I have a Bruntons Varifold 2-bladed folding prop and it is superb in forward but much less so in reverse. Bruntons give a good service and will certainly take the trouble to specify correctly if you ask them. If I were buying again I’d have gone for the Autoprop instead of the Varifold. The Autoprop is more expensive but, unlike folding props, it is identical in reverse as in forward. For a yacht with a sugar-scoop stern which is usually berthed stern-to, manoeuvring in a marina would, I suspect, be much easier with such a prop. With mine (in a B32), getting the boat to get going in reverse is a bit of a struggle especially given that the boat is light and has high topsides, so is very quickly affected by the wind. If I recall, the Autoprop was about 50% more expensive than the Varifold and was more complicated to service, but I wish I had one.
If your Volvo prop is the correct spec then I am sure it will be OK in forward, but all folding props are less effective in reverse than fixed props or Autoprops. I changed to the Varifold from the original fixed 2-blade prop and immediately noticed the lack of bite in reverse. Frankly if you want the best performance under power in both forward and reverse then keep the original fixed prop, but obviously a folding/feathering prop greatly reduces drag etc when sailing.
