By Ocean-Yachting
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19 Feb, 2021
Selectin a Prop and Power planet for your boat involves many considerations one of them is understanding the engine performance, A propeller must satisfy two basic requirements. It needs to match the engine's power and shaft speed, and it must match the size and operating speed of the boat. But the size of the engine affects boat speed, and the type of hull affects the choice of engine. This circular relationship, with one factor affecting another, which in turn affects the first factor, is inescapable in propeller selection. These basic requirements engender some of the most frequently asked questions about propellers: Why won't my engine reach its top rated RPM? Will more or less pitch improve my boat's performance? Why doesn't my boat reach the top speed claimed by the manufacturer? Before we can answer these and other such questions, we have to investigate power, engine performance, and speed in some detail. Obviously, the more power available the faster a boat will go. Accordingly, one of the very first decisions that must be made in selecting an engine and propeller, whether for repowering, for a new design, or simply to improve performance, is the speed of operation desired.