[Public-List] Propellers...

Gordon Laco via Public-List public-list at lists.alberg30.org
Mon Jun 6 06:01:11 PDT 2016 

I wondered about that.  Well I reckon we’ll find out.  There’s weed in the
channels at our club toward the later part of the season... Well we’ll find
out.

Gord #426 Surprise


On 2016-06-06, 8:57 AM, "Jeffrey" <fongemie at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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