BBLADES Boating News

BBLADES 3rd Quarter 2015 Newsletter
It’s Midsummer everywhere, and the middle of the boating season for those of us limited by winter four months of the year; we hope you’ve managed to get out on the water as often as you’d like and encourage everyone to make the most of what remains of summertime.
For the remainder of July, BBLADES is offering FREE ground shipping on all new Lab Finished propellers. Weather you need some backups to make sure you don’t miss a day on the water or are getting ready for the race season championships in the Fall, July is a good time to buy a new Lab Finished prop and we’ll ship it to you FREE.
When you are indoors, or checking your phone in the shade at your favorite cove, look in on the BBLADES facebook page. Never know what you might find there, but it’s usually boating related, information you can use, maybe a laugh or two. It’s also the first place to learn about special offers like our free shipping special.
We mention this a lot, because no other propeller shop anywhere helps you test and tweak your boats performance affordably like BBLADES. Our test programs can help you squeeze the most performance out of your boat setup without putting a big squeeze on your wallet. The right prop and boat set-up can also save you money in fuel. Visit the BBLADES website to learn more about our test programs.
But don’t take our word for it, keep reading and hear from customers just like you who have improved their boating experience by working with the propeller professionals at BBLADES.

West Palm Boater Doubles Down on Pro Test Program
Early in 2014, James Matthysse got a smoking deal on a 2012 Checkmate Pulsare 2400 BRX bow Rider; the boat was two years old, but a demo, and only had six hours on it.
Matthysse, of West Palm Beach, Florida, Then spent the next four months trying to find the right prop for the 300 horsepower Verado powering the rig. “I tried four or five different props that I borrowed or bought with information from internet forums,” he said.
A pilot by profession, and a bit of a wrench by hobby, Matthysse was playing with the idea of a repower when Mercury Racing announced the Verado 400R this past February. He had to have one. And had to rig it himself. But when it came to prop selection, this time, Matthysse placed a call to BBLADES first.
“I actually talk to Brett a year ago – and some other prop shops to get some basic information, but this time I wanted to take advantage of BBLADES’ test program.
“Brad asked me very detailed questions about my rigging and set-up, the type of boating I like to do, very technical and involved.”
Matthysse ended up testing a 24p pitch BBLADES OB/F and a 24 BBLADES Blaster, and was so impressed, he bought both props.
“I use the OB/F for tubing with the family: five people and lots of gear. The prop has really good manners at low speed and holds the bow right where I want it. It’s a good all-around prop.”
Matthysse likes the hole shot as well as the mid-range acceleration the BBLADES OBF provides, and figured he found his prop. Then, he tested the BBLADES Blaster.
“They should call it ‘the blast,’ because it is,” he said. “The OB/F is great for family time, but when my buddies and I want to go fast, I put on the Blaster.”
According to James, the Blaster delivers a noticeable difference in hole shot and acceleration across the rpm range, as well as an additional 3 mph on the top end. “This prop bites and does not break loose,” he said. “It accelerates very well, and the way the prop holds, it accelerates and maintains speed in turns.”
Matthysse’s Checkmate now tops out at 81.5 mph, and he has the right prop for all occasions.
“My advice is, don’t try and do it on your own. Talk to Brad or Brett first and save some time, hassle and money.”

Saris Racing is 3 for 3 with BBLADES
Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) Class Four Champions Saris Racing – long-time BBLADES customers - are off to a great start this season, going three-for-three in the opening races at Seaside Heights, Atlantic City and Manasquan, New Jersey.
The father/son team of Jason and Johnny Saris and their navigator, Verne French run a 32-foot Cobra hull from 1982 with twin 650 horsepower engines that bear their name. The younger Saris said the formula for victory is an easy one: “It’s the hull,” Johnny Saris said, “Combined with my father’s right arm [throttle arm] and our set-up, which includes the props.”
Team Saris races in a bracketed speed class, meaning they cannot exceed 85 mph or be penalized, which makes for unique racing and preparation. “We only have one set of lab props for racing and a back-up stock pair just in case,” Johnny Saris said, adding the team worked with BBLADES to get an all-around set of props for any water conditions that would help the team stay bracketed.
But Saris says it’s beyond the race course, in the service bays of Saris Racing Engines (SRE), where BBLADES is the most help. “We started working with Brett in 2004,” Johnny explains. “We are an original Whipple Supercharger dealer and any time you add 200 horsepower to an engine, it requires changes in the propping.
“Working with Brett, and now with Brad, too, we provide them the specifics about the boat and the performance we’re looking for, and they can match a prop first time, 90-percent of the time. In our business, time is money. They get a perfect match on one or maybe two tries, and that’s huge for us.”
Johnny Saris says the teams at SRE and BBLADES work well together because they can relate. “We’re all boaters, and we’re small business people. They understand that time is money, they understand the needs we have, and they understand the importance of getting it right the first time.”

Sharing the Love, or the ‘Like’
We always appreciate it when you stop by the BBLADES Facebook page, where we try and provide informative and entertaining boating-related information and we’d also like to recommend the following pages if you are into boating or fishing:
For performance boating happenings and great photos from events the world over, check out Powerboat Nation, Speedonthewater.com, Hammer Down Boating and Offshore Only.
Want to see GREAT photos and video of races and poker runs, you need to visit with Freeze Frame Video and Sharkey Images.
Feel free to also pay a visit on our good friends at Saris Racing Engines and our fishing buddy, and world champion, Korey Sprengel.

BSAFE Prop Lock Protects Your Investment
Think of it as an insurance policy you only pay for once.
BSAFE prop locks offer boaters a better design, better materials, better theft protection and better “bling,” for any brand of propeller, on any size or brand of outboard and sterndrive.
BSAFE Propeller Locks work through a recessed locking device that is inaccessible to would-be thieves. The prop nut is shielded by a stylish, hydrodynamic cone that is secured to the prop nut assembly with a locking mechanism requiring a specially designed “key” for removal, and then capped for additional security. A variety of key patterns are used to further minimize the risk of theft.
The hard-anodized aluminum cone body shields a sealed, water-tight brass and stainless steel locking mechanism that offers protection 24/7; in the water, in transit or in storage. Once installed, the BSAFE Propeller Lock never has to be removed until the prop is replaced or sent to BBLADES for fine-tuning or repair.
Propellers are stolen for resale or even their scrap value and the BSAFE Propeller Lock will help prevent you from being the next victim.