There are currently 3 different manufacturers producing pod drives for recreational boat applications, Volvo Penta has IPS, Mercruiser has Zeus and ZF Marine has the ZF pod. In this article I will explain each in hopes that you will have a better understanding of them and their primary applications. Volvo Penta IPS Volvo Penta was the first company to come up with a pod drive system back in 2005, beating out the Cummins Zeus pod by over 2 years. Today there are more than 10,000 IPS units installed in more than 250 boat models worldwide...making it the most widely used pod drive system in the world by a long shot. This is largely due to the range of applications the IPS pods will work for, there are 9 different power packages available with 3 different pod sizes, and the ability to … [Read more...]
The Different Types of Yacht Propulsion: Benefits and Drawbacks
In this article I will review the different types of propulsion found in yachts and the benefits of each. This will help to understand why certain yachts have the powertrain they do. 1. Straight Shaft Inboard 2. V-Drive Inboard 3. Jet Drive 4. Surface Drive 5. Pod Drive 1. Straight Shaft Inboard Illustration of a Straight Shaft Inboard Yacht Straight Shaft inboards are the most traditional type of propulsion in use today. It is comprised of a rear-facing engine connected to a transmission which has a driveshaft going straight out of the bottom of the boat. Running Gear of a Straight Shaft Inboard Yacht See in the photo above a boat hauled out of the water the shaft coming out of the bottom of the boat. It is held in place by a strut right in front of the … [Read more...]