A Discussion of Pod Drives and Their Application in the Pleasure Boat Market

Existing vessels can be retro-fitted with these systems while many new vessels are being designed specifically for IPS or Zeus. Donald L. Blount and Associates provides consulting in regards to IPS integration with existing and new designs and has also been involved with designs employing the Zeus system. The first portion of this paper discusses pod drives, particularly IPS itself. (Because the author has substantially more experience and background with IPS, much of the information herein is IPS specific). General information on IPS and Zeus is offered as well as some operational specifics. The paper then focuses on the application of pod drives in existing and new vessel designs. The discussion includes how hull forms can be evaluated for use with pod drives. A look at the integration of pod systems into various types of pleasure boats (cruiser, day boat, fishing yacht, etc) is also covered including the challenges which exist for each specific vessel type.

In case you would like to receive more information or discuss about this subject, please contact Christopher Swanhart.

References

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