(See How Fuel-Efficient Are Pods, Exactly?) The biggest savings might come when the pods aft-located engines add interior accommodations. Sophisticated diagnostics go with every engine now. The Zeus system propellers are on the back of the pods, as opposed to the Volvo IPS, which are on the front. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. are zeus pods still being manufactured. (Stranded in Guaymas, Mexico, I watched a guy true up a dinged prop using just a single jack and anvil. You must be at least 19 years from Canada and 21 years from USA to buy and/or use this website. The vaporizers displayed on this website are not intended for or made to prevent, treat or diagnose any illness. Im all about new technology. I liked the idea of being able to handle the boat from the helm seat instead of standing up all the time. Is there some X Factor or Factors that negates the pods proven advantages? We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Here at TVAPE we offer free shipping on every order above $100.00 inside Canada and USA. (I know you're supposed to replace each use for both the other companies, but it is possible to get more than one sesh out of each pod). For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Finally theres antifoulant for the drive. This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine. Most new boats developed in the 35- to 45-foot class were pods. Like was said before I mirror there thoughts. Right now, I cant talk anybody who wants pod-drives out of them, says Caterpillars Stephen Smith. Sounds like another good option to me. 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. We created Lids for you to reuse your Aluminum ArcPods. Inboards props are angled downward, diminishing the power directed toward forward motion. Most studies show that maximum rpm only accounts for about 10 percent of the total running cycle of most boats and engines. Internal bonding issue and corrosion and a bunch of internal parts had to be changed. In the past decade, high-tech pod drives have changed the face of powerboating, and for the better. 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. The performance numbers on the IPS are slightly better. Zeus propeller shafts use a double-lip seal. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Some could be rotated 180 degrees and run adequately facing either fore or aft. Pods are more prevalent in the pleasure-yacht category than in sport fishing. Volvo uses only one oil, while Cummins uses three different ones in Zeus drives. While the maintenance schedule varies somewhat among pod builders, its essentially the same. Use of Cookies: ZF Friedrichshafen AG uses cookies to continuously improve the website and optimize its design. Fuel savings can be weighed against additional maintenance, but economy varies with each boat and depends on how its used. How many buyers do you think reconsider upgrading to pods because of the extra maintenance cost? Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. It might save the cost of a divorce on cruelty-while-docking grounds, too, a way bigger budget-breaker than pod drives. Zirk fittings require grease in U-joints and at both ends of jack shafts that connect engines to drives. Comfort Onboard comfort is improved too. Grant Bentley captains Home Run, a 60-foot Spencer. The ZS-3000 is Snell M2005 certified in the small shell size (XS to M). The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. Fortunately the 42 Express cockpit is well laid out for Zeus . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 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. With no compromise on taste or experience, as well as Zeus' guarantee that all liquids are mixed, tested and approved in the UK, the new disposable pod will carry users from A-Z of their vaping journey knowing that the premium flavour will not fade, fault or fail on the road to being smoke free. 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. Zeus ArcPods - The 3rd Generation of Vaporizers is Here! 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. (Power & Motoryacht once had a company boat powered by inboards with which the publisher at the time rammed a sunken fuel barge at a healthy clip. 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. Whats another three grand, compared to the cost of a boat big enough and upscale enough for pod drives? Thats the biggest attraction and why [pods] gained acceptance among a lot of enthusiasts, who wanted a certain size of vessel and want to move from a 28 to a 34 to 40 but were not comfortable with maneuvering inboard boats. We are not early adopters. And what of resale? Check the condition of the seals by inspecting the drained oil for water; the best way is to have the oil analyzed, said Petzold. Okay, the last bit is trueas if running over a submerged jetty or grounding hard on a shell bank wouldnt damage conventional props. We raised several white marlin, and caught a couple for our junior anglers that were fishing with us for the day. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. What does a shaft-type propulsion system really need? When one of Sieberts clients hit a sandbar, it happened so smoothly that he didnt even realize hed lost drives until he revved the engines and the boat didnt respond, Siebert said. I did some work on them but really didnt have the time to become efficient. Today electronics are inextricably entwined with every aspect of our lives, and whether its commercial jet engines, cars, home appliances, or chartplotters, we expect and receive virtually bulletproof reliability. Make sure theyre specifically trained, or at least have several years of experience, Siebert said. Are the Zeus drives still being produced today? We may request cookies to be set on your device. 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. ZF also added a trick that has less validity in the United States than in the European Union; ZF pods can be mated with both electric and diesel motors simultaneously, allowing them to run on electricity to meet the European Unions emissions standards when in port. On the other hand, pod boats typically dont have bow thrusters. Cummins Marine Diesel Repower Specialists Forums Cummins Marine Engines Zeus Pods: Good, Bad, Ugly?? Nonetheless, pods are not going away and I hope more marine techs will learn them. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. I often hear stories about Mercury paying for expensive replacement parts when their Zeus units need work out of warranty. Dont compare them to stern drives. There arent many external mechanicals, no rubber bellows or other components to fail, he added. Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. Superior to bow thrusters, which can drain your battery and leave you stranded - Zeus Joystick Piloting for Pods is integrated with the pod drives, without relying on battery power. By turning pods in opposite directions and running one in forward and one in reverse, the vessel can be pivoted more quickly and easily than in either outboards or inboards. The owner of the boat spent almost 40k on the drives themselves and they were just under 8 years old. First, hull efficiency was enhanced, because the props were always aligned with the direction of motion in the boat. Spencer Yachts builds an 87-footer with ZF pods, and Smith was integral to the development process. 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 . Seaboard Marine delivers Guaranteed Better Than Factory Performance, Parts, Design, and Engineering for Cummins and other Marine Diesel applications. 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. Today, 250s are middle of the road: Triple and quad 300s are common, and 400s built for everyday use are available, too. Inboards are virtually maintenance-free, while pods require lots of servicing. Prior to heading out with the boat, there was a lot of talk on the dock about whether the new drives would raise fish or scare them away. If you lose oil or get water in the lower unit, an alarm will sound before the problem becomes catastrophic, Fessenden said of Cummins drives. I had SeaVee owner Ariel Pared with me when we pulled away from the dock sideways, crabbing away briskly from our side-to moor. Instead, Zeus pods came with traditional aft-facing props and the traditional exhaust-through-hub design. If that aint enough, Seven Marine builds a 557- or 627-horsepower small-block V-8 configured as an outboard motor. A Bonnier LLC Company. They said it was so easy a child could do it, and sure enough, it wasnt long before a lad barely out of kindergarten deftly maneuvered a 40-footer into a slip all by himself. But now thats all gone away. If the outer seal is damaged by debris, fishing line or rope, only the inner seal separates the pods innards from seawater. Yet catastrophic groundings are rare for all boats, although again, the financial consequences for the pod owner are usually steeper. Finger pointing is worse in any situation when it is out of warranty, then you are left on a deserted island. Disappointing, but then again whens the last time you worked on your car? The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. The biggest difference between IPS's and Zeus pods is the position of the propeller. If water is suspected inside any pod, get a mechanic aboard right away or risk internal damage. A racing motor with a warranty? The transom stays clean and nobody is complaining of fumes.. 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. What if you do hit something? he says. Its docking. In standard shaft and prop boats, props lose their bite in close-quarters maneuvering, Smith says. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! Pods operate independently of one another to provide vectored thrust in any direction, which makes the vessel incredibly maneuverable. When pods vibrate, propellers or jack shaft bearings are the likely causes. (Its not a bad idea to do the sameminus the sealsfor inboards.). On Cummins drives, standard-equipment MerCathode system anodes emit a tiny electrical charge opposite the damaging electrical currents that normally flow through metal parts in seawater, actively protecting pods from galvanic corrosion. Parts for them now have to go through mercury. We have a strong global network, says Robert Mirman of Cummins, who leads the charge for Zeus. Like most everything, making the decision to go conventional or pod is a personal choice. Exhaust fumes are emitted into the prop wash. 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. Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. . In the beginning of pod development, there was a huge surge of interest. Zeus ArcPods Lid pack filled with 50 paper lids for the Zeus ArcPods (sold separately). The transmission and steering units are quite robust and I dont expect any serviceability issues from them. Our white marlin came in hot on the teasers we fished up close to the boat. Youre going to ruin more with a straight shaft than with IPS.. The engines are in their normal spot, but then you jackshaft to pods, so you lose space in the lazarette, he says. Plus factors and quiet fuel efficient. Pods run quieter, cleaner, and more efficiently than traditional props. 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. One drive had a. You can also change some of your preferences. by | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo When checking transmission oil level, give it a sniff. With it, fingertip operation of any vessel became possible. 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. There are a lot of traditionalists in that market.. This takes the stress out of dealing with any warranty concerns, if your unit is covered by our Hassle-Free Warranty and has an issue, do not hesitate to contact our customer sales team. But in that case, its the ability to point and shoot that gives them comfort level. Full details on shipping can be found here. 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. The bill to undo the resulting carnage came to $46,000, a figure that couldnt have been much worse if pods had been involved.). However, most sport-fishers rarely operate at wide-open throttle. Its better to do it at haulout, when the oil can be drained by gravity, rather than sucking it out with a pump. Vessel Systems Considerations for Marine Repower, ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar, LLC. We get a lot of oyster growth inside the drive intakes, Siebert said. The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. And often, pods do have less torque than shaft-driven boats. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! That boat was an agile-handling rig for sure. ZF Marine entered the pod fray when its exclusivity agreement with Zeus expired. He ran the boat down to sell it down there. Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. All with a simple push or twist of the joystick. Unless you get the boat at a knock-down price, I mean really low, I wouldn't touch one without a full service history or a late model. Dont cheap out on anodes, Petzold advised. Phone: 1-844-858-8273 Email: [emailprotected].com. Pod access aboard the Riviera 43 is through the cockpit sole. Its more maneuverable than an outboard, and you dont have any engines on the back.. Pods are designed to shear off without compromising hull integrity. IPS followed with its own, and ZF ponied one up too. The inboard has simplicity and ubiquity. Review Images (jpg, jpeg, png) Max 3MB file size allowed. Along with Volvo, who now makes the IPS drives from 260 to 1,000 hp, Cummins and MerCruiser partnered to join the fray with their Zeus pod-drive system, complete with SmartCraft monitoring and system management that integrates the vessel's electronics, propulsion and onboard systems. The tank has a 24mm diameter (0.94 inches) and measures 50.5mm tall (2 inches tall). But then outboards are more powerful and more economical than ever. Zeus offers dramatically improved high-speed handling and delivers up to: 30% improved fuel economy 15% faster cruise speed 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Cummins says you dont 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. He too is in love with the sport-fish mode and its maneuverability. Yes, you need to be concerned about steering and propulsion fluids (lower unit) but you are not dealing with shaft irregularities, cutlass bearing maintenance, and thruster maintenance. Long term cost of ownership based on 5- 10+ years of use, cruising long distances at economical wine & cheese hull speeds, ease of service (or just getting service or support) any time/any place. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, Zeus ArcPods are finally here! Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Ill be limiting my search to non-pod models going forward. Yes, you need to be concerned about steering and propulsion fluids (lower unit) but you are not dealing with shaft irregularities, cutlass bearing maintenance, and thruster maintenance. Stephen Smith is the southwest sales representative for Caterpillar. We back it up with a concierge service. The downside is pod drives are way more complex than conventional propulsion systems; consequently, pod-powered boats cost more to buy and maintain. To get a good hole shot, Zeus countered with automatic trim tabs and matched the pods with tunnels to reduce draft. We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). At that time, the company boat was a 38-foot express cruiser with a pair of Volvo D6 370 hp diesels matched to IPS 500 series drives. Outboards give you the pod advantage, but without the esoteric technology. It turns out that if I went with the new Cummins 550s and straight shafts, the IPS is a little cheaper., Sport-fish mode. The most remarkable performance advantage was one that sent every propulsion and boatbuilding engineer to the drawing board to imitate: the joystick control system.