Flexofold for the SO 40

[hoppy]

The boat isdue to come out of the water soon and was thinking to take the opportunity to install a Flexofold. It has been suggested I need a 3-blade 22” propeller, although I need to check the gear reduction ratio for correct fittment. The price expect a price of EUR 2.150,- incl. VAT and delivery.

I expected flexofold to cost more, but this is my first price quote

It seemed to be highly rated in reviews. Is a good buy?

[Don Reaves]

For value, the KiwiProp is hard to beat. I've had mine for three seasons now, and it performs just as advertised.

[debenboy]

Hoppy,

That seems agood price on the Flexofold 3 blade.
When commissioning my SO36i I was pressured towards fitting a 3 blade folder . The Kiwi was £1000 and the Flexofold £2850!

I stuck to my guns and fitted a Flexofold 2 Blade folder @ £1000+VAT. I have been very pleased so far. Lots of grunt.

[dublin]

I have a kiwi on a 39ds and am very happywith the results after first season.

[hoppy]

Thanks for the suggestion... I had thought about the kiwi prop but it seems so flimsy (in the photos)

How do the kiwi props perform in med style mooring with reverse parking?

The is the big stockholm boat show starting this week, so I will fish around there.

[dublin]

I have found control in reverse is better than original 3 blade fixed prop. Picks up way and control virtually instantly, good stopping power etc.

Understand sail performance is much improved. I have in mast reeding and boat is kitted for cruising. Last summer on passage I recorded a constant 8 to 8.1 kts at about 60 degrees apparent and 16kts apparent windspeed.

I checked the log the next day against a marked mile on isle if Arran and it was reading totally accurately.

Cruising speed under engine is bout 0.4kt below old prop. I can live with that for the benefits.

[Don Reaves]

Up close, the KiwiProp doesn't feel flimsy at all. It's a graphite composite, I believe, and is light and tough. Power backing is amazing. Even after 3 seasons, I still sometimes apply too much reverse power when coming into dock and stop short.

[dublin]

I agree with Don - having more than once "suffered" from stopping too quickly especially when coming in "faster" to maintain steerage in heavy cross winds - I suppose that's how a pro can become a con :-)

[mkremedy]

Hoppy,
I have a Flexofold 3 blade prop on my 36i Performance. It came with the performance package, so I can not compare it to a fixed prop on a 36i. I can only tell that this prop is great. It seems to performs really well when sailing or when docking. I am truly amazed how she handles when docking. There is a lot of stopping power and there hasn't been any damage when shifting too quickly for forward to reverse. Our boat is pulled out for the winter and the prop looks like it is brand new. I would definitely purchase one on our next boat. I suggest that you contact Flexofold in order for them to suggest the correct size prop based on your boat and your motor.
Good Luck.

Happy Sailing
mkremedy

[hoppy]

I decided to go ahead and order the Flexofold.

They have come back to me asking me to confirm that my boat does have a 30mm shaft and something about an ISO standard. The boat is out of the water now so I sent the marina an email asking them to check so I can complete the order.

As I typed this I thought to check the survey report and it does have a 30mm shaft.

So now I am wondering if there is something I need to check regarding "ISO standard" or if it is 100% certain that a French delivered SO40 with a Yanmar 4JH3E, 2.63 ratio and a 30mm shaft will comply to the appropriate ISO standard? ( ISO 8845???)

My feeling is to write back to Flexofold and say "yes" so the order can proceed ASAP, but I'd hate to find out the hard way that there is a difference.

[MalcolmP]

I think this is the taper angle that the prop is fixed to

When I ordered my autoprop they presumed it was a "standard" taper and all was well

Might be worth asking your jeanneau dealer to confirm the sharft would have a standard taper

Malcolm

[hoppy]

Unfortunately the boat delivered in France two owners ago, the boat is in Greece and I live in Sweden.

I had spoken the local dealer here in regards to ordering parts and other matters, but found them generally disinterested, so I doubt that they will be all that helpful.

The boat is pretty with original rigging, sails and so on, so I guess that unless it had broken at some point in the past 9 years then the prop shaft will be the standard factory fit.

I guess I will have to make the same assumption.

Just checked the jeanneauparts.com catalog and they only list one prop shaft for 4JH3E powered boats, so it should be ok...... and if not, the standard propshaft is "only" €596 if I got it wrong...

[MalcolmP]

Try second table on this link

www.propellerpages.com/?c=articles&f=2008-03-04_Taper_Bore

Looks like the ISO taper for a 40mm shaft will be 1 in 10

Good luck

malcolm

[hoppy]

Thank's for the link, now I'm not sure whether to be worried or not

[hoppy]

Thanks again for the comments.

The Flexofold was fitted and last week we went out for my first ever motor & sail on Jessabbé. I have know idea how she performed with the fixed prop but I am very happy how she moved and stopped with the Flexofold.

Under motor when both moving forward and reverse, she stopped very quickly which was confidence inspiring. The prop wash came out the starboard side but (according the instructor on board) was not significant, but was still useful for manoeuvres. I was with the use of a lot of f&r thrust able to pretty much spin her around her keel.

So much was happening so my recollection of the figures are a bit hazy, but we seemed to get about 7knts running with revs in the high 2's and an easy 6 in the low 2's.

Jessabbé still has the original sails (8.5 years) but aside from not been the cleanest, they held their shape quite well. We were able to fairly easily make 7 knts when close hauled in I think 15-20 app.

We recorded a max speed of 8.73 knts which I think happened when reaching with the true wind speed was gusting up to 30.

This was a happy skipper

[milford]

I ve a kiwiprop on my S.O.40 and I amreally happy with it's performance,especially in fuel economy and reverse performance.

[dublin]

What are cruising revs and boat speed

[milford]

sorry it took a while to answer but I've been away sailing.In flat water at 2800 rpm (56hp yanmar) 7.4knts.At 3600 rpm about 7.9knts and at leisure cruise 2200 rpm about 6.2 knts This is where my fuel consumption is at 1.7litres/hour thanks to kiwi prop.Previously with a fixed 3 blade fuel consumptionwas 2.4lts/hour.Of course the greatest benefit of the kiwi prop is that it sacrifices a blade if struck underwater rather than your stern tube/p bracket gearbox or hull and the boat points 10 degrees on a close reach

[so40gtb]

Hoppy,

Great to hear of your happy first sail! Wife Denni and I think that the SO40 is a special, very easy and comfortable boat to sail, efficient as well. The speed info you report is consistent with our experience with the 3-blade MaxProp on our boat.

We had a marvelous upwind run last Saturday in winds to 25 kt, sails down a reef, holding nearly 7 kt very close to the wind, waves under a half meter. Usually the waves on Lake Michigan at such wind speeds approach 2 m, not the most comfortable situation. We're a month late getting started this season, due to adverse weather for commissioning and sailing nearly every weekend since early March.

Unrelated, we replaced the stock Amiot 1m, 3:1 purchase traveler over the winter with a 1.5m Garhauer, 5:1 purchase. We seldom need to put the traveler lines on the winches now and we've gained about 15 cm of outboard travel, which seems to help a bit when dropping the traveler to deal with wind gusts. There will be a "Hints & Tips" post on this after we gain more experience.

--Karl