More IPS stuff.........

[Nautical]

Just back from barcelona show and all went a bit flat down marina bit at Port Vell thanks to local spanish fishermen blockading the port just as the nice and newbie stuff was to arrive. They all had to trundle off down to the next available marina down the coast and wait it out.

Nothing terribly exciting to report as most of the fresh stuff was at Genoa a couple of weeks before, except for................


This...... fell in love with it at Genoa and was delighted to see her again at Barcelona, picture does absolutely nothing for her, see her in the flesh, exquisitely built and beautiful finish throughout. Hull is Carbon Fibre / Kevlar mix, bloomin bullet proof so I am told. Every detail was just about perfect, I want one!

Here she is at Genoa, just look at the finish on that hull !....puuuurfect...........

This was nice too, C&N 42, very nicely screwed together but basically a big day boat.

Sorry to all you IPS skeptics but here are a load more Med builders taking on IPS for 06 season, in total by my counting that makes 14 yards so far....when are we going to catch up? if we are not careful we are going to get caught with our pants down.

here............

here.......

here.........

and here..................

Have to say having seen the guts of the system I think there is no more risk for damage and hole-ing than shafts in fact probably better risk of not sinking hitting something solid with IPS than shafts.

 

[Nautical]

Sorry, think the first IPS picture is of the Volvo stand, but all told I saw about five new boats with IPS.

 

[powerskipper]

Nice pic,
I must say the IPS drive boat I have helm was a delight to Handle and very responsive.


PS in case you had not guessed I liked it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[oldgit]

all thats missing is a nice bit of fishing net or rope jammed round the prop and drive,which will means the owner will get to see his new drive system a bit more often then he bargained for. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[petem]

Just because there's a few boats with them at a boat show doesn't mean they're gonna sell or are a good idea.

Call me a luddite but for me they're just not right.

 

[Nautical]

Why does everyone think that IPS is suddenly a magnet for rope and fishing nets as if rope and net have some fetish for new technology, drive through a lump of net in any drive system be it shaft, outdrive or IPS and you will end up with a mess. Clobber anything heavy or solid with any drive and it's gonna hurt one way or another, if its a big 'un' then shafts probably come off worse.

Lets get with game folks and not left on the sidelines.

 

[Its_Only_Money]

[ QUOTE ]
Why does everyone think that IPS is suddenly a magnet for rope and fishing nets as if rope and net have some fetish for new technology

[/ QUOTE ]

Because there is nothing protecting the props from anything, suspect as a result some near-misses will result in entanglement where with shafts or drives it may have been deflected by the shaft/leg.

Never mind, these hoovers will make the water cleaner for the rest of us /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Nautical]

Can't really see it, I've had rope/net around shafts and drives including outboards. Maybe if it was just a small bit it might have a chance of deflecting but anything significant will get caught. Think the argument of ropes/nets etc seems to have got out of proportion to the amount of incidents people encounter, even if the there is a small increase in the chance of catching a net/rope the significant benefits of the system out weigh the small risk.

The bigger risk I would have thought it that of clobbering something hefty at speed, IPS will give you a chance of survival and not tearing the bottom out of your boat and sinking which to me has to be a greater safety feature over shafts and above and beyond the rope/net issue.

 

[Its_Only_Money]

Oh come on surely the biggest risk is simply the electric steering going haywire/unsynchronised /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Steer-by-wire, no thanks /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Nautical]

Me too,......... was a skeptic at first but you just can't believe the difference in how smooth and quite the system is over shafts and of course that big fuel saving has to make you think twice, the extra room you get inside the hull is a big selling point also along with how sporty the set up feels against shafts.

I have'nt spoken to one single person yet who has actually driven IPS that has'nt said it was a great system. Everyone that seems to knock it has'nt actually driven it yet!.

Might see you out and about Wednesday, down for a few more outings, although don't think its looking to clever weather wise.

 

[Nautical]

eh !, you steer by hydraulics....... bust hp pipe, leaking flanges, kaput pump, no thanks, ............ever tried steering an outdrive boat with lost hydraulic fluid?, non starter, wheel just goes round and round but now't happens!.

 

[[2068]]

Depends if it has "power steering" (hydraulically assisted mechanical steering) or full "hydraulic steering". With the former, if you lose the fluid, you can still steer if you have arms like a gorilla. With the latter, you twirl to no effect.

The new D4's and D6's have the full hydraulic steering... (i think)

dv,

 

[Nautical]

Bob on... as you say the D4's and D6's are all full hydraulic steering so if you loose fluid and drives are not in the ahead position you are stuffed.

Think I am right in saying that with IPS if you have failure you can centre the drives and steer on the engines ala shaft drive.

 

[ArthurWood]

That is one ugly boat, IMHO. Should do well in the US /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Nautical]

You really think this is ugly? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif, crickey me !, what is your idea of a beautiful boat?, example please.

This is similar in style to the Mochi Dolphin which has been acclaimed as one of the most beautiful boats currently in build.

 

[Nautical]

Would you call this ugly?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I think the difference is that the IPS props are forward facing without any protection. At least with shaftdrive you have a P bracket and shaft which may get in the way of any debris before it hits the props and the other thing I wonder about is whether the duo props are more likely to get fouled than single props?
For me the jury is still out on IPS until they've been in service for a couple of years but I do agree that the advantages are compelling and I hope the system is a success. Its just that anybody buying an IPS boat right now is taking a risk that they end up with a lemon if IPS bombs

 

[Nautical]

I can see why people might think that but I honestly think the debris and rope thing is reasonably rare (except in a few places that are particularly infested with the stuff). The reality is that yes there are odd occasions you might catch something but whether shafts or outdrives would have got away with it and IPS automatically becomes fouled, impossible to tell. All systems have high speed revolving lumps of bronze spinning in the water which just don't mix with lumps of rope and netting which everway the props face.

Agree that if it bombs, well your stuffed!. On the other hand which is more likely if it is a success and you've just forked out 1/4 million on a 40' shaft drive now who will want to buy yours five years down the line when similar a IPS boat will go faster, handle better, run smoother and quieter, burns a 1/3 less fuel and is roomier inside.

The hole-ing thing is where I think the IPS scores well from a safety point, the fact that the drive shears off before any structural damage is done is a real boon.

If this had been IPS the boat would not have sunk leaving the whole vessel almost a full write off, never mind the almost fatal outcome for the crew. With IPS you could have limped home on the port engine recovered the drive or even bought a new one which would be hugely more cost effective than raising a sunken boat and refitting the entire thing along with new engines.

 

[andis]

I don't understand is what is the point for IPS if it is only available with engine sizes that proper legs are also available in.
If I am going to buy a 38-42ft sportcruiser with twin 300-370hp engines who cares if there are IPS boats available, since there is a far bigger selection of boats with legs?
In my view legs are more proven, cheaper, offer greater selection, can be trimmed, or lifted for inspection, etc, etc...

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

nautical, I would'nt disagree with anything you have said and, as I've said, I do hope IPS succeeds because it has so many advantages. I still think it is a risk though to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in an IPS boat for at least a couple of years but again I do agree that it could be an equally bad decision to invest in a shaftdrive boat if an IPS alternative exists
The point is that the marine engine market is relatively small compared to say truck or industrial engines and I dont believe that Volvo Penta have had the R & D budget to extensively test the IPS system in the same comprehensive way as they would have done for a larger market.
Perhaps I'm saying that the best thing to do would be not to buy any new boat, shaft or IPS drive, potentially in the IPS size range until the IPS/shaft comparison becomes clearer although of course somebody will have to spend their hard earned on IPS boats for the rest of us to benefit from their experience