Hi Jim, I have an 85, 5874, TR. It came with a folding prop, a Martec. Since I have had nothing else, I cant compare with a regular prop. The other big brand is a Gori. The Martec has blades that pivot and fold back. Each one pivots individually so if the shaft happens to stop with the blades oriented vertically, all is well and the blades will fold back parallel to each other. On the other hand, if the shaft happens to stop with the upper blade horizontal, then the lower blade will hang down and if you are really serious as I am when racing, I have to crawl back into the quarter berth and turn the shaft until it is oriented properly.
The Gori is a geared prop. Both blades are geared together so whatever position one is in, the other is in the same position. If I were buying a folding prop today, I would buy a Gori although it is several hundred dollars more than the Martec. I am getting tired of crawling back in the quarter berth to twist the prop shaft to align the blades. When we are not racing, I dont worry about the orientation. I sent my prop back to Martec during the 06/07-winter season to be refurbished. Their invoice states Clean and Rebalance a 13 x 12 x 1 RH MKIII which means nothing to me. I know the size and pitch are stamped on the prop but my boat is in the water. Dave Hoys recommendation that you contact the manufacturers is very good. Im sure they have specs on C27s and can recommend the proper size. John Emmerich 5874 TR -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Dave Hoy Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 7:39 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: Folding prop Hi Jim, Wyanokee is a standard '86. There's been discussions over the years so I think you'll probably get a number of recommendations and discussion from others. We sail and race on Penobscot Bay in the Gulf of Maine where the leading industry is lobstering. I bought a Martec to replace the standard three bladed prop. I couldn't live without it! Prior to putting it on the boat we were catching lobster pots every time we went out. Now, we sail right through the floats and lines and don't give it a thought; in fact, I don't think we've caught a pot since putting it on in 2003. If you contact Martec (they have a website) they will tell you what you will need as they have the specifications for the boat. It will increase your speed under sail perhaps as much as half a knot. Under power we may loose as much as half a knot; it hasn't been a problem and I frankly haven't noticed any difference. You should be able to install it without modification. Good luck! Dave Hoy WYANOKEE #6295 Camden, Maine ----- Original Message ----- From: James Henderson <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 6:42 AM Subject: catalina27-talk: Folding prop Does anyone have a folding prop, and can you recommend a size/pitch? I have a Universal M-18 engine. Thanks, James _____ Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills. Get your Hotmail® account. <http://windowslive.com/Explore/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_speed_ 122008>
