{"id":750,"date":"2026-09-28T14:49:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T04:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/?page_id=750"},"modified":"2026-09-28T14:49:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T04:49:14","slug":"propeller","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/?page_id=750","title":{"rendered":"Propeller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Being a sailing boat Malua was not always under power and so a large 18 inch propeller dragging under the hull was just one option. Many Bluewater designs had folding propellers but I did the research and found that the a feathering prop from Bruntons<\/a> in the UK. Like most yacht items in Australia it was a pain to get the prop and get service so when one blade fell off after the long trip across the Pacific I did not hesitate to contact the supplier who were helpful but it cost a fortune. I removed the damaged prop replaced it with my back-up then put it in a box to airfreight to the UK. There they replaced the missing blade and all the bearings and seals and re-balanced the prop. They sent it back at their expense and I now have a brand “new” Autoprop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I noticed that the shaft was bent when I put the fixed blade prop on so I realized that the shaft must have been bent and damaged when the Autoprop came off and when I steamed to the dock to be lifted out it finally given up. So back to D H Porters<\/a> for a new shaft. I gave then the invoice and receipt from David, the builder and they traced it back to the workshop specifications but like most things with David it did not meet what he had installed on Malua and what was delivered. I removed the old shaft and placed it alongside the new shaft and WOW it was too long. So call a friend Stuart and he put it into his lathe and we turned a new thread onto the shaft along with the correct taper and removed the excess. Back onto the boat and replace the skeg bearing and the shaft and slip the new Autoprop on and Bob is your uncle. Yes good planning, ingenuity and great skill got everything fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Autoprop sage continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the new Autoprop arrived I installed it and went cruising but not for long because the brand “new” Autoprop again lost a blade and I was now stuck in the marina in Bermagui. I sent off emails to Bruntons<\/a> but this time I got a very short response I was all my fault but send it back at my expense and they will analyse the propeller. Their analysis came back that I must have hit an underwater object and the blade had come off. They can fit a new blade like last time at my expense and send it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Autoprop sage continues.  After the cruise to New Caledonia and Fiji I returned to Bermagui and left the boat for a few months to adjust to life back at home.  Just prior to Christmas Iain and I  deceided to go for a short day sail.  All prepared and we motored out of the channel to the open sea when there was a loud bang and a knock on the hull of the boat.  We lost way immediatly and I knew that for a second time a blade on the Autoprop had come adrift.  The engine was shaking and shuddering.  Reduce the revs and head for home.  Luckely the entrance was calm and I slowly edged Malua back into her berth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was in the water in a flash to find. as I thought that a blade was missing.  For the second time a blade had come adrift.  That indicated a design flaw or a manufacturing defect.  How to get the prop off without putting Malua on a slip.  No slips available so on with the scuba and into the water.  Now I know the routine well and am very confident to use the tools and pullers I had developed over the years to pull the prop off the shaft under water and not loose a single piece.  Quite a quick and easy job and there before my eyes for a second time in the props life the retaing mechanism had unscrewed and the locking nut had come undone and the blade with all ball bearing etc had flown off the rotating shaft.  On this occasion the blade had hit the hull below the waterline.  That could have made a hole in the hull and Malua could have taken on water.  Not a good outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email again to Bruntons.  What must I do?  Will you replace this defective prop?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My answer: send it back I will find an alternative route that will cost you more than a single blade. It has worked. I regularly get emails from people all around the work asking me to describe my situation and outcome because they are dealing with Bruntons because of a lost blade prior to taking legal action. We will see what the final outcome is. I now have a three bladed fixed prop that drives the boat very well indeed while under motor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will not go into the back and forth sage with the manufacturer who initially acused me of hitting a log and the tried to show the danage but as I pointed out the images were not of my prop!  The MD then did not return emails with question and did not take phone calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The outcome they sent a dismantled prop back to me in a box at their cost with no option to replace the prop with one from their offerings.\u00a0 I now like many many other Autoprop owners have a three bladed prop with only two blades and I join a long list of very dissatisfied customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My answer: I will find an alternative route that will cost them more than a single blade. It has worked. I regularly get emails from people all around the work asking me to describe my situation and outcome because they are dealing with Bruntons because of a lost blade prior to taking legal action. We will see what the final outcome is. I now have a three bladed fixed prop that drives the boat very well indeed while under motor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Being a sailing boat Malua was not always under power and so a large 18 inch propeller dragging under the hull was just one option. Many Bluewater designs had folding propellers but I did the research and found that the a feathering prop from Bruntons in the UK. Like most yacht items in Australia it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_wpcom_ai_launchpad_about_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_gallery_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_contact_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_events_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_video_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_portfolio_piece":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-750","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/PhqRzp-c6","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=750"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":760,"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/750\/revisions\/760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maluayacht.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}