Plotus
Cadet
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2010
- Messages
- 23
I'm new to iboats.com and having just gotten an '88' 176 Stingray 17.5 bowrider with the 3.0 litre and of course having the Alpha 1 outdrive, I saw the effects of a little gravle/sand and how it can chew up a SS prop, and mabe destroy an alluminum prop. My skeg is nice, not showing any sign of dragging or dings fortunatly, and with the cost of 'Mercruiser outdrives upwards of 2K, it seems a good idea to think in terms of a prop guard. I dressed out my SS prop with a sidegrinder and sander, and while not the best of all options, I think I got it all very uniform on the blade tips and contour, lost only about an eighth of an inch +/- per blade, though I'm sure the ballance is still suspect. But I surprised myself as to how well the dressing of the prop came out. Having said all that, I'm now thinking of the circular propguards like the 'XP Propguard' Have any of the iboat.com forum members had any experiance in locating a 'brand' and installing it, or is it something to avoid. The prospect of injury to skiers is not the reason for the guard, although a sound idea, but rather prop protection. Please feel free to correct me in any misconseptions I may have on such a device, or recomendations for such a guard, or perhaps another brand???. Also in the advertisments it never states the composition of the unit... ie. plastic, aluminum or composite, it simply makes no mention. I might add that the prop is a 14x19, this one being SS. This is what is called for as OEM.