londonrascal
Well-Known Member
Electronic throttles: are you sure to have the option of controlling manually the engine and gearbox, should the ZF system go nuts? Afaik, the actuator boxes inside the e/r (as opposed to the Kobelt boxes, which are unique in this respect) neither allow the disengagement of mechanical cables, nor have any manual levers to move the cables, once detached from the actuators.
So the electronic throttle basically sends a signal to the controller in the engine room and moves an actuator. This might 'go nuts' but it does mean you can physically disengage the output from actuator to engine be it gearbox or throttle. His was shown to me by the engineer. Indeed from engine to control box it is an old school mechanical set up so you could revert back to manual mechanical throttles.
However is that to say every ZF electronic install is prone to go wrong? I doubt the previous owner went into this lightly having an a great deal of expense to buy the system and then have it fitted. Whatever it would seem what was their originally was not to his liking and decided upon the ZF controls as the best route and hiding from the Director of the company who looked after the boat and who spent two hours going over it with me, the previous owner was the type of chap to have a want and hand over the realisation to the company to fulfill. I suspect they (the company) believed in the ZF system compared to others that could have been procured.
Therefore your comment of "whoever replaced cables-only controls in a boat whose engines and gearboxes are both made an expansive mistake" does not ring true to me until and unless I find evdicen of these ZF control systems failing. If and when I do then I may consider their replacement but I don't see things at the moment as this being needed.
As far as Stablaizers and boats goes I think I am correct in presuming that most boat owners do it and go boating for the enjoyment. They also tend to have others with them - perhaps their family or just their wife, who will become less than happy if things get uncomfortable. I've read posts on this Forum of such and I understand that. It's not like you're paid and so come a rough day you are out there come what may like those working on offshore support boats and the like are.
But from my point of view if the boat rolls hard that is just how she is and there are countless other Trader owners who have enjoyed their boats without stabilisers after all the previous two owners of mine did. So if if it is ok for them I'm sure be okay for me. Of course I will be more conscious of roll as I've got the added weight of a Williams rib up top but he boat also has a third fuel tank mid ships so it's swings and roundabouts really.
I say this much, she sits in the water like a rock compared to the Fairline phantom 50 and Princess V48 either side of my Beth. Had some real big wind gusts today and they were really being pushed about far more than the Trader was despite me having more height to catch the gusts so it's a comfortable boat when you're just spending time onboard in a Marina.
So the electronic throttle basically sends a signal to the controller in the engine room and moves an actuator. This might 'go nuts' but it does mean you can physically disengage the output from actuator to engine be it gearbox or throttle. His was shown to me by the engineer. Indeed from engine to control box it is an old school mechanical set up so you could revert back to manual mechanical throttles.
However is that to say every ZF electronic install is prone to go wrong? I doubt the previous owner went into this lightly having an a great deal of expense to buy the system and then have it fitted. Whatever it would seem what was their originally was not to his liking and decided upon the ZF controls as the best route and hiding from the Director of the company who looked after the boat and who spent two hours going over it with me, the previous owner was the type of chap to have a want and hand over the realisation to the company to fulfill. I suspect they (the company) believed in the ZF system compared to others that could have been procured.
Therefore your comment of "whoever replaced cables-only controls in a boat whose engines and gearboxes are both made an expansive mistake" does not ring true to me until and unless I find evdicen of these ZF control systems failing. If and when I do then I may consider their replacement but I don't see things at the moment as this being needed.
As far as Stablaizers and boats goes I think I am correct in presuming that most boat owners do it and go boating for the enjoyment. They also tend to have others with them - perhaps their family or just their wife, who will become less than happy if things get uncomfortable. I've read posts on this Forum of such and I understand that. It's not like you're paid and so come a rough day you are out there come what may like those working on offshore support boats and the like are.
But from my point of view if the boat rolls hard that is just how she is and there are countless other Trader owners who have enjoyed their boats without stabilisers after all the previous two owners of mine did. So if if it is ok for them I'm sure be okay for me. Of course I will be more conscious of roll as I've got the added weight of a Williams rib up top but he boat also has a third fuel tank mid ships so it's swings and roundabouts really.
I say this much, she sits in the water like a rock compared to the Fairline phantom 50 and Princess V48 either side of my Beth. Had some real big wind gusts today and they were really being pushed about far more than the Trader was despite me having more height to catch the gusts so it's a comfortable boat when you're just spending time onboard in a Marina.
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