Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 1: Getting Started in Boating
Shifting props like this one
from Land & Sea can help
heavy boats plane easily yet
perform very well at top end.
They’re more expensive than
standard props but solve a
problem for some rigs.
(Photo credit: Land & Sea)
Problems of the Improper Prop
Problems with the prop are one of the primary woes of beginning boaters. Both initial
selection and maintenance can cause difficulties.
If Your Prop Is Too Tall …
If your boat doesn’t want to take off, it probably has a prop that’s pitched too “tall” or too
high. The available power of the engine can’t force the boat forward at the high rate of
Boat Bytes
Some boats designed for
top-end speed are purposely
“overpropped” to
squeeze out the last tenth
of miles per hour at full
throttle, even though this makes
them real dogs at the takeoff. If
you have to be the fastest skipper
on the lake, you may want
to select a prop that is “taller”
than is best for all-around use.
incline of this particular water screw, so it bogs down.
This is to say, the motor may have only enough power
to push the boat forward 17 inches per revolution of the
prop (less slip), but you’ve got a 21-inch pitch prop in
place. It’s like trying to start a stick-shift car in high
gear; it doesn’t work.
If you ever get this rig on plane, it may be very fast
because resistance drops once the boat jumps up on top.
But you probably won’t ever get it on plane. Switch to a
17-inch pitch and things will go a lot smoother.
For the usual recreational use, a prop that provides a
good hole shot with the typical load is much preferred,
even if it’s a couple miles per hour slower at full throttle.