Latest news with #propeller
Car and Driver
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2025 Yamaha 255 FSH Sport H Makes Docking Dummy-Proof
Somewhere on the bottom of Boothbay Harbor, there's a propeller of mine. When I was in high school, I took my dad's 21-foot Novi lobster boat from Damariscotta—about 21 miles away by water—to Boothbay to watch the July 4 fireworks. When I got into the harbor, the engine revs zinged at the same time forward progress halted, and I soon discovered why: the bolt holding the retaining cone on the prop shaft stripped out, allowing the whole works to spin off into the briny deep. I got towed to a dock and a wild project ensued that involved borrowing a retaining cone off a boat in storage and using a spare prop to limp around to a shipyard in East Boothbay for a fix. So when I recently returned to Boothbay with the 2025 Yamaha 255 FSH Sport H, a certain Volvo Penta prop down in Davy Jones' Locker was on my mind. Except this time, I was certain not to repeat that nightmare. Because propellers can't fall off if you don't have propellers in the first place. Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver The 255 FSH Sport H, like all Yamahas, uses jet drives—and hence impellers tucked up under the hull. Those impellers are driven by twin 1.8-liter supercharged four-cylinder inboards that make 250 horsepower apiece. It's unusual to see a 25-foot center console with inboards, and even more so to find one with Helm Master joystick control. That's what the "H" stands for in the name, and Yamaha says the 255 is its first jet-drive boat to get joystick docking. Car and Driver To enable that technology, which allows the boat to spin on its axis or crab sideways at the nudge of the joystick, each drive needs the capability to throttle, shift, and steer independently, which means both drive-by-wire and steer-by-wire. On outboard boats with Helm Master, you can see what's happening as the engines orient themselves at strange angles to direct thrust sideways rather than fore-aft. With the 255 FSH Sport H and its submerged drives, the result seems more like magic. The engines rev up and the boat spins, or slides perpendicular to the dock, or nudges up on a diagonal. Besides the practical benefit, it's a fun show. Car and Driver Joystick control made it easy enough to dock here without angering this aquatic TIE fighter. Now, I'd like to think I know how to dock a boat well enough, but I can still get caught out by currents or wind and sometimes just the stress-inducing gaze of whatever onshore audience is hoping to catch the next Qualified Captain calamity. Helm Master eradicates all that docking stress. When I had exactly 25 feet of fuel dock for this 25-foot boat—the rest of it being consumed by a towering multimillion-dollar catamaran—I calmly lined up about 15 feet off, activated the joystick, and precisely slid over to the dock while the curious marina attendants looked on. If technology can alleviate stress in your life, then I'm fine with embracing it. The effect is as if your boat, and only your boat, catches a gentle on-shore breeze and drifts into just the right spot. It's kind of addicting, and I've been docking boats the traditional way for decades. If Helm Master is a stress reliever for me, I imagine it would be a godsend for a novice boater. Yeah, you might never learn to dock with the throttle and steering wheel, but you wouldn't necessarily need to, either. Ezra Dyer< | Car and Driver Underwater lights are standard. Room for Improvement There are some joystick-related drawbacks, of course. The 255 FSH Sport H's $111,999 price is about as inexpensive as it gets for a 25-foot center console with Helm Master, but the 255 FSH Sport E with the same power and no joystick is $99,699. And since the drives need to steer independently, the Sport H doesn't have Yamaha's articulated keel, which the Sport E does. So it goes where its thrust nozzles are pointed and it could use a steering position indicator on the display, a sort of digital top-dead-center mark to help find straight ahead without trial and error. The 255 FSH Sport H's thrust nozzles can steer and throttle independently to make the boat rotate or crab sideways. But I'd say the pros outweigh the cons, and I'd go for the H over the E if I were contemplating a 255, the same way I'd get a GM vehicle with Super Cruise even though I know how to drive on the highway. If technology can alleviate stress in your life, then I'm fine with embracing it rather than fearing some hypothetical atrophy of skills. Car and Driver Here's an emblem of the 255 FSH's fishing-and-family dual personality: some of the cupholders also have a rodholder inside. And, Helm Master aside, the 255 FSH Sport H is a fabulous boat, especially at its price point. The layout is almost like a dual-console mashup with a center console, with seating for 12 but plenty of room to move around when you're fishing. The clean stern is also a boon for chasing fish or hooking up a tube for rides (there are even stereo controls back there for when you're pulled up on a sandbar and lounging). The jet drives don't get hung up on Maine lobster trap lines—another occupational hazard during my high school summer job as a lobsterman—and with 500 hp, the 255 hauls ass. "Over there! I wanna go over there!" It's actually fast enough to be unpleasant for passengers, as I was informed when I hit 54 mph. Stick your head of your sunroof at 54 mph and you'll understand what they were talking about. Slow down to about 30 mph, though, and all is serene and you get about 1.7 mpg, which is pretty decent for a 500-hp boat that's rated to carry 2700 pounds. One foible we discovered: the trash can bin compartment on the starboard side isn't sealed, as we learned when a kid stuffed a phone in a shoe, threw it in the trash can and subsequently had the phone bounce out and wedge itself between the inner and outer hulls. It was retrieved with a couple of coat-hangers. Car and Driver Unlike an outboard boat, the 255 FSH doesn't advertise its horsepower rating to the world. But this is 500 horsepower under the rear seat. I think boaters tend to be like HD truck buyers (and many are both) in that there's a strong traditionalist streak, a deference toward what's worked in the past. The 255 FSH Sport H is an untraditional center console—inboard, jet-drive, steer-by-wire with joystick control. But if you can get over your preconceptions and boat-control egoism, the 255 FSH makes a strong case for embracing change. Every time I idled through the channel in Boothbay, I thought about how I had a propeller down there on the bottom somewhere. But this time I didn't need it. Ezra Dyer Senior Editor Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He's now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 Yamaha 255 FSH Sport H Makes Docking Dummy-Proof
Somewhere on the bottom of Boothbay Harbor, there's a propeller of mine. When I was in high school, I took my dad's 21-foot Novi lobster boat from Damariscotta—about 21 miles away by water—to Boothbay to watch the July 4 fireworks. When I got into the harbor, the engine revs zinged at the same time forward progress halted, and I soon discovered why: the bolt holding the retaining cone on the prop shaft stripped out, allowing the whole works to spin off into the briny deep. I got towed to a dock and a wild project ensued that involved borrowing a retaining cone off a boat in storage and using a spare prop to limp around to a shipyard in East Boothbay for a fix. So when I recently returned to Boothbay with the 2025 Yamaha 255 FSH Sport H, a certain Volvo Penta prop down in Davy Jones' Locker was on my mind. Except this time, I was certain not to repeat that nightmare. Because propellers can't fall off if you don't have propellers in the first place. The 255 FSH Sport H, like all Yamahas, uses jet drives—and hence impellers tucked up under the hull. Those impellers are driven by twin 1.8-liter supercharged four-cylinder inboards that make 250 horsepower apiece. It's unusual to see a 25-foot center console with inboards, and even more so to find one with Helm Master joystick control. That's what the "H" stands for in the name, and Yamaha says the 255 is its first jet-drive boat to get joystick docking. To enable that technology, which allows the boat to spin on its axis or crab sideways at the nudge of the joystick, each drive needs the capability to throttle, shift, and steer independently, which means both drive-by-wire and steer-by-wire. On outboard boats with Helm Master, you can see what's happening as the engines orient themselves at strange angles to direct thrust sideways rather than fore-aft. With the 255 FSH Sport H and its submerged drives, the result seems more like magic. The engines rev up and the boat spins, or slides perpendicular to the dock, or nudges up on a diagonal. Besides the practical benefit, it's a fun show. Now, I'd like to think I know how to dock a boat well enough, but I can still get caught out by currents or wind and sometimes just the stress-inducing gaze of whatever onshore audience is hoping to catch the next Qualified Captain calamity. Helm Master eradicates all that docking stress. When I had exactly 25 feet of fuel dock for this 25-foot boat—the rest of it being consumed by a towering multimillion-dollar catamaran—I calmly lined up about 15 feet off, activated the joystick, and precisely slid over to the dock while the curious marina attendants looked on. The effect is as if your boat, and only your boat, catches a gentle on-shore breeze and drifts into just the right spot. It's kind of addicting, and I've been docking boats the traditional way for decades. If Helm Master is a stress reliever for me, I imagine it would be a godsend for a novice boater. Yeah, you might never learn to dock with the throttle and steering wheel, but you wouldn't necessarily need to, either. Room for Improvement There are some joystick-related drawbacks, of course. The 255 FSH Sport H's $111,999 price is about as inexpensive as it gets for a 25-foot center console with Helm Master, but the 255 FSH Sport E with the same power and no joystick is $99,699. And since the drives need to steer independently, the Sport H doesn't have Yamaha's articulated keel, which the Sport E does. So it goes where its thrust nozzles are pointed and it could use a steering position indicator on the display, a sort of digital top-dead-center mark to help find straight ahead without trial and error. But I'd say the pros outweigh the cons, and I'd go for the H over the E if I were contemplating a 255, the same way I'd get a GM vehicle with Super Cruise even though I know how to drive on the highway. If technology can alleviate stress in your life, then I'm fine with embracing it rather than fearing some hypothetical atrophy of skills. And, Helm Master aside, the 255 FSH Sport H is a fabulous boat, especially at its price point. The layout is almost like a dual-console mashup with a center console, with seating for 12 but plenty of room to move around when you're fishing. The clean stern is also a boon for chasing fish or hooking up a tube for rides (there are even stereo controls back there for when you're pulled up on a sandbar and lounging). The jet drives don't get hung up on Maine lobster trap lines—another occupational hazard during my high school summer job as a lobsterman—and with 500 hp, the 255 hauls ass. It's actually fast enough to be unpleasant for passengers, as I was informed when I hit 54 mph. Stick your head of your sunroof at 54 mph and you'll understand what they were talking about. Slow down to about 30 mph, though, and all is serene and you get about 1.7 mpg, which is pretty decent for a 500-hp boat that's rated to carry 2700 pounds. One foible we discovered: the trash can bin compartment on the starboard side isn't sealed, as we learned when a kid stuffed a phone in a shoe, threw it in the trash can and subsequently had the phone bounce out and wedge itself between the inner and outer hulls. It was retrieved with a couple of coat-hangers. I think boaters tend to be like HD truck buyers (and many are both) in that there's a strong traditionalist streak, a deference toward what's worked in the past. The 255 FSH Sport H is an untraditional center console—inboard, jet-drive, steer-by-wire with joystick control. But if you can get over your preconceptions and boat-control egoism, the 255 FSH makes a strong case for embracing change. Every time I idled through the channel in Boothbay, I thought about how I had a propeller down there on the bottom somewhere. But this time I didn't need it. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Yahoo
Teenager run over by boat at Cherry Creek Reservoir
DENVER (KDVR) — A teenager was run over by a boat on Sunday evening, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The incident occurred at the Cherry Creek Reservoir. I-225 closed after deadly single-vehicle crash South Metro Fire, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and Colorado Parks and Wildlife responded to assist the person. The teen was tubing with family and friends when he was hit by the propeller of the boat. Officials from the reservoir said it is currently unknown how the incident occurred. The sheriff's office said that the responders from Colorado State Parks applied a tourniquet to the victim, who was then transported to the hospital by South Metro Fire. CPW said that the teen was conscious and breathing. CPW and ACSO are investigating the incident. FOX31 has a crew on the way to the scene and will provide updates as they become available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
25-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
The province wants your opinion on a watercraft pass that would prevent mussel invasions
A boat propeller encrusted with invasive quagga mussels that was found in Nevada is displayed during a demonstration of a boat inspection for reporters, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, at a boat launch in Olympia, Wash. Environmental and other agencies seek to stop the spread of invasive mussels because they can clog piping and mechanical systems of industrial plants, utilities, locks and dams. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
National Post
21-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
McCauley Propeller Systems High-Performance C780 Propeller Now Factory Standard for New Beechcraft King Air 360 Customers
Article content WICHITA, Kan. — McCauley Propeller Systems, a division of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced its C780 propeller, which had previously been optional for factory installation, is now standard for all new commercial customers of the Beechcraft King Air 360. The first King Air 360 equipped with the propeller recently rolled out of production at Textron Aviation's factory in Wichita, Kansas. Article content 'As a leading full-line propeller manufacturer, being featured on the factory line of the legendary Beechcraft King Air 360 underscores our commitment to excellence,' said Jason Hull, vice president and general manager, McCauley Propeller Systems. 'The C780 offers a sophisticated and durable design that aligns with the versatility of the King Air turboprops. We look forward to continuing to support this iconic family of aircraft and pilots around the world.' Article content The C780 propeller, which entered service in 2023, features a lightweight scimitar blade design with four aluminum swept blades and a 105-inch diameter. The high-performance propeller provides King Air B300 owners and operators with several benefits to their aircraft, including: Article content Propeller weight savings of up to 50 pounds compared to previous options Reduced noise in the cabin and cockpit Extended Time Between Overhaul (TBO) of 5,000 hours or 72 months Textron Aviation's 5,000 hours or 36-month limited propeller warranty Article content The C780 propeller achieved FAA certification in 2023 and EASA certification in 2024. It also recently achieved certification from the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil, the second largest installed base for Beechcraft King Air turboprops. Article content Current King Air B300 owners can have the propeller installed on their aircraft at a Textron Aviation Service Center or Authorized McCauley Service Facility without any additional modifications required. Article content For more information about the propeller, visit About McCauley Propeller Systems McCauley is one of the world's largest full-line propeller manufacturers, with more than 500 models available. With more than 85 years of design and manufacturing experience, McCauley continues to be a pioneer in the general aviation industry. Historically, our propellers are FAA certified as original equipment for aircraft built by Textron Aviation, British Aerospace, Fairchild, Grumman, Jetstream, Piper, Stoddard Hamilton and many others. Our product lines have always served a wide range of markets: commercial, military, agricultural and commuter airlines, as well as personal and business aviation. McCauley propellers are in the field on more than 350,000 aircraft around the world – a testimony to our continuing commitment to excellence. For more information, visit Article content About Textron Aviation Article content We inspire the journey of flight. For more than 95 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. For more information, visit | | Article content About Textron Inc. Article content Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: Article content Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media: Article content Article content Article content
