[Public-List] Propellers...

Mon Jun 6 05:57:09 PDT 2016

Hey Gord,

I put a Campbell on my boat 4 years ago, and I too like it for the same
reasons you mention, however one down side I notice is that the smallest
bit of seaweed caught on a blade will just about stop us.  Lots of seaweed
in Maine, and often we're cruising along at 5+ when all of a sudden a
vibration wells up and our speed drops to 2 kts.  Reversing sometimes helps
shake it loose but ultimately a hook knife is needed.

Before the CS prop, we had a large 3 blade that would power through
anything anytime. It likely cost us speed sailing, but I hardly ever needed
to clean out seaweed from it.

Seagrass. #116
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
http://sailboatseagrass.com/

<http://instagram.com/jfongemie>

On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 2:12 PM, Gordon Laco via Public-List <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Hi Don
>
> It's 3x as per Campbell standard for our boats.  Pitch and diameter are
> also as per their advertised standard made for our boats, engines and
> transmission ratio
>
> G
>
> On 2016-06-05, at 2:01 PM, "Don Campbell" <dk.campbell at xplornet.ca> wrote:
>
> > The only things you have not given us is the diameter and pitch of this
> new machine! I am guessing a two blade because of your comment on the stock
> blade from Whitby B.W. but not sure on that either.
> > Don Campbell
> >
> > -----Original Message----- From: Gordon Laco via Public-List
> > Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2016 11:44 AM
> > To: George Dinwiddie ; Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
> > Subject: Re: [Public-List] Propellers...
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Caroline laughed at me over the battery charger/charge state thing.
> When I
> > noticed it had clicked off, I assumed a malfunction so went into 'grumpy
> > Gord' mode.... 'damned thing, what next, knew something would go wrong,
> hate
> > batteries, when I am going to find time to fix this, probably five things
> > wrong, not just one...' etc etc  until I realized that the issue was that
> > the batteries were indeed fully charged...
> >
> >
> > On 2016-06-05, 11:11 AM, "George Dinwiddie via Public-List"
> > <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> >
> >> Sounds like a complete win, Gord.
> >>
> >> On 6/5/16 10:42 AM, Gordon Laco via Public-List wrote:
> >>> Hello friends,
> >>>
> >>> I¹m sorry to reintroduce this topic... But I¹ve changed propellers and
> >>> thought I¹d share the experience.
> >>>
> >>> Some of you may recall that I have pontificated about taking a Œdon¹t
> >>> change¹ position with regard to the prop supplied by Whitby Boatworks
> with
> >>> the Atomic IV engines many of our boats have.
> >>>
> >>> Well this spring I was thinking about the engine and decided to try a
> >>> change.  Last fall¹s ŒMisery Trip¹ reached a crescendo of suffering
> with a
> >>> slog to windward in 40 knot winds and a sharp chop...  We were nearly
> >>> stopped a few times, mostly by wave action, but SURPRISE trudged along
> and I
> >>> would say coped better than our companion¹s boats which were all fin
> keeled
> >>> yachts fitted with diesels.    So power delivered to the water wasn¹t
> the
> >>> issue... What I was thinking about was alternator performance and
> cooling.
> >>>
> >>> Cooling has never been an issue with our engine, particularly since I
> >>> replaced the old water pump with the upgrade offered by Moyer.
> However I¹ve
> >>> been keenly aware that our cruising RPM of about 1000 doesn¹t really
> spin
> >>> things down in the engine compartment fast enough to deliver what the
> >>> alternator is theoretically capable of.
> >>>
> >>> I liked the look of the narrowed bladed ŒCampbell¹ props I¹d seen on
> other
> >>> boats, and liked the idea of increasing revs while at least keeping
> the same
> >>> Œpower in the water¹ situation the stock two bladed prop gave us.  So I
> >>> ordered the Campbell which they recommend for Alberg 30¹s fitted with
> Atomic
> >>> IV engines with 1:1 transmissions.    The vendor said he was certain
> what
> >>> shaft diameter and taper my boat has... But because I¹m a doubter, I
> sent
> >>> him my old prop for reference.
> >>>
> >>> In due course the new prop came back along with the old one (and he was
> >>> right, he did already know the specs).  I couldn¹t wait to try it out.
> >>>
> >>> We installed the new prop as part of my condensed spring outfitting
> (and no,
> >>> I did not do the cap rail job I wrote about earlier.  I got busy with
> work
> >>> which took me away most of April and May so that¹s that on that job for
> >>> now).  Eagle eyed Rod saw the shiny new thing and commented ŒI thought
> you
> >>> said...¹     Well I know what I said, but what the heck...
> >>>
> >>> We got SURPRISE into the water and after securing the rig, started up
> and
> >>> started the two hour trip back to our sailing club.  First thing I
> noticed
> >>> was that I seemed to have a lot more power in reverse than before.  The
> >>> second thing was that prop walk seemed to have dissappeared... Amazing.
> >>>
> >>> The only negative comment I¹d read about these props on line referred
> to a
> >>> supposed loss of maneuvring power... But I was able to do the usual
> spin
> >>> within her length that SURPRISE normally does.    Motoring out of
> >>> Dutchman¹s Cove Marina, I found that our speed at idle was lower, and
> that¹s
> >>> a good thing of course not unexpected because of the finer pitch.
> Once out
> >>> past the breakwater, we opened the throttle and both Caroline and I
> were
> >>> amazed.  Boat speed climbed to 6.6 knots as usual for full throttle,
> but
> >>> there was no roar and vibration from the engine.  I won¹t say it was as
> >>> quiet as electric, but the change from how things were was startling
> and
> >>> dramatic.   We were so quiet at full speed I mistrusted the knotmeter
> and
> >>> fired up the GPS, but it confirmed the speed.  Amazing.
> >>>
> >>> We found our old cruising speed of 5.2 at 1000rpm was now 5.2 at 1400
> (this
> >>> second RPM was full out open throttle with the old prop). Yes the
> engine was
> >>> spinning faster, but at the same throttle setting and clearly not
> labouring
> >>> quite so hard.   The boat was so quiet we didn¹t feel like we were
> moving,
> >>> so we did the trip at 6+.
> >>>
> >>> So the prop change is rated a total success.  But there was a surprise
> in
> >>> store for us.  Because I was away so much I didn¹t do my usual thorough
> >>> recharge of the batteries... We started up after launch on what was
> left in
> >>> the batteries after the Misery Trip and months of winter lay up.   I
> was
> >>> glad there seemed to be enough juice to spin the engine.
> >>> Yesterday I decided to connect up the battery charger and run it all
> day...
> >>> But after only moments, the charger was indicating full charge.  I
> assumed a
> >>> problem with the charger but after investigating, realized that the
> >>> Œproblem¹ was that the battery bank was indeed fully charged and the
> >>> automatic function on the charger was sensing this and shutting off.
> >>>
> >>> How could that be, I thought... Then it occurred to me that the
> alternator
> >>> must have run up the batteries on the trip over from the marina.  In
> the old
> >>> days, the alternator barely kept up with the engine¹s requirements and
> I¹d
> >>> had to charge from shore power periodically.  So it appears that
> whatever
> >>> was in the batteries at launch, the engine itself topped them up in
> the 90
> >>> minute shot over under power (wasn¹t two hours because we galloped home
> >>> faster).
> >>>
> >>> Happy happy.
> >>>
> >>> Gord #426 Surprise
> >
> >
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-- 
______________

Jeffrey Fongemie

<http://instagram.com/jfongemie>