ips

despite my initial concerns about IPS I am coming around to the idea that they will be OK in the long run. I am disappointed in that the fuel savings seem negligable but maybe future designs will do better (like the Delta 54 with triple IPS, I think fuel saving because of weight) but the ease of handling may make them more attractive to new boaters in future. We already have a lot of boats with electronic engine management which are often based on truck or generator engines and they make lots of those OK. Electronic controls will just increase in usage. I worked out that my boat has at least 47 seperate microprocessors running things. Until we get to the third, fourth or fifth owner we won't see any DIY IPS maintenance on them, however lots of peeps on here already do their own outdrives so surely IPS drives could be diy-able from an anodes, oil and ulitmately seals perspective. If they go wrong they will be expensive but how much is a re-con outdrive or inboard gearbox? Sooner or later there will be recon IPS legs too. (this is where VP points out my ignorance - do your best :-) )
 
This is the under side of the Sealine 42,, thought you mite like to see it.View attachment 27919these are the IPS drive system pods, props almost in same position as a shaft, but move like the outdrive, View attachment 27920 she has double trim tabs on the stern. they are the blade drop down type, they do work but I like the good old flappy type more, think this may be proving I am getting a little old fashioned aaahhhh!!!!
 
When you look at a shaft angle it looses the optimum thrust angle,an outdrive and I p s is better, however Volvo claim these purely fictitious as we have seen from owners on here and printed in mby when comparing the same make boats on drives and I p s. so where is it all going, what is the advantage apart from being able to berth sideways with a stick.

You can do that at a fraction of the cost with a bow and stern thruster with hardly any maintanance cost compared to servicing and repairs of I p s.

What we don't seem to have on here is any experience of mercruisers / cmd outdrive system, I've only seen it fitted to one sealine sc35, and there Zeus system on the sealine f series, I'd like to hear from anyone about , reliability , service charges, what's gone wrong since its birth and ownership woes, now there is no base on the south coast of the uk, who do owners talk to, I presume cmd at Northampton. How can they deal with the south coast like volvopenta can.

I know of one boat at the moment that's got on going I p s issues that can't be sorted after hours of work by a dealer, I can't say a great deal more and hope ts getting sorted for the owner, but shows me the system has flaws which had it be a commercial boat in which an owners living was reliant on it I'd be well and truly fed up by now.
 
volvopaul said:
When you look at a shaft angle it looses the optimum thrust angle,an outdrive and I p s is better, however Volvo claim these purely fictitious as we have seen from owners on here and printed in mby when comparing the same make boats on drives and I p s. so where is it all going, what is the advantage apart from being able to berth sideways with a stick.
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To be fair, VP, on some boats, particularly sports cruisers, IPS does seem to show fuel efficiency benefits compared to shafts but, on other boats, particularly flybridge boats, the fuel efficiency benefits seem to be less significant. As I said previously, I think designing a hull to optimise IPS is a bit of a black art which not all designers and builders have learnt about yet. Shaftdrive has been around for more than 100yrs whereas IPS has been around for only 10yrs.
 
If you enjoy the joy stick control then you have options Lisa, it's available now on several drive systems, you can have with shafts, out drives or pods, there are people who assume it's an IPS pod aligned system but that's not the case
 
I have driven all of the systems IPS can be violent, joystick on legs can be two and is quite noticable when put into get they tend to thump in. Shafts are a dodle, there are joystick control for these now as well. The smoothest pod system is zeus drive with cummings engines they have the benefit of rear facing props as well. If you are comparing flybridge to sports boats the differences are as follows.
On a flybridge there is no sensation of speed from upstairs or down, sports boats give you the feeling of speed, however its the sensation you loose with a flybridge but they tend to be heavier and just dont slam as much either.
Maintenance is always a factor so provided the gear box is ok shafts tend to be cheaper to maintain both long and short term, but fuel used is greater. How you use your boat will halp you determine what is best for you and remember unfortunately there is not the perfect boat made there is always some compromise.
Have fun deciding which is all part of it.
 
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