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Bavaria prop size list shows that the correct 2-blade folder for your boat is a 16 x 13. 3-blade prop is 16 x 11. So 2-blade should be the same size but deeper pitch.
2-blade is more efficient, but you get a bit more “grunt” from a 3-blade.
Personally, I would send it back and get a 3-blade Featherstream from Darglow.
I measurement is 12.34m, so double it and add a bit (for the tail back to the clutches). So I reckon 30m should give you plenty.
Ian, you’re on borrowed time mate.
Changed mine last year and a couple or them snapped clean off as I tried to get the hoses off. Get them changed ASAP.
I replaced mine with Trudesign composite ones. Very impressed with the engineering quality of them. Would recommend. Fit and forget (just open and close them every so often).
Crid says to drop her an email with your mobile at: oceansong44@aol.com
She’ll be happy to have a chat with you, and she might even be considering selling.
Folders are best for boat speed under sail, especially if you race. They are not the best in reverse though. You also have to give most folders a good kick of throttle to get the to open and grip.
Feathering props give more instant response in both forward and reverse, and give you loads of stopping power and reverse grunt, as the blades revolve to always face the right way. Feathering props have more “mecahnical bits” than folders, and need greasing every year.
The Autoprop is a Marmite one. Some people love them, others hate them. The biggest critisism I’ve heard about them is that in a sea or a chop, they are next to useless and they keep changing pitch and you can’t get any drive out of them.
I personally went for a Featherstream from Darglow when I changed from a fixed prop 2 years ago. Sailing speed was noticable better. Motoring speed forwards was the same as with the fixed prop. Stopping power was much better, as was reverse drive. Propwalk almost went too (I have found that if you put it in reverse and let it tickover, the boat still walks a bit before going backwards, whereas if you give it a blast of reverse, it just goes straight backwards without any walk).
If you want a good all-round solution for a cruising boat, I suggest the Featherstream.
Hi Tomo
Webmaster tells me that your membership was authorised on 24th March, and you should have received 2 emails.
Have you checked your junk folder?
Bob
Hi Tomo
Webmaster tells me that your membership was authorised on 24th March, and you should have received 2 emails.
Have you checked your junk folder?
Bob
Hi Tomo
No reason why you can’t post. Can you try again please.
I have asked the webmaster to look into what has happened.
Bob
Far from it. It will look after your batteries far better because it carries-out proper intelligent charging, so there’s no chance of cooking them.
My current house batteries are 12 years old now and still going strong (but they are 6v Trojans).
Have a read – data sheet here
Instructions (talks about how it charges) here
Hi Ian
The diode splitter is basically a dumb device which splits the charge between the two battery banks. One of the problems with them is that you suffer voltage loss through them of anywhere between 0.5 and 1.5 volts. On my boat, I was only getting 12.9v out of the diode splitter, but the alternator was pushing out 13.6v. As you can imagine, 12.9v is pretty rubbish. If you have a modern alternator, you can just replace the diode splitter with a VSR, which basically does the same thing but without the voltage loss.
The Sterling A to B is an altogether different beast. What it does is very clever. It treats the battery banks completely separately. It charges the engine battery first, pretty much as you would get if the alternator was attached directly to it. What it then does for the house bank is to drag the voltage at the alternator down so that the alternator produces maximum amps. It them boosts the voltage back up. The net result is that you get massively more charge going into your house batteries. It also acts as a proper 4-stage charger, so will pause the fast charge every so often for a few minutes to let the batteries settle and cool, and once the batteries are fully charged it will put them onto a float charge.
It’s a really easy unit to install, as it just uses the same 3 connections as the diode splitter (so it’s a simple swap-out), and you just need to run a return cable to the battery negative system.
It does put a fair bit of load onto the alternator and can generate black dust off the belt, so you need to replace the belt every year or two, but it’s a complete game-changer when it comes to charging the house bank, especially if you have an older alternator like a 60a Valeo that was fitted by Volvo.
A bit of advice. Ditch the splitter diode and replace it with a Sterling A to B charger. You’ll get far better charging from the alternator.
