ZF pod drives..

[seapuppy]

dang...I would love to have that installed...


http://www.boattest.com/engine-revie..._POD-4000_2012


or have that sized boat...


SP

[jeffmeans]

Agreed, SP... you could have re-fitted with those if you would have just hit the rocks harder last summer and sheered-off BOTH engines!---bad joke, sorry.

Seriously though, have you had a chance to DRIVE one of these joystick-enabled boats yet?---last season the local Regal Dealer (part of the Hagadone Marine Group on CDA Lake) was asking people to drive the 37' fitted with Volvo's STERN drive duo-prop models. Not pods, but similar in design where each motor is fly-by-wire and operates independently as you probably know. I had my (then) five year old manuever it with no problem... pretty cool I must say to be able to walk the boat sideways with no thrusters and just a twist of the wrist. But I've been told that a new boat equipped with a bow thruster is STILL less expensive than the same boat (new) with pods or stern-drive (aka Axius). Presumably a used boat is similar in price-comparison too.

After banging Endless Summer up a few times this Summer attempting to back her into our slip (difficult with wind and a single engine on a boat my size as I'm sure you remember!) I'm seriously considering that add-on "keel/bow-thruster" that's been discussed previously on this forum. Then the Admiral wouldn't be so hesitant to take her friends out.

[seapuppy]

I've driven the zeuss drives which is merc's answer to volvo penta axius drives....it was great...I fell in love with it...if they had it on my boat..I'd be all over it...they had it on other versions of my boat...there is one guy right across from me with the same model boat..(340 ciera) with the zeuss drives....really is nice to see him come in and spin around at the river and back it in..I pull in bow first on the river dock and then hand spin it around...with winds and currents...it's not worth my white knuckled effort on my part.......but the joystick drives makes life so much easier...


(no worries about the crack up crack....)


SP