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Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/9/2013 4:24:06 PM

I never thought a simple thing like adding a blade to the prop would make such a difference, but believe me, it does. Took my toon to Cat this morning. Had the logs acid washed and Cat installed the four blade prop I had ordered at his suggestion. Same pitch, a quarter inch smaller in diameter, but oh, my goodness what a difference it made. Proof in the pudding: On the way over to Blue Creek my boat was slogging along at 22mph, occasionally 23 (measured using GPS in my phone). On the way back to our cabin I cruised at 29, and with a little trim adjusting ran quite a while at 31. The engine sounded like it was telling me "Ah, now this is better!". Don't have a scientific measurement, but efficiency is way up, only using half to two thirds the amount of fuel for the trip back to Parker Creek. Obviously some of the increase in speed and efficiency is due to cleaning the gunk off the logs, but allowing a 3 mph increase for the cleaning still leaves 6 mph due to the four bladed prop. Not too shabby for a hundred and fifty bucks. Heck, I'll recover that in better fuel efficiency before memorial Day. BTW, Cat was also telling me about this gizmo that you can hook to your boat that will give him umpteen different readings on your boat's operation and allow him to pinpoint your problem, even when he is down on the Gulf screwing off. So, Mariah is one, and Hodja is another four blade prop believer. Thanks, Cat!

Name:	CAT BOAT -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/9/2013 6:45:40 PM

I wish a simple prop change would get 30% plus MPH all the time. Glad it worked as we thought. It was good to visit with you today. And, wireless diagnostics is now real!!!!! That is very exciting for us. We have been working on it for sometime now. (Thanks to a computor genius named Scott) Hopefully, there is more possibilities to come of this.

Respectfully,
Steve

ps. When you gonna race McGill?

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/9/2013 7:08:16 PM

Tell you what. He can start from River North Marina and I will start from Castaway, racing to the Kowaliga bridge. Then I might have a fighting chance....lol

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/9/2013 8:32:29 PM

Hodja, Hodja, Hodja. So your boat travels faster coming home than going to Blue Creek. Growing up on a cattle farm we had a reliable horse named Betsy. She had a little age and traveled a little slow going away from the barn. Turn her around, though, and head home, and you better hold on. She was always ready to get back to the barn. What is your boat's name?

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/9/2013 10:06:51 PM

Boat doesn't have a name. Boat is an inanimate object until one inserts key and turns. If boat is given new shoes and sheds unwanted baggage boat gets new life and the old nag becomes a spirited steed.

Name:	BigFoot -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/10/2013 10:17:54 AM

RACE!! RACE!! ...just sayin'

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/10/2013 10:30:51 AM

McGill, Hodja, and my horse, Betsy. Kentucky Derby never had anything that exciting.

Name:	crappyattitude -	Reply
Subject:	Can we please.....
Date:	4/10/2013 11:14:47 AM

...have the boat race the same weekend as the cookoff????

Crappy : )

(Just outside of Nashville)

(Yes, I know neither will actually happen....)

Name:	Samdog -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/10/2013 7:27:01 PM

But isn't the common thought that 4 blades are slower due to lower pitch?

Name:	HP HQ -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/10/2013 7:33:48 PM

Extra blades decrease your slip factor and decrease your chances of cavitation due to the slip factor being closer to even. Slip is the difference between theoretical speed versus actual speed. Being the slip is less, sometimes we can drop pitch and increase speed due to efficiency. We were supposed to do a prop test for the public last year expecting very similar outcomes but was unable to put it together.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Believe It: Four Blade vs Three Blade Props
Date:	4/10/2013 8:53:59 PM

In my case the slip factor was awful. Between the toon cleaning and extra blade (same pitch) I realized over 30% more speed at the same rpm (WOT both cases). Slip factor should be back in the land of the sane now. I was originally looking for a higher pitch in a 3 blade and Steve talked me into the four blade with no increase in pitch. The result is why I tend to listen to you professionals!