The recent ... in the past five years ... addition of azimuth pods to pleasure boating has stirred my attention. I know of only a few power catamaran manufacturers (AfriCat being one) that have added this form of propulsion. And my discovery of Malcolm Tennant's 'canoe stern' has caused me to consider incorporating the two. My big question: Whether the Cummins/Mercruiser Zeus (a pusher) or the Volvo IPS (a tractor) is the more appropriate. Has anyone any thoughts about this combination? Guy

Aren't the azi-pods intended for high-speed/planing hulls? The Tennant canoe-stern is a displacement hull. I personally don't like the pods - they look like an absolute disaster for fouling on floating rope or striking debris prop-first. Bob Deering Juneau, Alaska On 4/21/09 6:18 AM, "Guy Mandigo" <gmandigo@earthlink.net> wrote: > The recent ... in the past five years ... addition of azimuth pods to pleasure > boating has stirred my attention. I know of only a few power catamaran > manufacturers (AfriCat being one) that have added this form of propulsion. > > And my discovery of Malcolm Tennant's 'canoe stern' has caused me to consider > incorporating the two. > > My big question: Whether the Cummins/Mercruiser Zeus (a pusher) or the Volvo > IPS (a tractor) is the more appropriate. > > Has anyone any thoughts about this combination? > > Guy > _______________________________________________ > Power-Catamaran Mailing List

Azi-pods, both pushers and pullers, have been appearing on various displacement hulls such as "tractor" style tug boats. Many warships, such as the U.S. Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates (FFGs) have retractable pods powered by approx. 300 hp electric motors, which they use to supplement close-in maneuvering. (Indeed, the USS Samuel B. Roberts, FFG-58, once famously used hers to creep out of a minefield in the Persian Gulf). Cunard's new Queen Mary 2 is powered exclusively by huge pull-me type azi-pods. The appeal is obvious, but I agree with Bob Deering, they sure look like expensive damage-magnets. Alan Bliss On Apr 21, 2009, at 10:23 AM, Robert Deering wrote: > Aren't the azi-pods intended for high-speed/planing hulls? The > Tennant > canoe-stern is a displacement hull. > > I personally don't like the pods - they look like an absolute > disaster for > fouling on floating rope or striking debris prop-first. > > Bob Deering > Juneau, Alaska > > > On 4/21/09 6:18 AM, "Guy Mandigo" <gmandigo@earthlink.net> wrote: > >> The recent ... in the past five years ... addition of azimuth pods >> to pleasure >> boating has stirred my attention. I know of only a few power >> catamaran >> manufacturers (AfriCat being one) that have added this form of >> propulsion. >> >> And my discovery of Malcolm Tennant's 'canoe stern' has caused me >> to consider >> incorporating the two. >> >> My big question: Whether the Cummins/Mercruiser Zeus (a pusher) or >> the Volvo >> IPS (a tractor) is the more appropriate. >> >> Has anyone any thoughts about this combination? >> >> Guy >> _______________________________________________ >> Power-Catamaran Mailing List > _______________________________________________ > Power-Catamaran Mailing List