Input on VEEM Interceptors

Can't speak to Veems specifically, but when calculating savings/value, also remember that cavitation also means you are wasting fuel with excessive drag.

I cannot tell you about Veems on a Viking. But I do know that Veems replaced Michigans on some of the Cabo models that had prop burn issues. The Veems were indeed slightly faster at cruise, but not top end which was good..... 1-2knots. The Veems did run a lot smoother with a lot less vibration and didn't experience prop burn issues.

BlueMajic48

I have a 2007 Viking 48. Seen the same cavitation evidence on my wheels as you are seeing. I presently have on order 5 blade ZF wheels. Looked into the Veems which by all accounts are a great wheel but - expensive compared to the ZF. When I get them on, I can share what the results are - looking at May before that happens though.

Props are the factory installed props, in this case Michigan, 32 by 41. Power is MAN V10 CRM 1100's.

I have a 2009 50' Viking with Veem propellers. I'm having the propellers pulled as we speak, as I noticed cavitation burns where the blades meet the hubs. During survey on the boat a year ago, the props looked good, with no cavitation burns. Though I must say that I experienced some vibration in the stern at cruising speeds, and attributed it to the modified tunnels. Because the cavitation burns are identical on both propellers, I'm of the thinking that the problem may be inherent in the propeller or hull design. I would appreciate feedback from anyone who has had similar experiences, and what you determined to be the source of the cavitation burns.

Typically cavitation burning at the blade roots is caused by a mismatch in the diameter of the propeller hub and the strut. A good prop shop will often chamfer the leading edge of the prop hub to reduce this.

I have also seen it caused to blade tip to hull clearance being too little on tunnel boats.

I had 4 bladed Michigan’s on my 54 Viking Sport Yacht that cruises at 23 knots and tops around 28 with everything freshly cleaned or painted. Black Dog recommended 5 blade veems and I bought them. At the time I didn’t think they were that expensive. I picked up maybe a knot at cruise, the time to plane seemed to improve, and it was smoother. I can’t speak to wake for fishing or cavitation burns, I don’t have the burn issue. Mine were not the ones were you could change pitch by inserting a different piece of plastic (??) at the tip of the blade.

In my experience, the Veems have done a good job in managing cavitation over time. Remember that all propellers are operating in a cavitating environment, and they try to mitigate the attachment of cavitation bubbles to propeller surfaces. In the case of root burn/cavitation at the intersection of the propeller blade and propeller hub, they work with the leading edge and radius design of the propeller blade intersection to minimize these "attachments".

The newer Michigan Wheels and ZF designs have also incorporated changes to handle these issues. First rule though, your Aft Strut Barrel diameter should never be smaller than the Propeller Hub Diameter, because it will then have the water flow hitting a spinning "wall" and spill over to the propeller blades in a very "unclean" manner.

Veems are premium propellers, are usually smoother and quieter than most, you really start to see big differences against the competition at 30+ knots.

What kind of tires do you put on your car? If you are the type to put on premium performance tires on your vehicle, then Veems are a good choice for your boat. As far as costs go, every dollar spent on your propeller is working for you on every revolution, it is some of the best money spent on a powerboat, in my opinion.

Make sure all new or reconditioned propellers are brought to 'S" class standards with scanned dimensional reports to verify the measured tolerances.