What Is Propeller Pitch?

Propeller pitch determines the speed and power that a propeller will produce. Th
e amount of propeller pitch refers to the angle of the propeller blades as compa
red to the propeller hub or a horizontal line drawn through the center of the pr
opeller. By altering the propeller pitch or the angle of the blades, the propell
er can be tuned to deliver more top speed or more slow speed power or torque. Th
is is only part of the equation, however; propeller pitch is used hand in hand w
ith propeller blade cupping as well as material used in its production to produc
e the proper propeller for any given application.
Performance propellers are typically made of stainless steel, while the typical
pleasure boat is equipped with an aluminum or composite propeller. Due in part t
o cost, the aluminum propeller blades are used because they can be easily replac
ed in the event of damage from striking an underwater object. Many times the alu
minum propellers will bend instead of breaking. This allows an experienced repai
r person to reset the propeller pitch and straighten the bent propeller. In the
case of a composite propeller, more often than not, the propeller blades will br
eak off when encountering an obstacle.
Stainless steel propellers are much thinner than composite or aluminum types. Th
is thin design coupled with the proper propeller pitch makes for a very high-per
formance propeller. Producing more speed at top end as well as being able to pus
h the boat on plane much faster, the typical stainless steel propeller is engine
ered with the propeller pitch and cupping to extract the top level of performanc
e from the outboard motor. This performance does not come cheap, and most stainl
ess steel propellers are purchased at double the price of a comparable aluminum
unit.
The amount of cupping designed into a propeller has as much to do with its level
of effectiveness or performance as the propeller pitch does. The cupping affect
s the manner in which the water spins off of the propeller blade. Much in the sa
me manner as a baseball is controlled by the placement of the pitcher's fingers
as it is thrown, the cupping controls the manner in which the water is actually
driven off of the propeller blades. By increasing the speed at which water is pr
opelled off of the propeller blades, the speed at which water can enter the area
occupied by the propeller is also increased. A properly tuned propeller is actu
ally pulling water from underneath the entire length of the boat's hull.