BosnBill
New member
Have you seen the latest steering technology for stern drive boats? If you haven't you can preview a video demo here of the Volvo Penta sterndrive joystick system. Here's the video
New Steering Technology
- Thread starter BosnBill
- Start date
Andrew38
New member
Have spent a season with the system and I'd prefer a bowthruster. In a flat calm they're ok but just do NOT like to turn the boat through the wind (mine are on 45' sports cruiser with a lot of windage) and on the higher speed setting using up to 2000 rpm in close quarter maneouvres is scary.
spannerman
Well-known member
Borrowed my boss's new V45 for a weekend with this system, it was worse than useless the boat never did what you expected, I gave up using it and went back to manual shifting and vectoring the drives myself. I feel Volvo are way behind Mercruiser when it comes to joystick steering, every IPS boat I've tried has been clunky and had aggressive throttle response resulting in the boat rocking from side to side, whereas the Zeus did exactly what it said on the box and after a couple of minutes it was completely intuative and infinitely more controllable.
aquatom
Member
I have used three different Targa 44s one with normal Dph drives, one with Dph drives on joystick and one with Ips on joystick.
The Ips drives perform very well on joystick, the secret being to feed the power in gently as the joystick is progressive. I've seen many people complain about the system then seen them moving the joystick violently from one direction to the other.
The Dph drives work well with the joystick when there is little or no wind or tide. Any thing more and a bow thruster is needed. Also note that there is now 4 of the problematic steering rams on the system to allow both drives to steer independently. They also have position sensors mounted on the rams.
IMHO there's nothing wrong with normal outdrives, two levers and a bowthruster.
Also if you need a joystick to help you berth what will you do if, sorry when one engine fails and you don't have a thruster?
The Ips drives perform very well on joystick, the secret being to feed the power in gently as the joystick is progressive. I've seen many people complain about the system then seen them moving the joystick violently from one direction to the other.
The Dph drives work well with the joystick when there is little or no wind or tide. Any thing more and a bow thruster is needed. Also note that there is now 4 of the problematic steering rams on the system to allow both drives to steer independently. They also have position sensors mounted on the rams.
IMHO there's nothing wrong with normal outdrives, two levers and a bowthruster.
Also if you need a joystick to help you berth what will you do if, sorry when one engine fails and you don't have a thruster?