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Vetus Stern Gear Systems

The stern gear is one of the most important systems in a boat and deserves special attention. After all, a well-calculated, manufactured and installed propeller shaft system can greatly enhance the performance and reliability of your boat. Our engineers, responsible for propulsion systems, feel like they represent the heart of the boat. They work with only the best quality propellers, propeller shafts, stern tubes and couplings to design perfectly tuned systems. 

The desired boat speed, waterline length, hull shape and weight are the key factors to determine the perfect engine and gear box combination for a boat. Stern gear transfers the power of the engine to the water. The determination of the optimum propeller is specialized work that has to be carried out with sophisticated propeller calculation programmes and needs above all, experience. 

VETUS has many years of experience with stern gear and offers a wide range of products which are environmentally friendly and which increase comfort on board. Water-lubricated propeller shafts eliminate the need for oil or grease while flexible couplings absorb deviations in the alignment of the propeller shaft and ensure that vibration transferred from the propeller shaft system to the boat is kept to a minimum.

A well-designed stern gear system needs

  • A dynamically balanced propeller to prevent vibration, resonance and cavitation
  • A propeller shaft to transmit the engine power to the propeller
  • Rubber bearings to ensure that vibration and noise are reduced to a minimum
  • A stern tube and reliable stern gland
  • A coupling to make alignment of the shaft and engine easier

Good reasons to choose a VETUS stern gear system

  • VETUS offers free calculation of the correct propeller size using a special computer program
  • VETUS large stock of standard high quality propellers in various sizes, pitches and blade areas
  • VETUS provides in-house emergency repairs and modifies the bore and taper of stock propellers if necessary
  • VETUS uses high quality corrosion-free materials designed for long life
  • VETUS supplies a complete system, using both standard and custom made products
  • VETUS offers various stern tube systems for shafts from 25 to 60 mm diameter
  • VETUS offers various flexible couplings which significantly reduce vibration
  • VETUS shaft assemblies protect the environment; water lubrication means no oil or grease pollution