Future of pods

I'm glad your brought this up, those are many questions I have been seeking answers to. I posted a similar question in another forum however there did not seem to be enough intelligence to stay on topic and provide serious answers, theories, projections etc.

My take:

1. I'll start with SF since that was another discussion. Do we see pods becoming prevalent or even the majority? What size range of boat? - the issue I see/hear most with a twin install on a sportfish is the shafts eat up the ability to have decent fish boxes and livewells in the deck. The hulls need to be customized to accommodate the pods and since the engines end up so far aft it changes a lot of traditional arrangements and weight distributions. Additionally they can take up traditional fuel spaces reducing capacity (per one of the big builders) with the shaft running above the hull. The maneuvering is unmatched but how do the fish react to those counter rotating props compared to a nice shaft and wheel?

2. Express cruisers like Sea Ray, Marquis? Will they become almost all pods? - likely my guess because of easy docking

3. Boats like Sunseeker, Princess, Lazzara. Will pods expand through all their models and sizes and become the majority? - again I bet yes.

4. Would you see people like Riva converting to pods? Those who haven't used any to date? - I bet all those express type boats will convert, again to the handling

5. What about a brand like Hinckley and Hunt that has unsuccessfully dabbled in them and has built their brand on jets? -

6. Or brands like Pershing built on surface drives?

7. What about yachts in the 80-130' range? Those that currently have high horsepower like Hatteras or Westport? Will pods reach the required hp with twins? Will they use 3 or 4?

8. What about full displacement boats? From small tugs like Nordic or American to KK's to larger yachts? Do pods have a place in this type boat? What about aluminum and steel hulls? -

9. For larger boats will triple or quad installations be common or will the market resist going to more engines and only expand as the hp increases so twins will work? - expand HP

10. Stern drives have been the market segment suffering most, losing a lot of ground to outboards. Will pods start taking share coming from the other direction? Could the combination of larger outboards and pods eventually eliminate stern drives/inboard-outboards? Do you see pods in 25-30 foot bowriders? - I say no time soon. The size of those pods are restrictive for smaller applications. Lots of draft and lots of space under the deck as well. AND if it is a trailer boat you can't tilt it up like an I/O and if you hang it off the back it puts a lot of weight behind the axles. Not to say how many ramps it would never get into. If they made a smaller unit perhaps. Why not fix the issues with an I/O and add a rotating section 1/2 way down? You would get the handling but still be able to tilt it up.


AND so far I have only seen SeaVee do a single install with a bow thruster connected to a joystick, they do not appear to offer that install anymore, it seemed the perfect package. Handles as if with two but 1/2 the cost and better fuel consumption. Why I don't know.

My ideal build would be a high 30 some foot walkaround with a single pod maybe sitting on a Cummins however as I read the drawings the hardware would draw well over 30" and the above hull below deck takes up so much space the deck would have to be much higher off the water than preferred. Add to that annual haul out to service the pod.

Who knows? Looking forward to the discussion.

Ships and tugs have been using them for years. 'cept for that one cruise ship in the Bahamas, draft is usually not an issue and everything is a benefit.

I can see quickly large yachts using them, stay with the big ZFs and others and keep it down to two main drive lines.

Some SFs have tried to use pods with a jackshafts with some good results.
Huckins is just fixing to deliver a new SF with Cummins / Zeus drives with jackshaft. (ugly boat IMO))

Were managing a Meridian (fancy Ray) with Zeus. The owner is happy.
Our diver has learned to change the wheels in dark water (blindfolded) and install new bottom vert tabs. Zincs still takes a few minutes.

For us, I'm not rich and famous, operate in shallow water, and prefer the KISS rule.
,rc

I think if you want higher performances (Pershing and similar) surface drives will win versus pods. Volvo IPS has a limit of about 40 knots. I know of an Absolute 47 which touched 41 knots in light mode with the IPS600 Volvo D6 435hp and is one of the fastest.

It is is possible that the ZF can go faster to this due to the propeller looking back configuration.

So far Volvo is winning hands down and I think it has 80% of the market share versus the ZF and other pods. I do not understand since ZF is easier to apply and requires little hull design change versus the IPS. I think this is mostly due to after sales networks and service centers being open everywhere.

I am not sure if Ferretti Group (Riva) will jump into pods. So far they never have tested them as far as I know on any of there boats. The Itama 45 and Mochi 44 Dolphin would be a good place to start for them, but I see no interest. Both brands have always been shaft driven boats, even before the Ferretti acquisition.

As as large pods go, also remember the Fortjes system from France which was equipped on a new 29 meter Maiora a couple years back.

Capt J

Hinckley recently announced they are offering pods on a new model (43?)

Wow, That's a question.
I can see a cutter on the first wheel from the case, probably where it's really needed.
Cutters in between wheels could take some magic. There is too much room between the wheels for them to clear themselves and like on a past Volvo DP Z drive I had; a line will lock them up. The forward facing (IPS) wheels would foul and lock up big time, Zuse with a case cutter may clear, IMO.

Volvo already do line cutters for IPS.

This is not going to keep the wheels from fouling from a pot line. It may keep fishline and trash from getting between the Wheels.
It looks like a plastic shield is covering the case to first wheel gap.

This will not replace spurs or cutters as on straight inboard installations. AND these only work sometimes.

http://www.volvopenta.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Penta/EVC/Eng/English_LineCutter.pdf

Ok, but 1200hp ZF's really opens the doors to a lot of things. I think the 65' Searay Fly fitted with C18's and the ZF pods would provide plenty of power. You have to figure 1150hp acerts/pods will give you the same speed/propulsion as about 1500hp and straight shaft from my experience......

Honestly my preference is Zues after running all of them. Volvo is just as smooth in dockside handling and so forth.....I simply don't like the Volvo network,warranty claim, and foward facing props. ZF's work good and are a quality product but do lack a little of the dockside finesse the IPS and Zues have. If CMD could mate a C18 Cat to their pods it would be a good match......or even anything in the 1000hp range.

I agree J, I have a problem with forward facing drives, it's a scary proposition. If I had to go with pod drives, it would be Zeus drive or nothing.

What kind of problem is that?