Varifold Saildrive Propeller

2 blade Sail Drive folding propeller

The second model, which is becoming very popular is the sail drive option.  For vessels where a long shaft line is not an option a vertical drive shaft and a gearbox type ”leg” hold the propeller.  This saves on space but does require a special hub.

The sail drive manufacturers specify a torsional damping system be installed inside the hub to protect the sail drive gears should the propeller foul on any submerged object.  This addition to the design makes the hub a larger diameter, but it is still faired in  with the design of the sail drive.

The fitting for the sail drive is also slightly different from the shaft version and requires the hub to be fitted with a splined bore; we offer Yanmar and Volvo spline inserts for the propeller.

In both models of this 2 blade propeller, the blades fold completely together for minimum drag and are a modern blade design with substantial blade area for smooth running and minimum noise, vibration and cavitation.  Finally the design is fitted with rubber bump stops minimize blade opening impact. Fitting instructions for the sail drive propeller may be downloaded here – 2 blade sail drive fitting instructions.