The company didnt invent them, but it made pod a household word among boaters. Outboards are, in my opinion, the most interesting. Before, maneuvering required forethought, logic, coordination, and strategizing; after, it became mere intuition: Look where you want to go and point the joystick that way. It might save the cost of a divorce on cruelty-while-docking grounds, too, a way bigger budget-breaker than pod drives. Ariel Pared is the president of SeeVee, which has built about 20 Volvo Penta IPS-drive boats. Siebert removes all loose paint from the drive, sanding down to shiny metal with 100-grit sandpaper, and then applies primer and two thin coats of Trilux 33 or Pettit Vivid copper thiocyanate anti-fouling paint. Zeus and ZF have only a few thousand pods in use. 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. If you seem to be going through zincs quickly, call an electrician, Fessenden warned. (A complete maintenance schedule, including annual and longer-term items, is in the owners manual, so pay attention to it.). We recommend consulting with a licensed physician before using a vaporizer. Once you go to 3 or 4 engines or pods, I'd rather have shafts as the fuel efficiency with triples is only 10% better and not worth the maintenance cost and in a 4 engine/pod installation they tend to burn the same amount of fuel AND much more maintenance of 4. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. 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. As one broker told me, Its like automatic transmissions. So the fact that pod systems are loaded with electronics actually makes them less prone to failureand unfortunately an unfathomable mystery to most mechanics. 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. Those anodes shouldnt dissolve like zincs do, but both systems should be checked annually. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. With its forward-facing counter-rotating propellers, Volvos IPS pod-drive is a unique system. Partly because of their angle of attack and partly because of their slightly forward position under the hull, pods gave more speed, better acceleration and more miles per gallon on the same horsepower. 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. He fished many tournaments with the boat, including the Mid-Atlantic at Cape May, the Pirates Cove tournament in North Carolina and several sailfish tournaments in south Florida. We have a strong global network, says Robert Mirman of Cummins, who leads the charge for Zeus. Joystick control? . Everyone fears the unknown, especially boaters, many of whom still consider pod drives something alien. If your zincs are gone, your warranty might be gone too, Siebert said, so all his clients boats with pods are cleaned and checked monthly by a diver. I was surprised by how light and long lasting these were. I can do that on 200 gallons. 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) . Months later, Mercruiser and Cummins joined forces to deliver Zeus pod-drives to boaters. Ten years ago, many old-timers predicted that complex pod systems, with their computer-managed guidance, fly-by-wire controls, and inaccessible drive units tucked under the hull, would need constant repair and maintenance. 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. pathfinder kingmaker river's justice . On the Cummins side, only two Cummins dealers on the Chesapeake have been to Pod school. Disappointing, but then again whens the last time you worked on your car? You must be at least 19 years from Canada and 21 years from USA to buy and/or use this website. The owner of the boat spent almost 40k on the drives themselves and they were just under 8 years old. We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). The lids are essential and for one-time use only. Pods require drive-oil changes every 250 hours or annually. Cummins expert Rob Mirman gives an overview of the Cummins Zeus pod drive system at the 2013 Miami International Boat Show. 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. Right now, I cant talk anybody who wants pod-drives out of them, says Caterpillars Stephen Smith. That said, the pods are a bit more in annual maintenance. Hes president of Petzolds Marine Center (petzolds.com) in Portland, Connecticut, a dealer for both Sabre and Regal, two boatbuilders that moved into pods early in the game. how to say hello we are blackpink in korean; hawaii energy issues. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Also, you dont know how often the shaft seals will need replacement. Capt. You might not think of Cat as a pod company, but since ZF offered its pods to the market, hes helped several manufacturers build ZF or Zeus pod with Caterpillar engines. Okay, the last bit is trueas if running over a submerged jetty or grounding hard on a shell bank wouldnt damage conventional props. Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. Ongoing maint costs and difficulty of changing/replacing props over time. If you get to know these pods and keep regular checks on fluid levels, they will treat you well. Pod access aboard the Riviera 43 is through the cockpit sole. 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. The boat never missed a beat, much to Pareds elation. But its also highly dependent on the application of the vessel. Anderson acknowledges that pods have advantages in some areas and disadvantages in others. 2875 Jupiter Park Drive Suite 1700, Jupiter, FL 33458, All the Benefits of a Garmin Yacht System, 5 Romantic Destinations for the perfect Valentines Day, A Buyers Guide to the Intellian v240MT Satellite Antenna, Extended Warranty for Your Marine Leisure Products, Follow These Best Practices for Safe Boating, Essential Navigation Equipment and Tech for Your New Yacht, Keep Your Yacht Secure with a State-of-the-Art Security System, 3 Pieces of Tech Every Yacht Owner Should Invest In. Corrosion can cause expensive damage, and quickly, too. While it is possible to reuse lids to reduce your consumption cost, they will impact the flavor negatively, same way as a disposable cup will impact the flavour of your coffee negatively if reused. But not many boat owners ponied up the cash to switch to pods. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Sabre Yachts, for example, first offered pods in 2008 as an option over straight shafts in the 42-foot express cruiser. Theres no free lunch, so there must be a hidden cost that no ones factored in.. The downside is that a boat with less horsepower is more easily burdened by loading the boat. The bill to undo the resulting carnage came to $46,000, a figure that couldnt have been much worse if pods had been involved.). Pods, on the other hand, need annual TLC, and this means skilled work. They also dont have cutlass bearings or shaft seals to monitor and replace, nor separate rudders and steering systems to maintain, saving money on those items over the long haul. Mark their location any way you can, with a waypoint or a buoy, said Steve Little, president ofTowBoatU.S. Most new boats developed in the 35- to 45-foot class were pods. Autor de l'entrada Per ; Data de l'entrada ice detention center colorado; https nhs vc hh cardiac surgery a are zeus pods still being manufactured a are zeus pods still being manufactured Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. . Our drives are made to stand up to a light freshwater rinse, Fessenden said, but dont blast them with the hose. Fessenden suggests a light coating of Mercurys corrosion spray. Yes they are neat and intriguing as to handling, fuel economy and socialability but all at the price of a steep servicing regiment, a potential for high costs and high stress trying to get the proper qualified servicing or repairs and more computer technology to troubleshoot and stay on top of as to firmware updates, gremlins, etc. To use this website and make a purchase on this website: www.zeusarsenal.com, you both acknowledge and agree to follow our Terms of Use. From a long term maintenance perspective you are better off with a conventional drive line. I'll also add that I REALLY like pods for the fuel efficiency (25-40% better) and maneuverability in a twin engine application. Each IPS has anodes as well, one up inside the exhaust tunnel (the other is on the transom); both Zeus anodes are on the trim tabs where theyre easy to reach. Its more maneuverable than an outboard, and you dont have any engines on the back.. Spencer Yachts builds an 87-footer with ZF pods, and Smith was integral to the development process. Use Volvo or Cummins zincs too, which arent zinc at all. But who cares, really? When you back down an inboard, the rudder posts start vibrating, and the boat sounds like its coming apart. Within a year or two, Paul Spencer built a 43-foot express with IPS drives that we fished in a tournament. Its better to do it at haulout, when the oil can be drained by gravity, rather than sucking it out with a pump. 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. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Zeus ArcPods Lid pack filled with 50 paper lids for the Zeus ArcPods (sold separately). Sure the stories are one-sided, but as an aggregate source of information, theyve led me to conclude that pods are no more prone to failure than inboards but that when a pod breaks, the repair bills going to be higher. By continuing to browse this website, you agree to the use of cookies. As we have seen many times with sailfish, I am certain one of the marlin swam along with us between the teaser and the boat, looking at the wheels and not at the bait we had moved into position to switch him over to. are zeus pods still being manufactured. You dont have to redesign it to get our joystick maneuvering system. While there has not been a flood of acceptance in the sport-fishing market for pod-drives, the cruising market has seen a larger number of owners making the transition away from conventional shaft-and-wheel boats. Pod drives, including the Volvo Penta IPS, Cummins Zeus, ZF Marine POD 4000, and CAT Three60 POD 650 have taken the recreational boat market by storm during the recent past. The inboard has simplicity and ubiquity. Pods are designed to shear off without compromising hull integrity. Then with the joystick, it directs the transmissions to pivot or swivel. Zeus Arsenal has always made only reliable, well-performing devices that go beyond just being the perfect daily driver. You can also change some of your preferences. 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. Pods cost more, period. (And when the struts rip out, they can take parts of the hull with them, something that probably wont happen with pods.) vs. 0.8 nmg pods @ 16.2 kts.). Each pod has 2 props and they are different. Look for signs of corrosion. Zeus has two zincs attached to each trim tab. Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. ZFs pod-drive includes a jackshafted transmission, which can mate to any diesel engine the owner prefers. Somewhere in between the cost of straightening conventional shafts and rudders, and possibly even repairing transmissions, the advantage shifts back to pods. Yes, pods have sheared off upon striking something immovable (as theyre designed to do), leaving the hull intact and the owner with a five-figure repair bill. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. Not cool to open two threads on similar subjects, yup, definitely my bad, rookie mistake, thought I was posting in the forum the first time around. Volvo Penta has 16,000 pod-drive boats in the marketplace right now. Bottom Line. Caterpillar also offers a pod configuration with its CAT Three60 Pod 650, which is essentially a pod-drive married to a C8.7 engine. 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. Plus, when we haul the boat, well catch problems a diver wont see.. All up, pod owners can expect to pony up something like an additional $2,500 for scheduled maintenance. The IPS-drives fit well in our boats, and our owners love their maneuverability, Pared says, and he has customers who can back up his word. When you put a pod system in, you try to do more with less.. Estimating the yearly cost isnt easy either, since yard rates vary and some pods need more upkeep than others. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us . Maybe.) And the Zeus pods also came with a joystick. Like most everything, making the decision to go conventional or pod is a personal choice. I had SeaVee owner Ariel Pared with me when we pulled away from the dock sideways, crabbing away briskly from our side-to moor. Diamond Steel > Blog > Uncategorized > are zeus pods still being manufactured. Cabos sport-fisher benefits from Cummins Mercruiser Diesels Zeus drive. Although there are claims of 30 percent efficiency gains in cruise and top-end speed as well as fuel savings, the results vary from boat to boat when compared to straight shaft and prop configurations. His company, Siebert Yacht Management commissions and maintains most new Sabre boats delivered to Palm Beach County, Florida, giving him considerable experience with Volvo IPS drives on Sabres 38- and 54-foot models and with Cummins Zeus drives on Sabres 42- and 48-footers, as well as those same hulls with conventional shafts. On the other hand, touching bottom only hard enough to bend the propellers will likely cost more on pods, because they have two props to repair on each drive.