“Dear Nick and colleagues” “I have had a chance to put a few miles...
J. Langham-Brown
FeatherStream B-Hub 4B
Barbary Ketch
“Dear Nick and colleagues”
“I have had a chance to put a few miles under the keel (150) with the new prop both sailing and motoring and thought you might be interested in some feedback. I was impressed throughout with the sensible advice given from first contact at the boat show, via emails and a final visit to your factory. It was a rare pleasure to speak with the actual working engineers and visit a factory where things are actually made not imported from the Far East!”
“The fitting was easy once I had read the instructions, heard your advice and seen the U tube video and I realised that the prop needs to sit concentrically on the shaft and the key just stops rotation, so no need to be put off! The 18 inch prop fits the aperture nicely.”
“I had a chance when the boat had only been afloat a couple of days to do engine trials with totally flat water, clean prop and bottom and no tide so I could compare log and GPS speed.”
“The prop makes a different noise than before but perfectly acceptable and no significant increase in noise.”
“In gear it gives 3-4 knots at little over tick over at 1000-1200 RPM so for mooring it pays to give bursts in gear then knock into neutral. It gives 5-5.5 knots at 1200-1500 RPM suitable for local motoring and a passage speed of 6 knots at 1500-1800 RPM which is less than before so quieter more relaxed motoring and less fuel. Much above 6 knots is at hull speed but the prop and engine have plenty in reserve for pushing against adverse conditions. I have had up to 7 knots at 2500 RPM but not very relaxing for cruising.”
“The prop stops the boat well in astern although handling a long keeler astern is never going to be that easy.”
“When sailing, if I go into astern briefly to make the blades feather, you can feel as though a brake is taken off and the boat leaps forwards with an extra half knot at least, I was able to get 6-6.5 knots on a reach in about 15 knots wind, about 0.75 knots more than before, new sails too but you can feel the difference when the prop feathers.”
“So all told lives up to expectations, I went with the polished unpainted finish to begin with but plan to dry out and inspect mid-season and perhaps just give the prop a gentle clean and polish before our main summer cruising.”
