Re: Prop info
Tools, 4 blade props are very useful when you run in formed seas and the boat keeps bogging down because a head sea is holding you back, they can help when you pull skiers as the extra blade surface area can decrease the amount of prop slip encountered with that extra heavy load from the skier being pulled up. They are very helpful for boats that have a very heavy stern if they have zero rake and cup on the trailing edge to help lift the whole boat out of the water instead of lifting an already light bow and thus ensuring a lower planing speed and they help the boat from falling off plane as easily as it did before. They can help with boats that have a lot of prop slip caused by either hull design and a lower horsepower motor or just very heavy boats, as the extra blade surface area will help deliver the thrust needed to push it.
After having said all this, 3 blade props do an excellent job in most cases and can produce excellent performance in most boats, the difference in most cases is that to find the right 3 blade prop for a lot of boats that have problems with high prop slip, low end thrust problems, and various other problems requires knowing all about the different properties involved in blade geometry and which ones are best suited for your hull type, motor size and your intended uses. The way this is normally done, in most cases, is to try a lottt of different props until you hit the right combination that maximizes the solution for your intended uses. And most people have a hard time finding a prop shop that is willing to let them try props until they find the right one.
In many cases a 4 blade prop can cure a lot of problems very quickly without having to go through all of the process of finding, testing and changing so many different props because of the extra blade surface area they offer. Although, when someone is trying to maximize every last MPH out of their boat and motor combination there is no other way that I know of to accomplish this goal. But for most people a simple change to a 4 blade prop can cure certain problems very quickly.
We are very lucky here in that Dhadley has been testing props for years for major manufacturers and his knowledge is extensive to say the minimum. And he certainly has the ability to pick a very good prop very quickly.
H
