October 1, 2025
Greg Sharrow brought his Sharrow propeller to the market in 2020, and after five years, has expanded his Michigan production facility from 10,000 square feet to 60,000 square feet. “We’re shipping all over the world and the demand keeps growing,” says Sharrow, whose uniquely designed propeller looks something like a ribbon, with the blades of the propeller turning back and reconnecting with the shaft.
According to Sharrow, his propellers offer a number of advantages, with fuel efficiency being one of the most notable. “We had our propellers tested by the University of Michigan against the Wageningen B-Screw Series, which is standard for testing efficiencies,” he says. “And we saw anywhere from 10 to as much as 30 percent fuel saving at 2,500 to 4,000 rpms.”
Sharrow notes that with fuel efficiency comes increased range. “Which is another thing our customers are looking for,” he says.
Before he began making propellers, Sharrow had intended to pursue a career in music. “I have a degree in classical composition from the Berklee School of Music,” he says.
“I started working in music, and I needed to take drone videos of an orchestra, but the drone had to be quiet. I started looking at the tips of the propellers, that’s where the noise is. And I thought, what if they don’t have tips? I went for a walk the next morning, and the idea came to me for a propeller without tips.” Since then, Sharrow has filed over 200 patents on his design.
In addition to fuel savings, Sharrow notes a number of other advantages his propellers offer. “They’re quieter,” he says. “And they don’t create as much vibration. And they can get you up on plane at lower rpms, we’ve seen as much as a 1,000 rpms lower.”
Sharrow also points out that the propellers can make a big difference in reverse. “When you put it in reverse, you get 50 percent more speed per rpm,” he says. “It’s immediate, and it’s directional.”
The Sharrow propellers, made in Michigan, can be manufactured from aluminum, NiBrAl, or stainless steel. “It depends on the application,” says Sharrow. “On our web page, there’s a form you can fill out. We ask a lot of questions about the boat, the engines, and the operational profile, and then we fit a propeller for your boat.” Sharrow notes that all the U.S.-made propellers are for outboard engines.
“But we are partnering with an Australian company, Veem, to make larger propellers – 0.57 to 5 meters – for inboard engines, and we have a waiting list for those, including commercial fishermen.”
While the Sharrow outboard propellers run anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000, Sharrow believes the fuel savings will pay back the investment and deliver other advantages. “Our propellers are the first major innovation in propellers in almost 200 years,” he says.
link