Pods vs shaft and props

Edward,
That's too general of a question. Props with pockets and shallow shaft angles will probably have less draft than a Pod drive. Why does draft have an impact on your choice? Posing a question like that without more information, will preclude you from getting a knowledgeable response.

It depends on the boat itself. The question is too broad to give a concise answer. Jets will usually draw the least. BUT, then there is the difference of what you can operate in the shallowest of water. Jets first, then props/shafts, then pods usually. Pods usually create a lot of wash when maneuvering.

Hi J, Yes Jets draw the least amount, but I've never seen a large boat that had appropriate handling with jet drives, and yes there have been many big boats with jet drives, but for some reason ended up in the secondary market after a couple of years. I personally wouldn't own anything over 20 feet with a jet drive, and I still don't get surface drives.

Most of the large yachts with jets end up on the secondary market is because the yachts have been built with them to pursue top speed records......then the owner built a newer faster one with newer technology. Jet's are very in-efficient (slower speeds) except at the cruising speeds they were built around and dockside handling is difficult.

Surface drives are very efficient on the right hull and make great speed if and set up right. The boat also has much less draft with the hull being the lowest point with them. Docking is a little different with them, but not terribly difficult once you're used to them. They also throw a pretty nice rooster tail.

That's true J, but it's like the old Golf saying...drive for flash, putt for cash! Surface drives are worse than forward facing pod drives...way too much exposure to the elements! Not my cup of tea my friend.

What do you mean exposure to the elements?

Really? It's a long shaft, with a skeg, followed by a prop on the surface with the top half out of the water. Can we say coconuts, lobster pot floats, Sargasso weed, planks, square grouper's. etc? Elements.

They're in the water and behind the hull and total above the bottom of the hull. So when you are running the hull is going to hit and push away most everything from the drives. If the hull was sitting on top of a sandbar, the drives wouldn't even be touching the sand anywhere. They're pretty protected in reality. Sort of like outboards mounted on an integral bracket but above the bottom of the hull. There is more maintanence in keeping them clean as well as maintaining the external hoses, but it's not too big of a deal.

Yes, pods can be in pockets if the hull is designed for them and the draft will be less than 5 feet.

Yes, but it's also hard to find a motoryacht in the upper part of that size range where the draft is going to be less than 5'. Most Motoryachts 55-60' are right around a 5' draft.

Most pod boats I've run, the pods were far enough away from the V that the depth of the pods was not the draft issue, it was the bottom of the hull. Most yachts he's looking at, I would believe the hull depth would be the issue and not the props/shafts or pods......the majority of the boats these days (that size and type) the bottom of the hull is the lowest point.

3' 10" draft on my 50' Navigator Veneti with Zeus Pods in hull tunnels.
Sorry I do not have photos of the tunnels for you.
The pod skeg and props do extend below the level of the V hull.

Not sure this makes me feel any better when there is less than 10' of water under the depth trasducer.