Hit anything lately ?

Pod drive seals and sealing

Both the ZEUS and IPS have counter rotating propeller shafts, one inside the other. There are back to back seals inside the hollow outer propeller shaft and at the point where the outer propeller shaft exits the housing. It sounded to me like m2m was talking about one of these lip seals.
Both designs have designed break points for a severe impact that allow the lower to "break away". ZEUS uses specific bolts as described and demonstrated in the new video on the CMDMarine.com web site. The IPS has a specific part that holds the lower up into the mid section designed to break away. There have been a number of IPS propulsion units removed by owners due to impact with rocks/breakwaters that I am aware of. Both seem to work as advertised. No holes to let water in like we see with strut removal.

Exactly the point and the misunderstanding. The context made it sound as if he were referring to the hull seal which couldn't be damaged by fishing line. The lower (propshaft) seal; well that's been a situation since the earliest outboards and won't sink your boat. I was happy for your report that "There have been a number of IPS propulsion units removed by owners due to impact with rocks/breakwaters that I am aware of. Both seem to work as advertised. No holes to let water in like we see with strut removal." It's nice to know that theory and practice mesh here however, it sounds like some people need driving lessons .

driving lessons

Yes indeed, poor navigation by some operators drives up insurance costs for everyone.

But PODS are here to stay and you will see more and more. Yanmar has coupled to ZEUS and I understand Cat is doing this as well. The advantages are many and there will still be more improvements to come over time.

The problem I have been hearing is that a lot of manufacturers have a pod boat, and everyone loves to go on seatrials on them, but buyers have been afraid to ante up and actually buy one. They all seem to love them but are gun shy. I think the only way to really get them out there is if the Manufacturers such as Cummins (zues) and Volvo (IPS) put incredibly long warranties on them such as 10 years. All of the buyers I have talked to at the Miami Boat Show that rode on one of the Zues boats were very impressed but they all talked about waiting a few years before purchasing the Zues system until it's long term durability has been proven.

Waiting before purchasing

Capt J,

Understood, but many people are not buying much of anything right now.
Based on sales of POD versus inboard shaft however, people are voting for the POD choice. Have a look at all the new boat testing in the magazines and see how many are equipped with PODS. It seems some builders that embraced this concept early on are doing a bit better than some other manufacturers perhaps. Displacement and certain special applications will not switch right now, as it is not a single cure for all applications. I would never suggest that.

The engine manufacturers should not have to take the route of car manufacturers and offer incredibly long warranties. The risk of abuse is just too high. These packages offer 20-30% better fuel economy, lower noise, lower vibration, better handling, better integration with the vessel, joystick control, less odor/fumes and so on.

You might say a downside is all this is that it is computer controlled. True, you can't live long without good DC power. But the EPA demands for lower emissions require computer controlled injection, so as long as you must have it, take advantage of it (and watch how you manage your low voltage safeguards).
I just can't seem to post a short reply, sorry. I also have enough experience with the old and the new to understand the difference.

I worked at the Miami Boat Show running a boat that everyone was comparing to a boat from the same manufacturer with the Zues drives. The same boat is offered with traditional shafts and propellors. ALL of the potential buyers I spoke to were in a wait and see mode on the Zues drives. None of them would pull the trigger and they all stated that they'd rather wait a few years before jumping into one with POD drives. ALL of the dealers I spoke to said the same thing. If the companies offered LONG warranties at least for a year or two of sales, a lot of hesitant people on the fence would buy them. Then there would be enough and be proven enough that others would then buy also. Just like the outboard manufacturers offered 5 year warranties with their 4 strokes. Once they're proven they've brought the standard warranties down to 3 years now.