Eager to fish with them, I was along with Ed Szilagyi, then Volvos boatbuilder installation liaison and company captain, on that same Tiara demo. are zeus pods still being manufactured That boat was an agile-handling rig for sure. Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. Is there some X Factor or Factors that negates the pods proven advantages? The result is a perfectly consistent amount of dry herb in each of your ArcPods each and every time, meaning you get the same great results with every session. Instead, Zeus pods came with traditional aft-facing props and the traditional exhaust-through-hub design. Zeus and the Cummins Inboard Joystick | Cummins Inc. Zirk fittings require grease in U-joints and at both ends of jack shafts that connect engines to drives. . We raised several white marlin, and caught a couple for our junior anglers that were fishing with us for the day. Those meridians are not as over propped as other boats in the Brunswick family, based on my reading of boattest.com performance tests, but you will need to change out the prop set eventually and that means 4 different props for the ZEUS. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. 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. When checking transmission oil level, give it a sniff. We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. Also, you dont know how often the shaft seals will need replacement. I rarely say this but if your dead set on a pod option I would put Volvos in. I am considering buying a Meridian 441 flybridge motor yacht, which is 47 LOA and 31,000lbs. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. I love these things, they are super convenient to load, insert, and clean. Siebert prefers Boeshield T-9. IPS followed with its own, and ZF ponied one up too. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per . Better fuel efficiency? The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. But how much more, and how complex is pod maintenance? Somewhere in between the cost of straightening conventional shafts and rudders, and possibly even repairing transmissions, the advantage shifts back to pods. For people who have been boating for 30 years, the quiet, smooth operation and the clean exhaust are really going to surprise them., But Collins thinks the pods advantages are even less quantifiable. Heck, Mercurys Verado 400R comes with a two-year warranty, even though its got Racing painted on the cowl. But in that case, its the ability to point and shoot that gives them comfort level. Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. With IPS Ill run out to the Corner and fish the tide for wahoo, then head over to Gingerbread and get some yelloweye before heading home. But conventional wisdom no longer applies. Here at TVAPE we offer free shipping on every order above $100.00 inside Canada and USA. This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine. He ran the boat down to sell it down there. Draining removes almost all of the dirty oil, while a pump often leaves too much behind. More interior room? After the tests in Sweden, I then did a leg of the trip on that first Tiara Volvo demo boat, heading west in the New York State Canal from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. Pod drives have been widely available only since 2007, yet they have the market awhirl. vs. 0.8 nmg pods @ 16.2 kts.). Sea Ray sells the 460 Sundancer with twin 550-horsepower Cummins diesels, with either V-drive or Zeus drives; the Zeus option adds $113,333 to the $1,004,768 price, according to Sea Ray. Volvo doesnt offer the option of in-water service. Id guess none. Its the joystick maneuvering system that sells it. (And when the struts rip out, they can take parts of the hull with them, something that probably wont happen with pods.) Finally theres antifoulant for the drive. Zincs every year, costing a few bucks, a new Cutless bearing every once in a while, and a couple of brushfuls of paint for the struts and rudders. Smooth, incremental low-speed control. When Volvo Penta took the industry by surprise with the IPS, it had patented the forward-facing counter-rotating propellers, patented new propellers for the design and also sent the exhaust out the back of the pod, not through the hub of the props. For those first 25 hours, we use a break-in lube, said David Fessenden, a marine applications engineer with Cummins Atlantic. 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. 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. 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. 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 transom stays clean and nobody is complaining of fumes.. So how big is the pod market? When you put a pod system in, you try to do more with less.. Fashioned out of high quality aluminum, the Zeus ArcPods are designed to hold up to 0.3 grams of dry herb and work perfectly with the Zeus Xtruder which directly connects to, fills up, and automatically ejects the pod once the optimal amount of dry herb has been loaded. Zeus Arsenal has always made only reliable, well-performing devices that go beyond just being the perfect daily driver. Our white marlin came in hot on the teasers we fished up close to the boat. 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. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Thats opened up more opportunities and options for OEMS.. Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. I liked the idea of being able to handle the boat from the helm seat instead of standing up all the time. We are not early adopters. 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. Because they operate independently, pod-drives can be controlled via joystick for superb maneuverability. are zeus pods still being manufactured - ede.pe Pods require drive-oil changes every 250 hours or annually. Your are officially the first one to publish 4o% percent efficiency benefits for pods. Boats do sink from that very thing. Pods are something new, he said. Please note that to purchase a vaporizer from this website you must abide by local laws and be a minimum of 19 years of age. With a shaft and strut inboard, you can pretty much pull up to any marina in the world and get it serviced. Whether you have pods or conventional props, if your anodes have short life spans, have a pro check for stray current, problems with the marinas shore power, etc. Spencer Yachts builds an 87-footer with ZF pods, and Smith was integral to the development process. They dont cavitate and they dont ventilate. "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. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. One described his skepticism like this: Its just too good to be true. One issue that early pod adopters discovered, usually to their financial surprise, was the necessity of checking the shaft seals regularly, and replacing them on a scheduled basisevery five years is about right for most folks. Controlling wind, waves and current. We back it up with a concierge service. I have a 2013 Sabre 42 with the Cummins/Zeus pod units. That smooths out some of the minor gear asperities and grinding marks, improving the life of the gears. After break-in, pods are serviced every 250 hours or 12 months, whichever occurs first. Looking at other online sources, people seem to be in Love or Hate camps.what are the facts please? It gets all the bubbles out of the wake, he says. Initially, I too was surprised at the lack of trained techs in my area but once I realized you can use Mercury techs that have been to Mercury Diesel school, more options opened up. That said, I have heard good things. Theyre the cleanest-burning motors Ive experienced. Martin Meissner of ZF Marine says engine makers still dont have a handle on the potential volume. The engines are in their normal spot, but then you jackshaft to pods, so you lose space in the lazarette, he says. are zeus pods still being manufactured Boat will operate 75% of the time in displacement/9kt mode, if that is relevant. are zeus pods still being manufactured - diamondalmirah.in The vaporizers displayed on this website are not intended for or made to prevent, treat or diagnose any illness. Big-game fishing is a pursuit rife with tradition and time-proven tactics. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, Zeus ArcPods are finally here! The bill to undo the resulting carnage came to $46,000, a figure that couldnt have been much worse if pods had been involved.). Steering Joystick Piloting for Pods - Zeus | Mercury Marine But pod-drive engines use counter-rotating props. Full details on our program can be found here. The other issue was when the owner sold the boat they did a oil sample and found water and both lower units had to be resealed and a main shaft had to be changed. 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. Pods also increase fuel economy and decrease vibration. 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 customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. 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. Exhaust fumes are emitted into the prop wash. 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. Another benefit comes from counter-rotating props on the pods. Vessel Systems Considerations for Marine Repower, ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar, LLC. Viking offers four versions of its 42, all with pods, and according to company director of communications Peter Frederiksen, they sell well. Over time, fishing line will damage the seal, and it can score the shaft, too. And often, they are recoverable and repairable. Sounds like another good option to me. Nevertheless, pods are making inroads. To get a good hole shot, Zeus countered with automatic trim tabs and matched the pods with tunnels to reduce draft. But I usually run at 32 miles per hour and get 1.5 mpg, he says. The owner of the boat spent almost 40k on the drives themselves and they were just under 8 years old. 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. But not many boat owners ponied up the cash to switch to pods. And, if you preferred to stand, Viking built the helm so you could control the pods with traditional dual levers.. Controlled at low speeds by a joystick rather than wheel, shifts, and throttles, pods take most of the angst, the apprehension, and, sometimes, the sheer terror out of close-quarters maneuvering. 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. How to Manage Boat Finances During a Recession, Gamefisherman 43 Express on the Drawing Board, Marlin Expeditions Offers Light-Tackle Paradise in Guatemala. 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.