<p>Enhancing marine propeller efficiency is essential for feasible maritime operations. One of the most interesting aspects to maximize the marine propeller open water efficiency is blade profile optimization. This study introduces an integrated framework combining parametric modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, and adaptive single-objective optimization to determine the optimum combination of propeller geometric parameters (pitch, skew, and rake). The PPTC VP1304 benchmark propeller (scale ratio = 12) was selected to exploit its experimental data of propeller open water characteristics, in order to assess the validation of the numerical model. A parametric blade geometry was developed using CAESES software, allowing controlled variations of skew, rake, and pitch (± 20%). CFD simulations results revealed that propeller efficiency is highly sensitive to pitch changes compared to skew and rake. Reducing pitch by 20% caused a dramatic drop of thrust coefficient at high advance coefficients, while higher pitch ratios enhanced efficiency at elevated speeds. While skew and rake modifications did not exhibit a significant effect in open water efficiency. An adaptive optimization loop in ANSYS Workbench, with 145 iterative design candidates, identified an optimal blade geometrical configuration + 2.2% pitch, + 10% skew, and − 5.36% rake, yielding a + 1% efficiency gain at J = 1.4. Velocity contour analysis indicated increased flow velocity near the blade tips, suggesting a potential of cavitation inception. The study emphasizes the viability of integrating parametric design with CFD-driven optimization for propeller enhancement, while affirming the baseline model’s near-optimal design. This methodology offers a robust pathway for developing energy-efficient propulsion systems.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>