[Public-List] Propellers...

Jonathan Bresler via Public-List public-list at lists.alberg30.org
Mon Jun 6 07:11:22 PDT 2016


For anyone wondering, the URL for Campbell Sailor props appears to be
www.westbynorth.com

On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 9:01 AM, Gordon Laco via Public-List <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> 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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>
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-- 
Jonathan M Bresler
S/V Constance Alberg 30 #262
Annapolis/Eastport MD



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