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Your Prop Could Be the Problem!
February is a great time of year. Hunting is over, boat shows are over, your new boat is on order and your looking forward to an awesome boat and great performance out of your new rig, or maybe you have repowered old faithful and are now ready to run for first time.
And we have a problem the boat does not perform. It does not get up well, steering is hard, falls out in a turn, or maybe the engine revs up but the boat does not plane well.
After the initial disappointment, finish the day as best you can and know the problem is very fixable. Manufacturers spend a great deal of time on prop development and each model from every manufacturer is designed to do a specific task. This subject could fill an entire book; let's start with a little nomenclature.
Diameter The distance across the imaginary circle that is made when the prop rotates.
Pitch The theoretical distance, in inches, that a propeller travels forward during one revolution, i.e. 17-pitch equals 17-inches of forward movement. (Mercury Marine definition)
Cup Cup assists in increasing the water-gripping capability of the propeller.
Rake Represents the blade's angle of attachment to the barrel of the propeller. This is not to be confused with pitch, which is the measure of the twist or screw progression. (Power Tech definition)
There are many other characteristics we could talk about, venting, through hub exhaust, over the hub exhaust, three blades, four blades, round ears, drag blade, and on and on.
The bottom line is if you don't believe you're getting full performance; do not hesitate to ask questions. Test running the boat with your dealer is the wise thing to do. Never let a salesman tell you, "This is what we have always done, it will be fine." That is like someone from the government saying, "I am here to help."
My point is if you are not satisfied with prop performance ask for a second opinion from some one who knows. How do I know who knows? Ask your satisfied and experienced friends.
We understand propping is the most important aspect of achieving great performance on many levels. There are many other professionals who understand it as well and some even better. Custom and specialty prop buildersthey get it!
In no specific order:
Bauman Propeller/Louie Baumann - Houston TX 713-926-6908
Cross Roads Propeller/Jack Foreman - Port Lavaca, Texas 361-552-2789
Power Tech Propellers - Shreveport, LA 318-688-1970
Mike Hood Propellers/Mike Hood - Houston, TX 713-649-7508
Marine Propeller & Machine Works - Aransas Pass, TX 361-758-3281
Coastal Propeller/Chris Ortiz - Corpus Christi, Texas 361-888-8036
Here's wishing everyone a great fishing and boating season in 2011!
Chris Mapp
Coastal Bend Marine
Port O'Connor, Texas
Phone: 361-983-4841
Email: [email protected]
And we have a problem the boat does not perform. It does not get up well, steering is hard, falls out in a turn, or maybe the engine revs up but the boat does not plane well.
After the initial disappointment, finish the day as best you can and know the problem is very fixable. Manufacturers spend a great deal of time on prop development and each model from every manufacturer is designed to do a specific task. This subject could fill an entire book; let's start with a little nomenclature.
Diameter The distance across the imaginary circle that is made when the prop rotates.
Pitch The theoretical distance, in inches, that a propeller travels forward during one revolution, i.e. 17-pitch equals 17-inches of forward movement. (Mercury Marine definition)
Cup Cup assists in increasing the water-gripping capability of the propeller.
Rake Represents the blade's angle of attachment to the barrel of the propeller. This is not to be confused with pitch, which is the measure of the twist or screw progression. (Power Tech definition)
There are many other characteristics we could talk about, venting, through hub exhaust, over the hub exhaust, three blades, four blades, round ears, drag blade, and on and on.
The bottom line is if you don't believe you're getting full performance; do not hesitate to ask questions. Test running the boat with your dealer is the wise thing to do. Never let a salesman tell you, "This is what we have always done, it will be fine." That is like someone from the government saying, "I am here to help."
My point is if you are not satisfied with prop performance ask for a second opinion from some one who knows. How do I know who knows? Ask your satisfied and experienced friends.
We understand propping is the most important aspect of achieving great performance on many levels. There are many other professionals who understand it as well and some even better. Custom and specialty prop buildersthey get it!
In no specific order:
Bauman Propeller/Louie Baumann - Houston TX 713-926-6908
Cross Roads Propeller/Jack Foreman - Port Lavaca, Texas 361-552-2789
Power Tech Propellers - Shreveport, LA 318-688-1970
Mike Hood Propellers/Mike Hood - Houston, TX 713-649-7508
Marine Propeller & Machine Works - Aransas Pass, TX 361-758-3281
Coastal Propeller/Chris Ortiz - Corpus Christi, Texas 361-888-8036
Here's wishing everyone a great fishing and boating season in 2011!
Chris Mapp
Coastal Bend Marine
Port O'Connor, Texas
Phone: 361-983-4841
Email: [email protected]