Turning Point

Advances in propeller design and repair can benefit your boat.

VINCENT DANIELLO

A boat making 8 knots at 2000 rpm, with a 2:1 reduction gear, completes about 7,500 propeller revolutions every mile and well over 1 million revolutions through 24 hours. For distance cruisers, it’s interesting to consider how propeller efficiencies can multiply. Beyond better fuel economy, tweaking your boat’s propeller might also increase optimal cruising speed, improve engine health and even facilitate better boathandling. We turned to two propeller experts for advice about how to wring better performance from that bronze interface between the ocean and your boat’s engine. ANALYZING PROPELLERS Most prop shops evaluate propeller performance free of charge, says Randy Hale, owner of Hale Propeller in Old Saybrook, Conn. and Beaufort, N.C. That process starts with performance numbers for your boat’s current props, which ideally will include speed and fuel…

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PassageMaker (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

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