Diesel Progress North American

MARINE PROPULSION

ZF Marine, in conjunction with SeaVee boats, has developed a complete propulsion system designed to offer joystick control and maneuverability and employing what ZF called the pleasure craft industry’s first single pod driveline. The system consists of a ZF 2800 series pod drive rated 480 bhp, ZF 185 AC thrusters and ZF SmartCommand controls with Joystick Maneuvering System (JMS).

Single Pod For
Pleasurecraft Propulsion

ZF Marine LLC, the North American division of the ZF Marine Group, hasintroduced a single pod drive system for pleasure craft applications. In conjunction with SeaVee boats, ZF Marine has developed a complete propulsion system around a center console sport fishing application designed to offer joystick control and maneuverability and employing what ZF called the pleasure craft industry’s first single pod driveline. The system was unveiled at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show.

The heart of the propulsion pack-
age incorporates three main compo-
nents. The ZF 2800 series pod drive
is rated 480 bhp and has been rede-
signed to offer 180° of total move-
ment (90° of rotation to both port
and starboard from the centerline).
The ZF 185 AC thruster, which was
introduced last year, has been engi-
neered to provide proportional thrust,
a 30-minute continuous-duty cycle
and smooth, quiet operation through a
patented thruster tube design. Finally,
the ZF SmartCommand controls with
Joystick Maneuvering System (JMS)
is engaged when the Easidock fea-
ture is activated via a button touch on
the SmartCommand control head.

ZF Marine’s patented iAnchor station-keeping function is also included in the single pod system. With the press of a button, iAnchor will compensate for wind and current holding the vessel’s position to as little as a 3 ft. radius, ZF said.

ZF Marine supplies complete propulsion systems and components for all types of vessels from 13. 5 to 18,774 hp. Its products include marine transmissions (reversing, nonreversing and hybrid), propellers (controllable and fixed pitch), shafts, seals and bearings, pod-drive systems, steering systems, CANbus-compatible electronic control systems, azimuth thrusters, tunnel thrusters, bow thrusters and sail drives.

Coordinated through its headquarters at Padova, Italy, ZF Marine has 11 plants in seven countries and achieved sales of approximately $292 million in 2009. dp