Click for Westport Click for Mulder Click for Nordhavn Click for Delta Click for Burger

Prop Speed vs Prop One?

Discussion in 'Props, Shafts & Seals' started by BoulderGT3, Jan 25, 2016.

You need to be registered and signed in to view this content.
  1. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2014
    Messages:
    168
    Location:
    Ftl
    I've got my boat scheduled for a bottom job at a yard I've used, trust and like in Ft Lauderdale. I was getting the quote for Prop Speed on the running gear and the owner said they stopped using it about 6 months ago. They had quality problems Prop Speed wouldn't stand behind the product or reimburse them. They've been using a new product called Prop One. I can't find any information on it. Is anyone familiar with it or have links to it? Thanks.
  2. leeky

    leeky Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2011
    Messages:
    381
    Location:
    Florida
    I'm not familiar with Prop One, but here's a link to it: http://www.greencorpmarine.com/propone/
  3. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2014
    Messages:
    168
    Location:
    Ftl
  4. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2006
    Messages:
    1,164
    Location:
    Gold Coast Australia
    Would appreciate more information on the "product failure" of Prop Speed.
    Been using this product since it first was released on all my boats. Found it to be everything that it is claimed to be, which is very rare.
    I would be suspicious of any negative claims that are made in conjunction with promoting a new product.
    Often a competitor will launch a new product with large commissions, bonuses and such to the retailer/installer to get their product a foot hold.
    Perhaps you could get some detail on the failure before you accept it.
  5. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Totally agree with you Kafue. It all sounds suspicious.
  6. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2014
    Messages:
    168
    Location:
    Ftl
    I've used Prop speed every year for 7 seasons. I've had fantastic results except the last coating where I didn't get a bond on about 15% of the prop. The yard pulled it and redid the prop speed at no charge on the next bottom job cycle. The guys I use are expensive but very trustworthy. The issue they were having was that they were getting batches of prop speed that set up too fast. 3-4 minutes. So they would have whole kits go bad. I don't think there is any incentive. Again, I trust the yard. PropOne is no cheaper nor does it last longer. I looked at it on a boat today and it looks and feels just the same.
  7. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    12,647
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    I really have to ask the users of either product.

    Does the cost of these prop stuff products out-preform a diver under your boat every month including the cost of the diver?

    So far, I do not see it.
  8. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    We use Prop Speed and diver. We think it's worth it. We don't want to take the chance required to find out. We could stop using it and see, but that's just a chance we don't want to take. All the diver has to do it take a soft cloth and wipe the props and other metal off.
  9. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2014
    Messages:
    168
    Location:
    Ftl
    +1
  10. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    12,647
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    I hear you my friend but I have to ask more.

    Inquiring mind, please don't take my question negative, I just don't understand a few things from time to time.

    lets say a diver charges $2 by the foot on a monthly contract. He dusts/wipes off the bottom and clears the running gear. The running gear will foul no mater how fresh the regular paint job is. His time in hours is of no concern, as long as all is clean when done. For another few bux, he will ensure all is clear before an out of schedule deployment.
    Lets say a boat like ours, 58 feet ($116) I catch him every third month for a quickie; (worst case $58).
    in a year that is around $1624.

    Where does that extra cost ($3000?) for prop poop help the average or any boater?
  11. RT46

    RT46 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2011
    Messages:
    1,058
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    in Australia divers get paid a lot more because of all the Great Whites


    ive never used prop speed, but I would consider using it.
  12. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    12,647
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    Big mis-understood lil guppies. All they want to do is play AND EAT.

    The science guys tagged a big female guppy here on the US east coast. She has blown everybody away with her travels these last couple of years.

    Naw, she don't like that prop poop either. :rolleyes:
  13. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Ok, we try to make the job of the diver as simple as possible. They should never have to actually scrub anything, just basically wipe and check anodes and everything else. As a result, we're getting substantially longer lives out of our bottom paint. We're also not having to get the props resurfaced. Even if you scrub the growth off a prop, limited growth can impact the surface.

    As to cost, we do have rates based on the difficulty and effort of the job. Because of the modest effort required and the number of boats we do pay less than the per foot norms.

    Now, we can't say with certainty the benefits, but my crew are believers, we are, and the boatyard we use is. What we do know is that cleaning the bottom and gear is a minimal effort and our performance has not deteriorated at all over the course of time.

    Now, I'll fully acknowledge that an option is to just let things go and then get the bottom painted and the props serviced more often. We like to minimize any down time as well.

    It's all a trade off but I believe in keeping things as much like new as possible. Our cars have always been in like new condition when traded after 7 years or so.

    Is our method the most cost effective? Probably not, but it meets out standards and desire. We're very strong believers in preventive maintenance of all types. You can't prove any of it saves money. You can't prove changing oil on schedule or doing any required maintenance is cost effective because you don't have a controlled test environment. You can't put two identical boats, encountering the same situations, into a test where you analyze ten or 15 years later. Sometimes it's simply what you and those whose opinions you value think.

    This attention to preventive maintenance was a way of life for me in operating manufacturing facilities where down time was very costly.
  14. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    12,647
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    Our boat was the example.
    Our bottom could still last 4+ years if our insurance company would leave us alone. A dust off and wipe is all the hull gets.
    Big pad scrubs and some times a few scrape offs on our gear. I think the trim tabs get the most work over.
    Were not a dock queen. I think that prop poop is great on the dock queens but still burns/wears off the fast cruisers.
    Especially in our silty waters.

    Our diver does min 875 feet/month for our company. Prop poop saves him no time, just headache.
    Even after a few years, that theoretical scrapping wear vs cost of prop poop I still wonder about.

    OB, I'm glad it works for you and keeps you happy. Stay happy, I mean no negative here to you.

    On a south Georgia attitude, enviroment and budget, naw here.


    Thx,
    rc
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2016
  15. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    I've found that prop speed doesn't really prevent growth very much, nor does it fall off like they claim by running the boat. It's normal setup time/workable time is 3-4 minutes from what I've seen. I haven't seen any performance gains by using it either. It makes it easier to get stuff off of the props for the diver. I generally have a diver clean my management yachts monthly. Not having prop speed, will not require you to recondition the props after a few years or anything like that. Not having prop speed might cause you to lose a teeny bit....maybe a knot due to growth the diver can't get off.....remaining scaling etc. Honestly on the slower boats (20 knot cruise speed or less), I've found Tri-lux to be much more effective than prop speed in all aspects.

    I've heard of several very reputable yards tell me propspeed doesn't stick or stay with the pods and they use another product that works on the pods. I saw it at one yard and it was a medium grey color. But not sure what it was and didn't ask the name. I've never heard of prop one before, but it's color is very similar to prop speed.
  16. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2006
    Messages:
    1,164
    Location:
    Gold Coast Australia
    AU$600 both props and shaft on a Hatteras 53’.
    Definitely worth it. Although the Hatteras is no speed demon, I notice the difference.
    On the UNIESSE 48 I owned, Prop Speed was used and made a big difference in performance. The 48 U is a 38 knot boat, and no light weight.
    I have no association with the product other than end user.
  17. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2014
    Messages:
    168
    Location:
    Ftl
    I have the divers do the boats 1/month Oct-April. Every 2 weeks in the warm/hot months. I like the way the running gear stays with prop speed or I wouldn't spend the $1960. That said, when I bought this boat I trialed another that had painted running gear and the performance was exactly the same. 30kts at 2000rpm. I've heard the best ticket is to have the running gear painted in the Bahamas with the non-EPA stuff but then we're back into that tired discussion.

    On the IPS boat I had I did the pods with trilux. Some used prop speed. IIRC, the quote for prop speed on the the pods was $3500 or something ridiculous.

    I still want to talk to someone that's used Prop One before I spend the $2K. I think I'll go over to the yard and look at a couple that they have pulled to see how it's held up.
  18. Mark I

    Mark I Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2006
    Messages:
    123
    Location:
    Long Island/Pompano Beach
    I have never been a fan of Prop Speed. It will fail if not applied exactly.

    I have sprayed my running gear with Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing Compound with very good results. It has the same ingredients as the Petit product but only cost $5 per can.
  19. DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,396
    Location:
    Ketchikan, Alaska
    I would be careful using Cold Galvanizing. You are likely creating a dissimilar metals reaction between it and your gear. It is likely to be mainly zinc that is being applied so you may not have a huge issue but I would be cautious and watch for signs of galvanic corrosion.
  20. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Just like any bottom paint, application is key.