How to Choose the Best Boat Propeller
As an owner of a boat, you must realize that maintenance is more than just tuning the engine and keeping the hull clean. There is one part of maintenance that is so essential yet most boat owners don’t pay that much attention to it: choosing the right propeller for optimized performance.
The choice of boat propeller primarily depends on how you plan on using your boat and what the current performance is. Also, you must be reminded that a propeller that is already in pretty bad shape needs to be replaced right away. However, a damaged or broken propeller is not the only reason for replacement. Sometimes, the reason may be as simple as the fact that you are not satisfied with your boat’s performance.
Let us take a look at the things you ought to consider in choosing a new boat propeller.
Performance Issues
If you observe that your boat struggles coming out of the hole or is very slow, it is high time to consider replacing the propeller. The same thing goes for a boat with bad fuel economy.
Pitch Up or Pitch Down
You probably already know by now that pitch and engine RPMs are very much related, but inversely. For starters, increasing the pitch decreases engine RPM, while the decrease in pitch leads to the increase in RPM. In the event that your engine is suffering from under revving, the best option is to buy a propeller with less pitch. Obviously, you want a propeller with more pitch if the engine happens to be over revving.
Elevation Plus Weight
When it comes to elevation, some small boats suffer from producing less power in high altitudes, but you can address this problem by carrying with you a second propeller that has a reduced pitch. The advantage of a second propeller with reduced pitch is that you allow the boat engine to retain its performance by achieving the correct RPM.
When it comes to weight meanwhile, keep in mind that your boat houses a lot of heavy stuff inside, which means that its original propeller may be equipped with too much pitch, causing a low engine RPM. It is recommended that you equip your boat with two different propellers with varying pitches, considering the fact that you may need to change configurations from time to time. It is possible to customize your propeller’s pitch in order to match different conditions, or perhaps you can carry two complete propellers or a couple of modular propellers with different pitches.
Just like when you are buying other components or parts of your boat, it is imperative that you put in the effort and time to do some research first. The last thing you want is purchasing a propeller that doesn’t fit your needs or perhaps get one from a manufacturer that makes substandard quality.