3 vs 4 Blades?

Dear Randy,

I'm the one with the '87 Starliner that you recommended the trophy prop for. Thanks so much for your response and input. I thoroughly enjoy reading your column. I was just wondering if you could explain why the 4 blade works better, my dealer recommended the Tempest Plus. I understand you could probably write a book on propellers but I also thought this would be some interesting reading for allot of others too.

Jim,

Generally, I use 4 blades when I need more bite on the boat that is very long or heavy. Kind of like a 4 wheel drive in the mud, when the back tires spin, you put it in 4 wheel drive and drive out. When the 3 blade does not have enough blade area to carry the boat, a 4 blade will work better. On a lighter boat, the extra blade just has more drag and is slower.

Randy

Please submit whatever questions you have to IHRTechTalk@yahoo.com. All questions and answers selected will be displayed on this page as they come in. Note: though all boaters are welcome, priority may be given to I.H.R. members. Randy can not be held responsible for any advice given. Though his information and expertise is second to none, he has no control over what you do with your boat. It is up to you to boat safely and act responsibly, and his advice is only to be used as a guidance for your high performance boat/motor of which you are the one responsible for the risks involved.

Thanks,
Mark C.

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