Folding prop

[Lea and Wayne]

Hi,

We are considering replacing our fixed blade prop with a folding (or feathering) prop for the cruising season. We have looked at the web sites for Flexofold and our technician has experience with them. I see from the web chatter that there are Gori three blade props installed in the fleet. Our tech also suggested we consider a feathering prop as an option, however, in our early spring sailing season we deal with significant clusters of lobster traps.

We are currently leaning toward a two or three blade Flexofold, but would welcome your thoughts.

Lea and Wayne, Hull #32

St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia

BTW: we also experience temporary Fix losses with our GPS and will more than likely end up with an external antenna. We have requested a solution from our dealer.

[Alan Bock]

I put a Gori 3 blade on and it worked great.  It also has an overdrive feature which seemed to help.

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Alan Bock

 

[Victorian Yacht Charters]

Hi ,

I put a Gori 3 blade on a Catalina 320.

For some unknown reason it failed in reverse and I hit a bollard. (Not Happy)

I removed it and put the fixed back on.

Prior to that I had a Bavaria 31 with an Auto stream  3 blade Feathering.

No issues for 5 years.

 

David Hull  #44.

[Diane Walters]

Hi Lea and Wayne,

We had a 2-blade Flexofold on our Catalina 28 and loved it.  When our 355 was on order, Eddie did a lot of research.  He felt that we needed a 3-blade prop on this boat and decided to go with the Gori due to the lower drag coefficient.  (Eddie is a former racer and has performance in mind with most C-355 decisions.)   Our boat was christened on January 17, 2011 with the Gori,  and has sailed about 48 weekends a year since then.  The Gori has met our expectations extremely well. 

 Call Eddie 919-601-8030 if you have questions.  He is on the road most of the day and has time to talk, but not so much time for e-mail.

Happy sailing,

Diane and Ed Walters

Tenacious # 6

Kerr Lake, NC

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[David Everett]

Hi All,

I've (hopefully) attached an article that I found great for helping me decide on my new prop.

I've chosen an Autostream feathering 3-blade prop. The fixed 16 by 11 has been replaced with a feathering 17 by 13 (18 by 12 is the ohter option). I've gained on average 0.75-1.0 knot when sailing hard and achieving hull speed - consistent 7-8 Kn range, and at least 0.5 Kn in light conditions. The prop turns around in reverse which gives it nearly the same thrust as forward which has made my adventures in the marina MUCH less stressfull as it stops, goes, reverses on a dime now, and did I mention almost imperceptable "prop walk" especially in reverse (which used to cause reversing into my berth a nightmare as it wouldn't go back straight. Performance in forward is, I would estimate, about 5% less than the fixed prop, but I still cruise at 5.5 Kn in flat calm at 2100 rpm, and the tiny loss is more than made up by the amazing difference in sailing speed. It has one alarming requirement, which I'm getting used to, and that is to get it to feather you turn off the engine (going forward), then momentarily select reverse, then back to neutral, which must put a brief strain on the gearbox, but I've searched far and wide on the internet and nobody has reported that as causing a proplem. It definately stays feathered when back in neutral, as I've gone down to look at the shaft when we've gone at various speeds, including a screaming 8 Kn in 25 kn breeze, and its a beautiful sight to see it just sitting there, still. And no more of that damned singing whine from the old fixed prop spinning its head off! It is better balanced too - no vibrations at all; I think my fixed blade was not quite perfectly balenced. Its stainless steel (of some ultimate type, hence its reputation of lasting forever and standing up well against damage on objects), not bronze, and anti-fouling it is optional. Good for me is that its Australian made (spins the other way - joking!), which helped when I rang the very helpful guy at the factory to check that I REALLY did have to hacksaw 1/2" of the end of my shaft to make it fit! It just seemed wrong and evil to take up the hacksaw and take of the little 'tail' just beyond the thread on the shaft; but I did, and it fits snugly, and works really well.

This prop, and the Doyle UPS are the two best enhancements I've made to my boat so far.

Check the article, as other props did well, but some famous names didn't do quite so well.

cheers

David

[Jon Vez]

Hi Dave,

 

Great info! Thanks for posting your experiences. I’m still on the fence as to which way to go. As with everything, props are a measure of compromise. For me, the two driving factors are Prop Walk and Lobster Pots.

 

In my opinion, our boats have some of the worst Prop Walk I have ever experienced and minimizing this is my primary goal in deciding which prop is right for me. I am leaning toward a folding prop to minimize the chance of catching lobster pots, as they are very prevalent here in New England. I had an Auto Prop on my last boat, but I don’t think this will work on our boats, so I am leaning toward either a Flex-O-Fold or a Gori; however your experience with the Auto Stream has me intrigued.

 

A couple of questions: Did they get the pitch correct? Can you attain WOT (wide open throttle) of 3600? What are you using for a zinc? Since there is very little room on the shaft for a traditional collar zinc, this is another consideration for me.

 

Finally, I agree with the advice that a 2 blade is not a good idea for our particular boat. Due to the underwater profile, the skeg will always partially block one of the blades. Since folders depend on water pressure to engage the prop, this becomes a real factor. Not surprised that you had issues with your fixed prop. As I mentioned in a previous post, mine was significantly out of balance and not correctly pitched! Finally, any chance you checked your Cutless Bearing while you had this work done?

 

Thanks again for the great info!

 

Regards,

 

Jon Vez

--

[David Everett]

Hello Jon, and Group,
Pitch - confession, I'm way too sensitive a guy to fully open the throttle on my poor Yanmar; a chicken in fact. What I did on calm/flat day was gradually increase revs/speed until it was more than I'd ever normally do, except for emergency. I got to 3100 rpm, 6.8 Kn, and no black smoke, no vibration, and it "felt" like there was only a bit more throttle to go. Satisfied, throttled back to 2200. What revs do most people motor at? My conclusion was that I'm definately not under pitched, and no black smoke suggests not over pitched. The standard fixed blade has curved blades (forgot correct term), which is why its good in forward, and bloody hopeless in reverse, and why it has so much prop walk. This prop has non-curved blades, hence requirement to go up in diameter and pitch, but its reverse performance is a revelation (also stopping in a very short distance). The advice was to go for modest increase in diameter, and moderate increase in pitch (alternative is moderate diameter/modest pitch) so that it maintains a good gap between prop and skeg, which prevents something like turbulance (again, forget proper term - we barely speak english here you know). have today just left an unfamiliar marina at Port Lincoln (centre of South Australia's best cruising area), and the improved behavior of the boat has increased my confidence in tight places a lot - or was it the beer last night?

Zinc - prop comes with its own zinc, neatly fitted to the tapered back, and even a spare which is nice.

Cutless bearing - I did all the fitting myself, and I'm no mechanic. Took about 4 hours, including reading every step of the good instructions about 20 times before doing something. It was quite complex - partial disassembly, then re-assembly once on shaft. As I was doing it, had the usual passing parade, including a couple of marine engineers wanting to meet a new owner. I did ask two of them about the cutless bearing, as in how do I know its OK, and what do I do with it. Both said grab the shaft/prop and shake it looking for any play. There was none, so that's good. Both said leave it alone if not wearing loose. I stand to be educated on the cutless bearing though - must be more to it than that.

Finally, I think the fact that it is made of very hard steel means it has rarely been reported to suffer damage from wrapped lines, striking objects etc. There are anecdotes re this on various internet discussion groups.

Writing from Reevesby Island, Joseph Banks Island group, South Australia (Google Earth it). Just tempting anybody who might consider a boat swap in a couple of years. It would be ideal going from one C355 to another, don't you think.

[Jon Vez]

David,

First of all, I couldn't be more jealous as we just endured yet another snow
storm in a winter that just won't quit! A boat swap sounds like a great
idea!

Pitch--Don't be afraid. If for no other reason, it will give you a good
baseline for any future troubleshooting. Should be able to reach 3600 in
Neutral and very close to that with no black smoke in FWD in flat water and
clean bottom. If you get black smoke at anything approaching max RPM you are
over pitched--very common with folding/feathering props and not good. Sounds
like by flattening the blades they accounted for cavitation, which is
great....

From the Yanmar Manual:

"The engine must be able to reach the
Maximum Rated Power rpm (3600) under
full load at all times."

I know it is very hard for us sailors to get comfortable with running our
engines with appropriate load, but it is very important to run our engines
at 80% of Max Continuous RPM, or roughly 2700-2800. If you run your engine
at lower RPM's for long periods, racing the engine in Neutral to MAX every
once in a while will help clear the carbon build up and prevent cylinder
glazing (the most egregious issue with under loading the engine). I have a
PDF of the Yanmar manual and will get it posted on our forum site.

Zinc--I was curious as to whether the prop zincs that are provided with all
of these propellers also protect the running gear. I guess this is the case
with the Auto Stream?

Cutless Bearing--the test you were told to perform is the correct way to
tell. If it is okay, the best advice you received was to leave it alone! I
am currently living a nightmare because mine was a bit sloppy and I made the
mistake of replacing. CB's are typically a 'press fit', meaning it takes
some force to remove and install. Mine can be removed and installed with
*very little pressure*. The only thing that will hold it there are two set
screws. This makes me very nervous as this goes against all advice and my
own past experiences I have received. I will have to take a leap of faith
that this is as designed. If anyone has any input on this, I would greatly
appreciate it!

Sorry for the long winded response and enjoy the rest of your cruise!!

Regards,

Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: catal...@googlegroups.com [mailto:catal...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of David Everett

[Bob Story]

Hi David - I am seriously considering an Autostream prop and was wondering if you are still happy with yours? I was also looking at a Flex-o-fold but the superiority of the Autostream in reverse is the big seller for me.

You have a 17 by 13 but Terry Graham from Seahawk/Autostream recommended a 17 by 12 to me. How did you decide on your size/pitch?

Thanks.

-Bob.

Finnish Line 2.0 #90

[David Everett]

Hi Bob. Yes, still very happy. Especially the feathering function when sailing i.e. the increased speed.
Since those original posts last year I have run at full throttle for a couple of minutes on calm/flat day and revs, at least according to tachometer, reaches 3200-3300, not up to 3500 (I never tried this with the standard fixed prop though). I take from this that I might be, if anything, slightly over-proped. I think that's why it feels right at 2200-2300, with excellent economy and 6kn easily in calm conditions. It was 7.2kn at full throttle (and no smoking which was good). At idle in calm marina it glides at just above 2kn, which I think is ideal when coming up to the berth.
My club marina is tight, and the prop has made a HUGE difference to my confidence by virtue of the reverse performance with minimal prop walk - previously seemed to do backwards circles!
Because it is polished steel I initially tried without coating it, but it did quickly pick up gritty growth, so last couple of haulouts have applied Propspeed And it stays nice and clean.
Finally, after shutting down motor when underway sailing, I pop transmission in reverse for 10 secs or so, then back into neutral (as recommended by Yanmar). I still like checking that the shaft is not turning, due to the feathering, and knowing that therefore there must be no forces being delivered to the tranny. And no whining, that was loud, alarming then annoying with the fixed prop.
You will lose a bit of forward thrust, compared to the fixed, but everything else more than compensates.and by up-sizing slightly you really won't notice.
Don't go for 18 inch - too close to hull. I can't tell you if 17 by 12 is spot-on or under-propped. I prefer to be a little bit over-propped and cruise at lower revs.
During fitting, as I wrote before, a little bit of the tail of shaft has to be sawn off. The zinc fitting is very neat.
Cheers,
David

[David Everett]

and a (rather dark) photo

[Bob Story]

Thanks, David. Very good to hear and reassures me this what I am looking for. I originally thought I'd get the Flex-o-fold but the Autostream is much better in reverse (although 50% more expensive) and I like the idea of being able to stop quickly. Our "docks" are med moorings with just thumb docks. Most slips are broad side to the prevailing winds which makes it a real challenge getting out especially with the port prop walk. We all carry extra fenders! I look forward to better manoeuvrability.

Not sure I like the idea of cutting the prop shaft but have several months to get myself mentally ready for that!

Many thanks for your experience with the Autostream.

-Bob.

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[dworfel]

We have a 3 blade Max Prop on our 355 and I love it. The boat backs up pretty much in a straight line, stops with authority, and the feathering underway is great.

[Bob Story]

David - I did get the Autostream and am now happily using it. There is virtually no prop walk in reverse and boy can it pull in reverse (ergo stop the boat). Very pleased ... thank you for your advice and tips.

-Bob.

[Wayne P Shook]

Hi Guys,

Here's another vote for the Gori three blade folder.  They are a bit pricey, but I couldn't be happier with it.  Especially since it was put on by the previous owner who got the idea from Eddie Walters.  I usually run the engine at around 80% of max and can get 6 to 6.5 kts in almost all conditions.  It has some prop walk but its manageable and downright useful once you learn how to use it.  I can do a "back and fill" maneuver and spin the boat 180 degrees in little more than a boat length. Also, I learned a technique from a friend who knows way more about sailing than I do and that is: If you are having prop walk problems backing into a slip, then get into some open water first, give it full throttle in reverse for a few seconds to get some backwards momentum and then take it out of gear and coast in.  No prop walk as the prop is in neutral. You have to carry some speed to get the rudder to work, but it makes things a lot les dramatic. If you come in wrong and need to correct, a short burst of forward throttle stops everything cold, also without prop walk. 

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[dworfel]

We have a 3-blade Maxprop on our 355. It does a great job. Pushes the boat well when motoring/motor sailing. I particularly like the fact that when I put the boat in reverse to stop...we stop. Another plus in reverse is that there is little if any prop walk. The boat backs in a straight line which is a major improvement over my experience with the fixed 3-blade prop on our Catalina 30.

[Jon Vez]

All,

I really appreciate the feedback from those who have a folding/feathering prop. I have been struggling with which to buy since I bought the boat. My last boat had an Autoprop, which I still maintain is the best performing prop I have ever experienced. However, I don't believe it will fit our boats.

My criteria is primarily minimizing prop walk as much as possible. I do know how to use PW to my advantage, however my issue is that my slip is 30 ft, I need to go bow in, and to get out of the marina I need to back out to starboard. It's doable with the standard prop, but always a question as to whether I will need to 360 the boat if the wind catches my bow.

Although folding would be preferable due to lobster pots in our area, it's not a requirement. Finally, I am curious as to whether any of you have zinc placement issues, given Catalina's advice not to use a shaft zinc?? I think I have narrowed my choices down to:
--Gori (leading contender)
--Variprop (not a lot of experience with this prop)
--Maxprop (never been a fan, but it's claim to fame is reverse)

I think I have eliminated the Flexofold...

Thanks again...

Jon

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Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 6:42 AM
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[David Everett]

I posted this quite good article into the WIKI awhile back

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjMzU1d2lraXxneDo3YTk4ZGIzYWY4MzgzYzgw

David (#62)

[Jon Vez]

Thanks David,

 

I’ve had this article bookmarked since it first came out. I’m looking for experiences of how these props perform on our boats since the hull form is such a big variable on how the boat reacts.

 

Thanks though and a good reminder that you have created the Wiki!

 

Regards,

Jon

 

From: catal...@googlegroups.com [mailto:catal...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of David Everett

Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2015 11:20 PM
To: catal...@googlegroups.com

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[Jeff Hare]

Dave, Jon,

 

The article has some interesting results.   I think this is an excellent way to evaluate/compare props, I just don’t believe the results of each propeller’s evaluation can be compared to the others. I believe the fault is with the prop parameters selected. I do not believe that all of the props were *equally* matched with the engine / transmission and boat characteristics.  “For our test, we had every prop fitted by the mfgr’s rep”.  Well, that’s a non-starter right there for me.

 

I know for a fact that Gori has a terrible record on recommending the correct propeller.  Sometimes they under pitch the prop and other times they suggest one that is over pitched.  While they defend their calculations,  on-the-water tests prove otherwise. In my case, we argued a bit and I eventually insisted on a different pitch than they sent me because I knew their calculations were inaccurate. Another boat owner had already done detailed speed/rpm tests and figured it out and proved it to them.  The rep eventually agreed to send him a different prop even though they said their calculations indicate it’s the wrong prop. The new one performed perfectly, yet they didn’t adjust their calculations based on this and continued to send the wrong props to others with the same boat.

 

So, (in my opinion) the test is flawed because I see no sign that they actually evaluated whether each propeller was optimally sized/pitched to Yanmar’s requirements.  That can only really be done if you figure out where it’s just starting to be over pitched and then back off of it slightly.   So while the tests they performed were terrific, and the results are probably quite accurate based on each of the specific props as installed, I doubt that they can be compared to each other as a way of indicating which propeller’s design performs better.  That would only be  possible if each mfgr’s most suitable prop were fitted.

 

The Yanmar is a 3600 max rpm engine, yet they’re showing the autoprop running at 2100rpm/6kts.  At this ratio, it’ll never even get close to the required 3600rpm with that engine.  So, it’s over pitched.  Yea, they’ll get the speed, but you’ll be damaging your engine over the long haul.  Run an under pitched Gori 3 blade in overdrive and you’ll easily get 6kts @ 2500rpm. In normal forward pitch, you’ll be lucky to get 5kts at full RPM.

 

So, I believe they missed the boat on this evaluation (unless they can show that they did actually pitch each prop optimally).  On the other hand, this comparison might more accurately compare the mfgr rep’s skill or luck at prop sizing.  J

 

-Jeff Hare

 

From: catal...@googlegroups.com [mailto:catal...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jon Vez

Sent: Monday, June 29, 2015 7:30 AM
To: catal...@googlegroups.com

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[Jon Vez]

Completely agree Jeff. It's a good baseline test, but pitch (even with ability to adjust) and diameter are pretty boat specific in my experience. Even my 'self pitching' Autoprop was over pitched. I'm not sure you can ever get max rpm with a folder or feathering prop, but should be able to get within 150 rpm or so. 

Hence my paralysis in selecting the prop...

Sent from my iPad

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/002101d0b26f%246e606730%244b213590%24%40thehares.com.

[oprovence]

I'd like to pick up this thread again as I'm going to be replacing my prop with a feathering (at least I think over folding) prop in a month or so when I haul out. What models do you have and what are the praises or problems you are having with them.

thanks so much

Owen Provence

Moonlight Lady

#67

On Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 8:12:44 AM UTC-8, tsquared wrote:

[Bob Story]

Hi Owen - I have the feathering S1 Autostream (3 Blade, R/Hand 17” diameter x 12” pitch for a 1” SAE taper) which I am very pleased with.  It has dramatically reduced my prop walk and is astounding in reverse. David Everett (hull #62) also has one and he posted this study which I found quite useful: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjMzU1d2lraXxneDo3YTk4ZGIzYWY4MzgzYzgw

-Bob.

[Steve L]

Bob

Thanks for the info.  I had a Max prop on my last boat but I am considering the Autostream for the Catalina 355.

Did you have to make any modifications to the shaft or other items for installation of the Autostream?

Was it a difficult install?

Thanks

Steve L

Simplicity #85

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[Bob Story]

Steve - I believe that one has to take off about 1/2" of the prop shaft but other than that it's straight forward. Of course, that's easy for me to say as I had someone else install it. However, David Everett installed his ... see his post from March 9, 2013.

-Bob.

[David Everett]

Steve, the info re Autostream has been re-posted above.
Be re-assured that it is perfectly feasible to self-install - even a non-mechanical person like me could do it in half a day.
3 1/2 years later the prop is in perfect condition and performing well. I do coat it with Propspeed though at each haulout.
Have run over a couple of lobster pots now, with no damage to prop - being stainless steel it appears to be strong ++
The comments re the article comparing props are fair enough, though having each manufacturer fit its prop to the same boat seemed to me valid, as that's their chance to calculate pitch etc to optimise the prop's performance, and there's nothing else one can do with a prop except get the right sized one on and estimate the best pitch. So, I found that article very informative, and like others ended with a top-three list.
Good luck, and once you get a feathering prop on enjoy the extra sail speed!
David (Tiarnie, #62)

[oprovence]

David - did you have to cut 1/2" off the shaft?

Owen

[David Everett]

Owen, yes I did (after speaking with Autostream). It is just the little 1/2 inch of non-threaded shaft. The shaft is high-grade stainless, so you need a quality hack-saw blade.

David

On Friday, 22 January 2016 09:09:58 UTC+10:30, oprovence wrote:

[Ken GAMBILL]

Diana & Ed -

I read your earlier post on the Gori folding 3 blade prop. Are you still happy with it?

I am looking at replacing my fixed prop with the Gori. My concern is that they recommending the 15 in. I believe this would make the boat underproped and I should go with the 16.5. What size did you get for your boat?

I sail on Lake Michigan and probably sail 50 percent and motor 50 percent. If I am motoring it is on the longer distance time bound transits. As I go to some of the transient marinas they can become tight and hence the prop walk with the fixed prop is an issue. I think the Gori would help considerable with this issue.

Is anyone else out there considering the Gori or other folding - feathering props?

[Diane Walters]

Hi Ken,

We still love our Gori folding prop.  We purchased the size that Gori recommended, but since we probably purchased the first one for the 355, that recommendation could have changed.  Eddie doesn't recall the size, and I'm not sure that I ever paid attention to that detail. (We've had it in the water for six years this past week, and installed the prop before it was commissioned.) 

Hopefully others, who have purchased Goris more recently, will chime in.  

Good luck,

Diane

Tenacious #6

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[Doug Ward]

Just back from a cruise so a late reply.

 

I installed a VariProp VP-64 16 inch feathering prop last year. It works very well. Cost was around $2,000.

 

From: catal...@googlegroups.com [mailto:catal...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Diane Walters
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2017 8:49 AM
To: C-355 Google Group
Subject: Re: [Catalina 355:2484] Folding prop

 

Hi Ken,

 

We still love our Gori folding prop.  We purchased the size that Gori recommended, but since we probably purchased the first one for the 355, that recommendation could have changed.  Eddie doesn't recall the size, and I'm not sure that I ever paid attention to that detail. (We've had it in the water for six years this past week, and installed the prop before it was commissioned.) 

 

Hopefully others, who have purchased Goris more recently, will chime in.  

 

Good luck,

Diane

Tenacious #6

On Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 7:45 AM, Ken GAMBILL <kenfg...@gmail.com> wrote:

Diana & Ed -

I read your earlier post on the Gori folding 3 blade prop.  Are you still happy with it?

I am looking at replacing my fixed prop with the Gori.  My concern is that they recommending the 15 in.  I believe this would make the boat underproped and I should go with the 16.5.  What size did you get for your boat?

I sail on Lake Michigan and probably sail 50 percent and motor 50 percent.  If I am motoring it is on the longer distance time bound transits.  As I go to some of the transient marinas they can become tight and hence the prop walk with the fixed prop is an issue.  I think the Gori would help considerable with this issue.

Is anyone else out there considering the Gori or other folding - feathering props?

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[Ken Gambikl]

Thanks Doug,

I purchased the Gori prop.  It is the 15 inch but has a pitch of 12.  They have assured me over and over that it is the right prop for our engine and boat size.  O go to a larger prop they would have decreased the pitch.  I won't be able to put it on until the spring so time will only tell.

Thanks again,

Ken

LYFSA Gambill

The Gambill's

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[James Scherzi]

I installed a Vari-Prop VP-64 when I purchased our boat in 2012 so I do not have anything to compare it too.  I can tell you this, at around 2600 the boat will do 6.3 - 6.4. After the first year I adjusted it (very easy to do) in the spring before we launched the boat and after that It backed up true and when I put it in reverse and gave it some rpm's it was like putting the brakes on it stopped forward motion so fast.  All in all I'm very happy with it.

Jim Scherzi 

s/v Sea Glass #68

On Mon, Feb 13, 2017 at 2:28 PM, Doug Ward <d.k....@powerflowinc.com> wrote:

Just back from a cruise so a late reply.

 

I installed a VariProp VP-64 16 inch feathering prop last year. It works very well. Cost was around $2,000.

 

From: catal...@googlegroups.com [mailto:catalina355@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Diane Walters
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2017 8:49 AM
To: C-355 Google Group
Subject: Re: [Catalina 355:2484] Folding prop

 

Hi Ken,

 

We still love our Gori folding prop.  We purchased the size that Gori recommended, but since we probably purchased the first one for the 355, that recommendation could have changed.  Eddie doesn't recall the size, and I'm not sure that I ever paid attention to that detail. (We've had it in the water for six years this past week, and installed the prop before it was commissioned.) 

 

Hopefully others, who have purchased Goris more recently, will chime in.  

 

Good luck,

Diane

Tenacious #6

On Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 7:45 AM, Ken GAMBILL <kenfg...@gmail.com> wrote:

Diana & Ed -

I read your earlier post on the Gori folding 3 blade prop.  Are you still happy with it?

I am looking at replacing my fixed prop with the Gori.  My concern is that they recommending the 15 in.  I believe this would make the boat underproped and I should go with the 16.5.  What size did you get for your boat?

I sail on Lake Michigan and probably sail 50 percent and motor 50 percent.  If I am motoring it is on the longer distance time bound transits.  As I go to some of the transient marinas they can become tight and hence the prop walk with the fixed prop is an issue.  I think the Gori would help considerable with this issue.

Is anyone else out there considering the Gori or other folding - feathering props?

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[Michael Green]

Ken, I like the idea of a folding prop because of the many fish/crab traps to get snagged on here in Florida.   As I understand the Gori sales literature, they have an "overdrive" feature that is activated by moving rapidly from reverse to forward, right?  Do you have experience with using that?  Like it?

thanks.

Mike

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[Ken Gambikl]

Mike --

When I talk to my racing friends they love the Gori prop for the compactness of the prop when sailing.  

As I sail in Lake Michigan I have not had the boat out yet this year so no' I do not have experience with the over drive feature yet.  I do cruise on Lake Michigan so I will try it out this summer.  Will let everyone know how it works out.

Ken

The Gambill's

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[Mike Dyslin]

Jeff,

I had a Gori 3-blade 15" x 12 x 3 RH installed on my Catalina 355 last May.  While I am mostly happy with it, I do wonder if the pitch is correct.  Does 15" x 12 x 3 mean it has a pitch of 12?  In standard forward, I can only get to 3300 RPM at max throttle.  After reading all these posts, I should have watched for black smoke, but I did not.  It bothers me that I can not get to max RPMs of 3600.  I can run at 2700 RPM at normal engine temperature reading of about 175, but if I go up to 2800 or higher the temperature rises to about 200.  That got me to wondering if I need my engine cooling system needs to be looked at, or if the engine is simply working harder at lower RPMs with this prop.  With the original fixed prop, I normally ran at about 2800 RPM and would occasionally run it up to 3600 for a few minutes, which I believe is recommended to clean things out.  The engine temperature would rise over 190 at over 3000 RPMs on my fixed prop as well.

Here is a link to my sea trial data comparing the Gori Prop to my original fixed prop: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GHR8qOC8gOhuAsnzyn9NIrEyxfOZYNHG/view?usp=sharing

What Gori 3-blade prop did you start with, and which prop did you exchange it for?  Did you get a 15" x 11 x 3?  Can they (did they) change the pitch on a Gori prop, or do you have to get a new prop with a different pitch.

Also, here is my email conversation with Geoff at AB-Marine who sold me the Gori prop:

Hi Mike,

 

The results look right on, i.e. good.

It appears the tach is reading slightly low.

Your WOT in neutral should be 3850 +25 so if you add the 200rpm on to the 3400 you are right there.

3489 is continuous rpm. The crankshaft rating is 3600. You do not want to go above the continuous rpm.

 

The OD max of 2900 is correct & if you add 600 you are at 3500 so everything ties in.

 

Actual displacement, bottom & prop cleanliness, sea condition all will affect the final #.

No worries, go enjoy.

 

Geoff

From: Mike Dyslin  

Sent: Friday, July 19, 2019 8:54 PM

To: geoff at AB-Marine

Subject: Re: FW: Gori prop pitch question ... Catalina 355 w/3-blade 15" x 12 x 3 RH

 

Geoff,

 

I have attached the seal trial data I performed this morning.

 

I am getting very close to max RPMs in Std Fwd, 3400 where max for engine is 3600.  And as expected max RPMs in Overdrive Fwd is less.

 

Is this what you would expect?  It sounds like it should be able to get to 3600 in Std Fwd.  I did not try reverse, but I'm pretty sure I can get to 3600 in reverse.

 

Can the pitch on the prop be changed slightly to allow me to get to max RPMs in Std Fwd?

 

I'm not terribly concerned about it but wondering if it is ok the way it is, or if I should do something about it.

 

Thanks,

Mike

Thanks,

Mike 

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[Jon Vez]

Mike,

I have the same prop and I believe your size is correct (or as close as you can get for our boats).

I delayed switching to a folding/feathering prop until I was convinced that I would be comfortable with the size recommendations from the various vendors. In my experience the only sure way to know is with others experience.

I had many face to face conversations with Geoff before I committed, not only on size but also zinc protection.

My prop does not impact my engine temp when I bring it to WOT and I tend to run it close to Yanmar’s recommendation of 2750-2800 and open it up for a couple of minutes every few hours when motoring for long periods with no indication of being over/under pitched.

The only thing I don’t like about the prop is overdrive. I never use it and find it obnoxious to have to make sure I’m not in OD after backing out of my slip or getting off a mooring. They now offer a version without OD but I was a year late...

Perhaps you have some growth on your prop?

Sent from my iPad

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[Mike Dyslin]

Jon,

Thanks for info on your experience.  That makes me feel a lot better.  I'll get my cooling system checked out.

I also don't like the overdrive.  Had I known there was an option without it, and knowing what I know now, I would have opted to not have it.  Without a clear indication, you always wonder if you are in OD or not.

Thanks,

Mike

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Fair Winds

Mike

~~~_/)~~~_/)~~~_/)~~~

[Jon Vez]

Mike,

The non-OD version is brand new. Not sure when you purchased your prop, but if it wasn’t last season I don’t think it would have been available.

This also got me thinking-could your problem be related to unintentionally being in Over Drive?

There are many posts on the various forums of people unknowingly over taxing their engines because of this??

Sent from my iPad

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[Mike Dyslin]

Jon,

I'm pretty sure I am not in overdrive when this occurs, but that's the problem, you never know for sure.  I guess the next time this happens, I'll drop down to 2,000 RPMs and note my speed.  Then to neutral, completely stop the prop, then into forward again to 2000 and note the speed again.  If the speed is the same, I was not in overdrive, or it is stuck in overdrive.  If different, I was accidentally in overdrive. 

I did do a sea trial in both standard forward and overdrive (link below) and it was difficult to tell, other than the speed difference, if you are in OD or not.

Std vs OD sea trial: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zltFJmFyZRXtHhxchDGESkgzNpH8BPg9/view?usp=sharing

I did order my Gori prop just 4 months back, so it sounds like the No OD options would have been available, but no mention of it.

Thanks,

Mike

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[Mike Dyslin]

Hopefully it is ok to post things for sale on this group.

We are selling our Gori 15" 3 blade prop if anyone is interested.  I have attached a few photos.

We bought it and installed it on our 2012 Catalina 355 Grace in April 2019.  We cruised with it from San Francisco to Sea of Cortez, Mexico.  I'm sure it got us there faster, saving us many sailing hours.  We switched back to the fixed prop to motor against current and wind to get back to San Francisco in August 2021.  Because we are cruisers, not racers, the extra speed is not that important to us just sailing around SF Bay, so we are going to keep the fixed prop on. 

I paid around $3,000 in 2019.  Not sure what to ask, so we can take $1,000 off what we paid for it and offer it for $2,000.

I can provide a lot more details for those that are interested.

By the way, the overheating problem I discussed earlier in this chain ended up being a cooling system problem (clogged exhaust mixing elbow) and had nothing to do with this Gori prop.

Thanks,

Mike