Varifold Folding Sailboat Propeller
Varifold folding propellers have taken the market by storm. Regularly fitted by such notable yacht building names as Baltic, Swan, Leopard Catamarans, Moody and Oyster. The Varifold range of folding sailboat propellers has a model for larger cruiser and racing yachts in 3 blade folding propeller and a 4 blade folding propeller options. Varifold is revolutionary in design and brings a revolution to the yachts they are fitted to. Radical reductions in noise and vibration and excellent performance under engine, both ahead and astern, are the result of the propellers unique design.
Varifolds have proper helical pitch distribution, including pitch reduction towards the blade tip. This pitch reduction ‘unloads’ the blade tips and, combined with the skewed blades, greatly reduces noisy pressure pulses against a yachts hull. While some other folding propellers have a helical pitch shape, few have proper sections or pitch distribution. None, put all these requirements into a complete package, except Varifold.
Why Choose Varifold Folding Sailboat Propellers?
There are many choices when choosing a sailboat propeller. There are three main types to choose from: fixed, folding and feathering. The fixed propeller provides the best propulsive solution but has significant drag when locked-off under sail. The drag can be as much as a knot of lost speed. The feathering propeller is great to use in an aperture and has low drag when not in use, but the flat paddle like blades are significantly less efficient than a fixed pitch propeller and prone to noise and vibration when in use. The folding propeller offers all of the advantages of a fixed pitch propeller with none of the drawbacks. Check out our page on the design of folding sailboat propellers to learn more!
The Varifold model range is extensive. There is a propeller available to fit most yachts with engines rated up to 1000 HP. Versions specifically designed for saildrives are also available. Fore the larger sailboats over 100 ft in length Varifold folding sailboat propellers dominate the market as few manufacturers are able to design and manufacture a folding propeller able to deliver the required thrust efficiently, quietly and without vibration while remaining structurally sound. Details of the Varifold sailboat folding propeller are below and further information can be found in our brochure.
| Hub Code | VF-108 | VF-120 | VF-160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blade Number | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Propeller Diameter | 16" to 25" | 18" to 25" | 26" to 32" |
| Engine HP | up to 350 HP | up to 1000 HP | up to 1000 HP |
| Saildrive Option | Yes | Yes | No |
Service & Support
Whether it is for your yearly service or a little maintenance, getting parts for Varifold propellers is easy. King Propulsion carries all of the spare parts in stock at our Virginia Beach office. So if you are replacing buffer pads, pivot pins, zincs or fasteners we have the right Bruntons parts for the job. Visit our online store where you can order parts 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world. We ship USPS, FedEx and UPS as standard from Virginia Beach with most parts shipping same day when ordered before 4:00 PM EST.
Next Steps
Find out how Varifold folding sailboat propellers can benefit your sailboat by requesting a hassle free no obligation Varifold Propeller Quote. Simply click on the link below and enter the details of your sailboat such as boat type , engine, gearbox ratio and so on in our online web form and we will conduct a power prediction for your vessel to size the right Varifold propeller for you and give you a competitive quote.
