Barnacaled Props

[JeffM]

How badly do barnacales on the prop affect performance?

I have some on the SS props on my BIII, and today we could not get on plane and WOT was 3,200 rpm. The boat has been in the water since April 1, but I checked the bottom and the drive and there is very little growth. A little slime on the bottom, and a few barnacles on the drive, but no more than the end of last year. The props, however, have a few...perhaps 1 every square inch or so (?).

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[fc3]

That's enough. Clean the props. The boat will perform better and cost less to run.

Best regards,
Frank

 

[Four Suns]

So let me get this straight. You're out boating today? Meanwhile back here at the chicken ranch your daughter stops by and wrecks my truck... nice...

 

[First Born]

Ruh Roh

 

[JeffM]

So let me get this straight. You're out boating today? Meanwhile back here at the chicken ranch your daughter stops by and wrecks my truck... nice...

Rats. That makes three. And she wants me to buy her her own car....

 

[JeffM]

That's enough. Clean the props. The boat will perform better and cost less to run.

Thanks, Frank. I cleaned the props tonight and, unfortunately, most of the barnacles must have been removed by running on our trip home yesterday, because there weren't many to clean off. They were pretty small (1/4 inch across or so) and came off easily.

So now I have to figure out why we can't get up on plane. I know the water system wasn't properly winterized, so I have a bad feeling about this....

Jeff

 

[fc3]

Thanks, Frank. I cleaned the props tonight and, unfortunately, most of the barnacles must have been removed by running on our trip home yesterday, because there weren't many to clean off. They were pretty small (1/4 inch across or so) and came off easily.

So now I have to figure out why we can't get up on plane. I know the water system wasn't properly winterized, so I have a bad feeling about this....

Jeff

First check that the bottom is clean. A dirty bottom will slow things down drastically. That includes the drive's surfaces.

RPMs are about normal for off-plane. Might want to do a quick compression test, but I doubt it's the engine. Are the props the right pitch? You didn't try new ones this year. Did you?

Best regards,
Frank C

PS How did Gary's truck get ruined?

 

[JeffM]

The bottom is pretty clean -- no worse than last year; a little slime but no barnacles or other growth. The drive does have a few barnacles, but I couldn't reach them tonight. I'm not about to (voluntarily) swim in the marina, so I'll have to clean the drive next weekend.

Props are the same as last year. They were serviced last spring.

This is only the second time we've used the boat this year, and last time out it seemed as though the power was low, too, but not as bad as yesterday. At the end of last year I found drive oil forced out the top (cap vent) of the reservoir, but the drive was vacuum and pressure tested and passed. There was no evidence of water, metal shavings, etc, in the drive oil, either.

Jeff

I'm not sure what happened to Gary's truck. For some reason my daughter won't answer her phone when I call.....

 

[osd9]

How about the fuel...is it last years fuel? Did you stabilize it last winter? Did you change the water/gas filters?

 

[JeffM]

I stabilized the fuel last year and stored with a half tank. Last time out (two weeks ago? maybe three) I filled the tank. The filters were supposed to have been changed, but that was at the same marina that didn't winterize the water system, so I'm not positive. The filters were definitely changed at the beginning of last season.