Compared with open propellers, tunnel thruster blades are more vulnerable to cavitation and local structure vibration problems because they are typically heavily loaded and subject to severe non-uniformity of inflow produced by the blunt gearbox. However, it seems that the simple 'flat plate' is still often used in designing the thruster blades. In this research, model tests and RANS simulations are carried out for three highly skewed thruster blades having different pitch and rake profiles to investigate the effects of blade geometry on cavitation and pressure fluctuations. The results indicate that the 'flat plate' blade is unfavorable for vibration excitation and unloading towards the tip is an effective way to reduce the fluctuating pressures
