Variable Pitch Props and Shaft Brakes

[BlowingOldBoots]

Hello,

I am fitting a new propellor to the yacht and considering something like a Bruntons Auto Prop. A colleague suggested that because I have a hydraulic gearbox, which can't be locked, I will need a shaft brake. The logic I think is that water flow across the prop due to sailing and causes it to rotate and find a pitch angle. Conversely it needs a locked shaft so that the blades will pitch to neutral.

What do you think? Anyone got any experience of this? A brunt's is expensive enough as it is without fitting a shaft brake.

Cheers,

Alastair

[ash]

Hi Alistair

I inherited a Brunton Autoprop with the boat and find that there are some aspects of it I don't like.

I'm on the boat with just an old phone so will tell you more over the weekend.

Certainly, you would need to stop the shaft to get it to fold.

With a mechanical gearbox, the technique is to leave the engine driving in forward gear at tickover and stop the engine.

Speak later.

Ash