propellor drag

[WALT SCHERF]

I am starting contruction of a 16' daysailor that will displace about 450 lbs. Would like to mount a small O/B in a well and leave it in place while sailing (letting it freewheel). Would the induced drag seriously degrade sailing performance? I am not a racer but do not wish to greatly slow things down.

[Howard Gmelch]

YES!! A small O/B in a well will seriously degrade sail perfomance. (In most cases, letting the prop freewheel will make it even worse.) The smaller the boat the greater the effect.

[rbgarr]

IMO it will both slow the boat down and make her steer poorly.

[Tom Lathrop]

Terrible idea, although some designers use it since they think their buyers are more interested in "character" than performance.

Many people refuse to believe that a freewheeling prop has more drag than a fixed one.

[imported_Conrad]

Sounds like maybe you really want the convenience of having the motor ready to go without having to struggle with taking it on or off, etc. My 80+ year old dad is working through the same situation with his boating needs. What you do depends on a lot of factors. Is there a pretty good breeze where you sail, or is it light air? If the breeze really blows most of the time it probably isn't as big an issue as it is here where light air prevails. We went with an electric trolling motor on the transom- it tips up when you don't need it but doesn't look as offensive as a larger outboard, and the battery doesn't take up much room under a seat. No starting hassels, either.

Convenience or full performance- where are your priorities. If you do put it in a well, try to find a two bladed prop and lock it.