| That's an important piece of information you left out of your original
post. What are your numbers now? What boat/weight/engine/gear ratio? Still, if you don't need the additional surface area of a 4 blade, it is
beyond superfluous. It sounds like you should move to a quality 17P SS 3 blade wheel. The
prop design and your gear ratio will determine how much of a change will
occur. Every prop is a compromise of sorts. The most efficient prop is a one blade. They're a bear to balance, though. 2 blades are more efficient than 3, and are fine for very light planing
hulls(like hydros) that do not rely on a large surface area. Balancing
is still critical. A 3 blade is a good compromise of surface area, balancing ease, weight,
& efficiency. 3 blade props have the widest choice of
shapes/profiles/cupping designs available. 4 & 5 blades are really specialty props for specific applications where
the extra surface area & ease of balancing are important, & weight is
not. The CNC'd 4 blade ski props, for example, are super-smooth &
quiet, and on a tournament hull very little if any top end is sacrificed. A 4 blade can also help on certain planing hull designs where porpoising
is prevalent even with minimal trim-out. You really need to know what your goal is in selecting a prop. The
ability to try several different styles would be a huge advantage. I
have one shop down in the Finger Lakes that has allowed me to do this
over the years. Rob |
