go up to 3500) and there is soot on my transom after each sail. : : The rpm limitation, I think, is due to the pitch of the prop and the soot is a result of overloading the engine. I say "think" after reading the posting in the forum on "Correct RPM's" of 6/25/03, which was very informative. : : POSSIBLE SOLUTION: A reconditioned, never used Martec Folding Prop "Mark III eliptec RH 18D x 10PX x 1 1/4", which came with my boat when I bought it. : : QUESTION: What are the Pro's and Con's of a Martec Folding Prop, and would it improve my situation? : : As a point of interest, I am a live aboard in San Diego, do not intend to do any blue water cruising except to Catalina and mostly do day sailing. : : Any input will be greatly appreciated. : : David Allgower : : Freedom

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