Zeus was being demonstrated at the Fort Lauderdale boat show in October, using a 2008 Sea Ray 44 Sundancer, an express cruiser design typically powered by diesels with straight shafts and props. I took a ride on the demonstrator boat to get a feel for the new system and how it might change the way we pilot.
STEERING BY STICK
Photos by Tom Tripp, Volvo Penta, CMD
Our test boat was equipped with a Zeus 3500, which is a Cummins QSB-series diesel, 5.9-liter with six in-line cylinders, producing 425 HP. It is mated to the aft-facing, contra-rotating propellers through a ZF-produced gearset that incorporates a "wet" clutch. Sometimes known as a trolling valve, the purpose of the clutch is to ease the transition in and out of gear at very low speeds.
We rode with one of the local SeaRay dealer's potential customers, Bob Henderson, of Palm City, Florida. Henderson has been buying SeaRays for more than 40 years, starting with an 18-foot inboard/outboard. Henderson said he liked the idea of simplifying his docking experience, which currently requires him to delicately back in between pilings. "I think the pod drive is the coming thing," he said.
We would soon find out.
A captain who has been participating in the Zeus test program was at the helm of our demonstrator boat and he explained how the system worked as he departed the show docks at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center. The first noticeable difference was that he was not touching the steering wheel as he left the dock. Instead, a fat joystick is used to control the system in close quarters.
With the Zeus joystick on the side panel by his right hand, he lightly nudged it forward and the big cruiser glided gently ahead. With his stern clear of the pilings, he twisted the top of the joystick and the boat rotated in place, turning 90 degrees to port in a few seconds. A gentle nudge forward and we headed out of the marina and into the waterway toward the inlet.
On our way, we paused at a bridge over the waterway and the captain engaged the autopilot to hold our position. Dubbed "Skyhook" by CMD, this autopilot uses a highly-precise GPS receiver and software to hold lateral position and maintain a selected heading. The bow swung gently one or two degrees either side of the base heading, but given that the outgoing tide had the current moving swiftly and the wind was blowing steadily out of the northeast, it was a remarkable demonstration. This is the perfect feature for holding short of a closed bridge, or maintaining position over a promising piece of bottom structure while fishing.
STANDING IN PLACE
As we moved out of the inlet, our captain mashed the conventional throttles forward and the computerized engine controls spooled up the big diesels quickly, accelerating to nearly 39 mph in a matter of several boat lengths. The Zeus joystick is automatically disabled at 1,800 RPM, with control transferred to the conventional throttles. When slowing to joystick speeds, a light hand on the stick enables it and the steering wheel automatically centers itself, as the drive pods calculate their steering and thrust requirements based on starting in a neutral position.
