Sceptical Of Pods

F

FWTMD

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 15, 2020
Messages
283
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
Should I be?

In browsing for boats I am seeing them.

I'm an old fashioned kind of boater. I want diesel inboards, not outboards. A good boat to be on in nasty weather, over raw speed.

Are pods yet one more thing I need to "get over it" about? Because just maybe they will become more prevalent.
 
What's a pod?
 
The engine folks say “pods” are significantly more efficient and very maneuverable. Two good qualities. Just don’t run that prop into a deadhead or surface log you didn’t see. Ripping the bottom of the drive train off won’t sink the boat but think $$$$ to repair!
 
Although they are fairly new to the pleasure boat market, many commercial tug boats have been using pod drives for years. They are dependable, and can take a bigger hit from submerged objects than you might think.
 
Gotcha. In sailing vernacular, we call that a saildrive. They seem to work great in sailboats.
 
Personally, if i had deep pocket. Yes I would go to pods and they have improved them over the years. But keep in mind, they are still new and some places don't know how to work on them. Maintenance is more like an I/O which I want to get away from. Also, twin pods are computer controlled with a joy stick making it more complicated.

I am going from I/Os to the old fashion in board motor. Just a motor, shaft, stuffing box or drip-less and prop. OK, and a bow & stern thusters.

With the joystick, you can make the boat go in any direction. With the above setup, its cheaper, its simple, cost is less to maintain more so if there is a problem.
 
If you want more fuel efficiency and more speed out of your RPMs, check out
https://www.sharrowmarine.com/ . I was really interested until I checked the price for my outboard engine - $4000.

I guess if you drive around enough it will pay for itself. I understand the shipping business has bought them and it makes sense for them. I've seen their studies and independent studies, so they will do what they claim. it's just not worth it for the boating I do.
 
Interesting prop. I’m left wondering how much is shape and much is from what appears to be more working surface area within a given diameter. But yeah, certainly no bargain for the casual boaters
 
The speed and efficiency of the pods seems to have become accepted.

The cost and risk of a shearing incident seems high

There appears to be lots of little moving parts tightly optimized that can go astray. There are rubber gaskets at the hull that won’t last forever and would seem to be an expensive item at replacement cycle, not to mention some mechanics risk of proper work at a BIG through hull. All of the downsides of leaving an outboard down 24/7/365 are supposedly handled by different metallurgy but that still leaves grease to maintain.

And so forth.

Good in theory. But someone else can pioneer it, thank you very much. I’ll stick with, tried, true, and sturdy. Diesel inboard semi-displacement all the way. That says Ranger 29 or 31, or Cutwater inboards, in spades.
 
I store my boat in a building with 90% IPS , Zeus, Volvo and Mercruiser drive trains. 10% straight inboards. I worked on stern drives, outboard lower units, and inboards drive trains for years. The reliability of these 25 years ago is not what it is today. The IPS came out around 2005, I was no longer working as a marine technician. I had the opportunity to pilot several boats that the power plant was coupled to a IPS or Zeus. IPS props face FWD, Zeus traditional facing aft. Both have awesome handling characteristics and operation is smooth little to no drivetrain vibration. I have talked with the technicians and the service manager at the marina and discussed their opinions of service reliability and under water impacts of pod drives. Most of the boats are in the size range of 45' to 65' powered with D6, D9 or D11 Volvos or QSB6.7 or QSC8.3 all ranging from 400hp to 700hp. The marina's first boat powered with IPS 2006 Cantus Cruiser yacht still stored there with no issues other than general maintenance. For the most part gear lube changes and prop repairs is the only service work needed. There have been some electrical shifting issues but the reliability is equal to the inboards. The performance is not equal, the IPS has best performance then Zeus and last is inboard same boat model same power. This is based on when the IPS came out it was an option, the molds were still set up for inboards so there was a choice when ordering. The marina sold all three and compared them. They have had many owners experiencing groundings with IPS, little damage to the drives a few bent prop shafts and damaged props ( props are expensive) most have been re conditioned after impact at a lesser cost. One owner navigating a 55' Prestige grounded in the small boat channel of Georgian Bay Ontario while doing the Loop.Tore the drive off. He used his GPS MOB to mark the location and hired a diver to retrieve the drive but it was beyond repair. The boat took on no water. I would have no reservations owning a either IPS or Zeus. The boat next to me in the building 47' Searay Sundancer 2008, 9 years in Miami (salt water) until the owner purchased it and ran it to Illinois. The Zeus drives look perfect no corrosion. These are not the aluminum outdrives of past, the pods have bronze gear cases. I like the tradition inboard but the newer technology and material used manufacturing outboards, stern drives and Pods is going to knock the straight inboards out of production in the future. The high end trawlers where performance is not required will most likely be the only inboards produced. My opinion !
 
Thanks Brian. You ‘da man on things mechanical. I asked if I needed to get over it. Just maybe I do

The boats you mention using them are all pretty large boats. Outboards are migrating up to larger and larger boats but pods seem not (from I can see) to be coming down the size scale. There must be a reason, for the pods that is. What is it?
 
FWTMD":u0l82pfx said:
Thanks Brian. You ‘da man on things mechanical. I asked if I needed to get over it. Just maybe I do

The boats you mention using them are all pretty large boats. Outboards are migrating up to larger and larger boats but pods seem not (from I can see) to be coming down the size scale. There must be a reason, for the pods that is. What is it?
Click to expand...
I suspect the reason pods are not going to smaller boat is cost. They are expensive!! No good way to absorb the cost of a pod system in a $200-$300K boat. I worked for Sabre Yachts on their 66' Dirgo, it had twin Volvo 900hp diesels with pods. It was unbelievable how that boat handled with the pods. BUT I was told the cost for both engines and associated pods was just over $800K. Which is nothing in a 4$M boat.
 
If you look at the list price for the R-41 CB ($850k) you'll see the cost scales down with the size of the boat. The boat is well equipped and includes a pair of Volvo Penta IPS400 drives. Much different than the Sabre example.

I'm not a marine engineer, but I suspect a significant limiting factor is engine compartment space. You need adequate beam and draft to put two engines side by side and deploy the pods. Probably not unlike the requirements for standard twin single shaft engine installations.

Cheers,

Bruce
 
FWTMD":60npstea said:
Good. Heavens.

'Nuff said
Click to expand...
Obviously smaller engines/pods are less expensive, or Ranger wouldn't be putting them in the 41', but they are still expensive. They are a slick efficient system and I wouldn't hesitate to go on a boat with them. If I had the $$$$$$ to afford a boat with them.. I would. The way you can handle a boat with pods is nothing short of amazing, at least to me.
That gasket someone mentioned for where the pod seals to the hull, is an O-ring with a 1.25" diameter cross section.
 
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