A racing motor with a warranty? Pods are something new, he said. If you arent happy with the local dealer, you can call the concierge and get a tech in Tennessee. Being new to power boating, I selected this configuration for ease of docking and it has been fabulous. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. I was always an outboard guy, he says. Its the joystick maneuvering system that sells it. All rights reserved. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. FREE shipping on orders of $100.00 and above. As one broker told me, Its like automatic transmissions. Thats a hard question to answer, due to the past 15 months, Meissner says, referring to the economic recession. However, most sport-fishers rarely operate at wide-open throttle. One hardly noticed the greatest benefit to the end user: The engine systems were so compact, many boats could gain an aft cabin or at least a sleeping berth where diesel engines once thrummed away. But downward-pointing conventional shafts lift sterns, negating, or even reversing, that fuel-economy advantage at slower speeds (0.92 nmg shafts @ 15.9 kts. The pods require yearly maint that is beyond what regular trans, shaft and prop systems require. With it, fingertip operation of any vessel became possible. That boat was an agile-handling rig for sure. By using a vaporizer, you understand that inhalation is inadvisable as it may be harmful, and use of a vaporizer is done at your own risk. The pod version of the 42 Sabre, for instance, adds a queen bed and more stowage to the guest stateroom, as well as the option for a washer and dryer. For those first 25 hours, we use a break-in lube, said David Fessenden, a marine applications engineer with Cummins Atlantic. Zeus service includes changing 0w30 SAE transmission oil, hydraulic steering oil and filters inside the hull as well as 90-weight gear oil outside the hull. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. More interior room? Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. However, the patent on forward-facing props a feature that Volvo Penta claims gives its drives better traction by letting the broad blades and narrow hubs of their counter-rotating props turn in clean water well below the surface was not utilized. Along with Volvo, who now makes the IPS drives from 260 to 1,000 hp, Cummins and MerCruiser partnered to join the fray with their Zeus pod-drive system, complete with SmartCraft monitoring and system management that integrates the vessel's electronics, propulsion and onboard systems. They bite hard and wont let the engine spin up.. So how big is the pod market? Pods require drive-oil changes every 250 hours or annually. In effect, a sport-fisher fresh out of the factory may make 45 knots on pods, but by the time it is provisioned and ready to fish, its going to lose some speed. Petzold uses Propspeed, or some other antifouling paint formulated for underwater metals. ZF Marine entered the pod fray when its exclusivity agreement with Zeus expired. That said, the pods are a bit more in annual maintenance. Each pod has 2 props and they are different. Then forward-thinking builders (Tiara, Cruisers, Regal, and Sabre among them) redesigned their boats for pod power and the technology became mainstream. Smooth, incremental low-speed control. Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. And often, pods do have less torque than shaft-driven boats. Yet catastrophic groundings are rare for all boats, although again, the financial consequences for the pod owner are usually steeper. I had SeaVee owner Ariel Pared with me when we pulled away from the dock sideways, crabbing away briskly from our side-to moor. Siebert puts annual maintenance for pods roughly $2,000 above what straight shafts cost, not including extra haul-out fees for boats that exceed 250 engine-hours per year. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. pathfinder kingmaker river's justice . On Cummins drives, standard-equipment MerCathode system anodes emit a tiny electrical charge opposite the damaging electrical currents that normally flow through metal parts in seawater, actively protecting pods from galvanic corrosion. Great Product. Most new boats developed in the 35- to 45-foot class were pods. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. On the Cummins side, only two Cummins dealers on the Chesapeake have been to Pod school. Savings on a long haul might disappear when slowing to navigate a tricky channel or speeding up to avoid a storm. Capt. (See How Fuel-Efficient Are Pods, Exactly?) The biggest savings might come when the pods aft-located engines add interior accommodations. Estimating the yearly cost isnt easy either, since yard rates vary and some pods need more upkeep than others. KISS Keep It Simple Sailor. I liked the ZF right away. The tank has a 24mm diameter (0.94 inches) and measures 50.5mm tall (2 inches tall). Hes also found them to be extremely reliable. Only thing is, outboards burn gas, and more of it than diesels of similar power. Theoretically. Rob makes a very good point about service network and availability of skill in your intended cruising area. Not on the pods. Spencer Yachts was one of the first to embrace pod-drives, including Volvo Pentas IPS and ZF Marines pod-drive system with Caterpillar engines. I often hear stories about Mercury paying for expensive replacement parts when their Zeus units need work out of warranty. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. For nearly a decade, pod propulsion looked like it would render inboards obsolete. Phone: 1-844-858-8273 Email: [emailprotected].com. A failed shaft seal lets water into the pod, with unfortunate and expensive results. The boat had a set of outriggers, and fishing out of Beaufort, North Carolina, we caught the first billfish ever with an IPS drive system. Zeus Transmissions are available at ZF Marine! We are not early adopters. is ryan bingham related to ken curtis. I understand in order to get pods cheap they had to use this cardboard-like substance, so seeing how you can't even try to clean it because of the material makes the company seem like they are fishing for my money every month unlike Healthy Rips and Storz and Bickel with their "pods" (IDK what to call them). Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. Regardless of prop orientation, the first drives were a far cry from the watchlike beauties brought forth by Volvo Penta and, later, Zeus and ZF Marine. Grant Bentley captains Home Run, a 60-foot Spencer. Most studies show that maximum rpm only accounts for about 10 percent of the total running cycle of most boats and engines. Not so. Neither Health Canada nor the FDA have evaluated the vaporizers, blends and/or statements displayed on this website. I stay on top of the maintenance, oil and everything and never had a breakdown., Some people complain about the top-end speed of pods. As you will find by reading the articles on this forum about prop load and engine life, the resulting need to swap out your props with the Pods is expensive when compared to regular shafts and props. Especially if you plan on going on extended trips Pretty much wherever you ventured you would have always found someone to get you out of trouble with your 6BTA 370s and conventional drive line but if things go wrong your odds of getting the help you need and having anything left in your wallet (or hairs left in your head) could be less than favorable. Having the ability to move sideways, spin and dock raises the comfort level, especially for an inexperienced boater who wants to weekend but doesnt want to train on an 18-foot vessel, Meissner says. Instead of having to jog throttles and shift levers to effect a maneuver, simply push, pull or twist the joystick and the boat follows the -directions, pivoting in place or crabbing sideways say, into a slip thats just long enough to fit your vessel. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. How much of the additional initial cost will you get back at trade-in time? We do a lot of high-speed trolling for wahoo at around 16 knots, and all the exhaust is under the water, so you dont smell diesel fumes.. Shafts, Props and a good ole thruster or 2 can have you handling your boat like a POD boat. And what of resale? In addition, I enjoy the added efficiencies Tony mentions above. Check the condition of the seals by inspecting the drained oil for water; the best way is to have the oil analyzed, said Petzold. And while its hard to nail down the amount of that fuel-efficiency edge, everyone agrees it does exist and can compensate you for at least some of the additional maintenance costs. Mark their location any way you can, with a waypoint or a buoy, said Steve Little, president ofTowBoatU.S. How many buyers do you think reconsider upgrading to pods because of the extra maintenance cost? The most remarkable performance advantage was one that sent every propulsion and boatbuilding engineer to the drawing board to imitate: the joystick control system. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Regardless of the apparent belief that the pod-market growth spurt of the past nine years is over, several sources have reported that Caterpillar is preparing to release its own pod for 2014 and Caterpillar isnt denying it. Martin Meissner of ZF Marine says engine makers still dont have a handle on the potential volume. Okay, the last bit is trueas if running over a submerged jetty or grounding hard on a shell bank wouldnt damage conventional props. Part of that comes as a side effect to the benefits of the props angle of attack. The transmission and steering units are quite robust and I dont expect any serviceability issues from them. Zeus ArcPods Lid pack filled with 50 paper lids for the Zeus ArcPods (sold separately). Thats not me talkingits Bob Petzold, who has as much experience as almost anybody selling, servicing, and repairing pod drives. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The 390 with Volvo 600 IPS drives was absolutely one of the most fun and outrageous-performing boats I have ever driven. That said, I have heard good things. But now thats all gone away. They tasked ZF Marine to bring them a transmission that would mate with their Zeus pod, electronic controls and joystick steering. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per . You need go no farther than your marina to hear a list of suspects. With SmartCraft innovation throughout, Zeus provides a seamless approach to propulsion technology, marine electronics, and on-board information management that makes boating safer and more enjoyable than ever. It wasnt so long ago that a pair of 250-horsepower outboards was as much power as any non-raceboater could hang on the stern. That gives customers a stronger comfort level than an offshore service hotline.. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Those anodes shouldnt dissolve like zincs do, but both systems should be checked annually. I had the opportunity to run several different boats at Volvos test center in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the companys international press launch, and there is no doubt I was intrigued by the system. Just add a bracket and bolt them on, install the digital controls and joystick and youre set. Drive Pirates Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per pod. If we have to go searching or put divers in the water, thats another story. To prevent later claims of piracy, come to an agreement beforehand, Little said. I worked on a boat with Zeus pods for about three years. But point and shoot was only part of it; IPS also claimed more speed and better fuel efficiency (the precise amount of each is still up for discussion), and thanks to its aft engine placement, more interior space and lower interior sound levels. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! The first boatbuilders installing pod-drives in the early to mid-2000s werent putting them on sport-fish boats. That said, the pods are a bit more in annual maintenance. Our best guess is it will take a significant chunk of the market. Full details on shipping can be found here. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Although hes well versed in the care and maintenance of inboards, Anderson was still anxious to run a pod boat. Within a year or two, Paul Spencer built a 43-foot express with IPS drives that we fished in a tournament. cable tension calculator; neptune east coast reservation. It seems like this new tech gadgetry would have been off-putting to the salty captains, and it was, particularly among the sport-fisher crowds, who already had their docking and fish-fighting skills well honed. I am looking for one that has been treated well and run as close to the ideal as possible. Interestingly, the most notable early prop-forward applications were in ice-breaking ships launched in 1990 an interesting defense to the argument that forward-facing props were too vulnerable to debris. IPS followed with its own, and ZF ponied one up too. Alas, the fact that electronics dont respond well to brute force may mean some service challenges, at least in the short term, which is why long-distance cruisers have, as a group, been wary of pods. If you dont like the look of outboards, hide em, like Pursuit does in its SC 365i Sport Coupe, with twin outboards concealed by a transom hatch. Cummins uses aluminum-gallium anodes to best protect bronze drives. Reply To: Cummins QSB Low Battery ECM Voltage, Marine Age the REAL age of a Marine Diesel Engine, Propellers Move Boats, Engines Just Turn Them, Everything you Need to Know About Marine Exhaust Systems, Continuous Duty A Different Perspective, This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated. How to Manage Boat Finances During a Recession, Gamefisherman 43 Express on the Drawing Board, Marlin Expeditions Offers Light-Tackle Paradise in Guatemala. Use Volvo or Cummins zincs too, which arent zinc at all. "Cummins says you don't have to haul, but it takes a lot more time to suck that heavy oil out than to just drain it from the bottom," Siebert said. Fifty dollars per prop should do it. And joystick piloting? The other companies give you a metal lid aluminum or steel, so you would only replace it to your liking when the taste gets yucky. By turning pods in opposite directions and running one in forward and one in reverse, the vessel can be pivoted more quickly and easily than in either outboards or inboards. Parts for them now have to go through mercury. Today, 250s are middle of the road: Triple and quad 300s are common, and 400s built for everyday use are available, too. So the fact that pod systems are loaded with electronics actually makes them less prone to failureand unfortunately an unfathomable mystery to most mechanics. They dont cavitate and they dont ventilate. Today, pod-powered boats are common in any yacht yard, and qualified service and repair technicians are easy to find along the waterfront. Care should be taken prior to using a vaporizer, as vaporizing will not necessarily eliminate any and all toxins found in vaporized blends. The engines are in their normal spot, but then you jackshaft to pods, so you lose space in the lazarette, he says. Boat will operate 75% of the time in displacement/9kt mode, if that is relevant. The lids are essential and for one-time use only. All my personal experience to date is with 6BTA 370s in a conventional shaft drive arrangement. But how much more, and how complex is pod maintenance? Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. It is so nearly parallel to the boats keel that it enables pod-drives to lighten the vessel with smaller engines that still provide ample thrust to plane and power the now lighter boat. Seaboard Marine delivers Guaranteed Better Than Factory Performance, Parts, Design, and Engineering for Cummins and other Marine Diesel applications. They have shafts, they have props, and they can get more if they need them. Id guess none. I agree with Rob. Much more service options down there. ZF 63A with 4BT, flywheel torsion coupler issue??? Unless I lived/boated in the same area where existed the Mecca of Zeus Service Centers (wherever that may be) I would steer clear (no pun intended) . maritime ships for sale near vienna; octagon mirror feng shui; does zwift work with proform Volvo doesn't offer the option of in-water service. Volvo includes neither a water alarm nor a clear reservoir, so check the single transmission and gear oil dipstick for signs of water. (Depending on the pod, there might be internal anodes, too. Most yards will repaint a pod for $300. One drive had a. Comfort Onboard comfort is improved too. Its better to do it at haulout, when the oil can be drained by gravity, rather than sucking it out with a pump. The 42 Convertible is up to Hull number 10 but we are up to 36 hulls for the Open version, he says. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Some had forward-facing propellers. Zeus propeller shafts use a double-lip seal. Zeus Pods need to be placed within a specific distance from the transom for a lot of performance reasons and because they include the automatic trim tabs as part of their standard offering. One described his skepticism like this: Its just too good to be true. And often, they are recoverable and repairable. Draining removes almost all of the dirty oil, while a pump often leaves too much behind. Although pod housings are built of corrosion-resistant bronze rather than the aluminum alloy used for stern drives, its still critical to maintain the anodes. by | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo Thanks to all.just the practical advice I was looking for. Many boatbuilders have installed Zeus in existing designs as we did with the Sabre 42 Express. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. At first no one trusted them; now you can hardly sell a car without one.. You cant take the grate off to clean or paint in there. His solution is to spray Interlux Trilux 33 or Pettit Alumaspray Plus from aerosol cans inside the seawater intakes. Its important to maintain good antifouling. Pods have water intakes, exhausts and other places that are inviting to marine critters, and keeping them out is important. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. The bottom line is, while pods are difficult or in many cases impossible to retrofit, the boat really has to be designed for the pod from the beginning, although some V- and stern-drive boats can handle pods, too. If that aint enough, Seven Marine builds a 557- or 627-horsepower small-block V-8 configured as an outboard motor. On Zeus drives, check the steering oil reservoir dipstick, and check the clear reservoir for lower-unit gear oil for any signs of water seeping into the drive. Pods, on the other hand, need annual TLC, and this means skilled work. And there are computer-controlled, straight-shaft systems that can juggle shifts, throttles, and a thruster or thrusters with a joystick, too, using traditional split-shift techniques.