[nglauer]

I was at the marina putting my boat in the water... barely made it off the trailer and heard two thubs. I shut the boat off immediately and threw my rope in to my father in law to pull me back.. sure enough I see the problem as we are pulling the trailer out. Appartently a stick that wasn't visible from the surface had floated by as I was backing in. I then suspect it got snagged on the back side of the boat... and BLAMO.. my prop is damaged upon start up.

The bends were not severe.. but i'm still going to pull it off to have it checked. I can't imagine it's 100% in balance... however I think it scared me more than anything. We bent it back to the point that if the paint wasn't knocked off.. you wouldn't know anything happened at all. I oddly enough think that my boat ran slightly faster afterwards? as I did go ahead and put it back in the water after having three other boaters take a look at it. They thought the bends were minimal enough after taking a wooden fork looking device and bending them back in place. Apparently the guy with the homemade wooden forked thing has bent a prop before. I obviously know nothing... so here is what I need to know..


My prop doesn't look back, other than the paint.. i'm not sure I or many others could tell that it was bent... however I want to have it looked at for piece of mind. Where can I get this rebalanced and checked out? How much does it cost to refurbish a prop?

Does anyone have any suggestions on prop options for my 180 diablo with 3.0L? I read of some different companies.. including a company called Piranha that makes composite props. Does anyone know anything about them? Do 3 or 4 blade props offer the best performance / fuel cunsumption. What is the most ideal pitch etc.? My goal is to fix this prop for an emergency (or perhaps they keep it as is in the event something were to happen. I really like the looks of the piranha system.. but wonder if it's worth the money?

Any feedback on repair.. or options on replacement props is greatly appreciated.

I don't need the boat of go faster.. just get off plane quickly.. while handling passengers.

Thanks again,
Nicholas

[Darren]

Hi suggest you look at the high 5 prop 19 or 21 pitch.

[mikeyt]

Refurbishing a prop costs anywhere from $75 - $150 depending on how much work needs to be done. The hub should also be checked while your at it and i would suggest finding a local prop repair facility. Ask you local marina or check out the Yellow pages of your phone book.

What pitch is the prop you have now? Most boats with the 3 litre will be happy with a 19" 3 blade aluminum or SS. A 4 blade prop will get you on plane slightly faster & will provide better acceleration but you will lose a little off your top end. If getting on plane is the major issue & you are also having problems with things like porpoising / low speed wander etc. i would suggest that you consider installing a pair of Smart Tabs. Do a site search for Smart Tabs & you will find lots of information & positive results from our members.

Composite props flex under load & will reduce your performance level. Avoid using composite props except as a spare.

The Hi 5 mentioned by Darren is a nice prop and it will work on your boat but it can be pricey.