The Loop and Prestige 550 Fly

So you want to do the loop in 2015?

I don't know much about it, but the Cummins/Zeus setup doesn't appear to have survived the market place like the Volvo IPS system. Just guessing, but that may mean parts for the orphan might not be as easy to source...

-Chris

I have never done the loop or any of the inland waterways. Having friends that have, I would be leary about the floatsam on the River. Lots of logs, stumps and other general debris. Combine that with some shallow areas I would be scared of knocking a pod off. If not that extreme a hard strike can knock the collar loose and let water in.

I do believe your height will be ok with the 55. If it was straight shafts I wouldn’t have any hesistations, but like I said, my worries my be unfounded.

I was just giving you a hard time about the 2015 date.

Whether you hit a log with IPS, Zeus or shafts, it will hurt! . IPS will shear off cleanly whereas a shaft and rudder could rip and leave a couple of holes.

I don’t think I want a boat with Zeus because of parts and service availability.

a friend of mine had an IPS prestige for a few years, not a bad boat. Did a few trips from the NE to Florida keys and the Bahamas. Middle of the road quality wise. Personally I d take a prestige over a mutt.

I have had both systems. Mercury Cummins had better design, but Volvo took over. I have no particular love for Volvos esp in service category. My shop can make parts faster than they can deliver them I'll take a surface drive over a shaft drive. We used one on a Pluckebaum the last time we did the loop - replaced the 3208s for 6BT

The only real problem on the Loop is your draft - keep it under five and a half feet and that 19' height in Chicago.

I have Zeus Cummins on Prestige 590. I see the benefits of pods. No downsides yet. I like the rear facing props. Coming from Annapolis to SoFl two weeks ago, I picked up a lot of light trash in front of pods after 3 hours at 8 knots. Just reversed and kicked it out and went up to cruise. I like the advantage of just replacing components for a quick turn around of repairs if a pod is knocked off. Props are less than half than that of the 58 ft Sunseeker as slip mate reported. Zero troubles with Zeus Cummins system so far. Trade offs vs. shafts, but seems to be fair balance.
Talked with an IPS drive owner in July doing 2/3rds of the loop (excluding NY section) on Prestige 60 that transited the electric fish barrier in Chicago. He fried a board right at that point. He did not think it was coincidental? For concerns of shallow water on inland rivers and ICW, augment your system with Aquamaps, around $30/yr. with UACE soundings turned on. The soundings update automatically if selected in the app. I use iPad Pro with GPS in it. I have a large aux battery to get 8 hours total, Best Buy, around $70. Recent soundings are nearly essential on ICW north of Jacksonville, FL because of some as low as 4 ft areas at low tide.

Also to consider with regards to looping or long range cruising... We have a few friends who have owned Prestige boats ranging to 63' and common among all of them is frustration with tankage and lack of ample storage. The 550 carries 581 gallons of fuel which is certainly manageable if approached properly but, it would seem, hardly commensurate with a nearly 60 footer that claims a 24kt cruising speed. All of our Prestige friends lament holding tank capacity (only 32 gal on the 550). Be sure that storage would be truly suitable for your needs. Our friends all chose the brand for the reasons you cite as being attractive to you but a few overlooked the real life impact of the compromises that came with the package.

My Prestige 590 has 68 gallons of black water capacity with optional tank. That is plenty.
I would prefer slightly bigger fuel capacity, but has been good for Bahamas (Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau) and east coast runs. Likely good on loop during warm months when northern marinas are still open at 50 gal/hr to get 23 knots with clean hull. At 8 knots it is 0.5 gal/nm for much of ICW. There are always compromises!

I would not buy a Prestige. Cheapest yachts on the market for a reason - poor quality parts, particularly on the interior. The Searay pod systems run great. I bought a Searay L59 and it runs like a champ. much better quality than Prestige