I made a bollocks of sailing off the mooring today and got stuck stern upwind on the chain. Not a big deal to sort out on a light J/109, but I did get a graphic reminder of how little reverse thrust folding props have.
Definitely not appropriate for a cruising boat where the bigtime reverse thrust of a good feathering prop gets us out of the inevitable mistakes we make. I like the MaxProp, but there are other good ones.
I think that for Maine, in my experience, folding props are so much less likely to catch on pots, they are overall better.
Hi Michael,
I guess I can see that argument for Maine, although we cruised there for many years with a MaxProp, but I really can’t see how a folder is better, given the very low thrust in reverse. The thought of maneuvering even a 45 foot cruising boat in a tight marina or fishing harbour with a folder gives me the horrors.
My flexofold from Denmark has plenty of power astern. I’ve used their 3 blade folder and my current 2 blade folder. It’s often done really well on comparison tests? But my comment was added as I leave a tight marina astern in all conditions as that means I’m moored bow to the westerly in the Bristol Channel. Added plus is avoiding the badly marked pot lines especially off the north Cornish coast.