Hydrogen generators are increasingly being used on cruising yachts. However, especially on fast boats such as catamarans or performance cruisers, failures are possible due to excessive speeds. The problem is that the propellers, which are optimised for slow speeds, are so large that they generate too much resistance in the water at higher speeds. The propeller blades then often break, but if they hold, the generator supplies so much energy that the charge controller is overloaded and can be damaged (as happened to Henrik Masekowitz; see article below). Alternatively, there are hydrogenerators for racers; these have smaller propellers, but also only produce significant energy from a speed of around eight knots.
Watt&Sea now closes this gap between professional powerhouse and globetrotter's whisk with an adjustable propeller. Each of the three propeller blades can be adjusted to the maximum boat speed using an Allen key. You can choose between 12, 16, 22 and 28 knots maximum speed. The faster the boat, the less resistance the blades offer in the water. This setting is made once and cannot be changed during operation.
The new propeller is offered as an additional part and is compatible with the 300 and 600 watt versions of the Watt&Sea hydrogenerator for cruising sailors. However, according to German distributor Tom Logisch, the adjustable prop is only useful for the 600-watt version. It can of course be used on both the long and short shaft versions. The adjustable propeller is available immediately and costs 293 euros. By comparison, the non-adjustable replacement propeller costs just under 200 euros.
