Sport fishermen are beginning to realise the many benefits of Volvo Penta IPS. Fast boats developed specially for deep sea sport fishing represent a very large market, particularly in the USA, with special focus on Florida.
Such boats are traditionally driven by diesel engines and a conventional straight shaft. In recent years large outboard engines in multi-installation configuration have also become increasingly common.
Volvo Penta IPS offers several advantages compared with both these alternatives:
The high efficiency of the IPS system results in very low fuel consumption and thus better range – which is particularly important for fishermen who want to remain out at sea for long periods of time.
IPS also provides superior manoeuvring, at low speeds with a joystick and when fishing with the new “sport fish mode”.
Follows the fish
The driver of a sport fishing boat hunting for large fish such as tuna or swordfish wants to be able to follow the fish so that the boat’s stern is always facing the fish. This avoids the risk of the line getting stuck in the boat. This type of boat always has two engines and the driver manoeuvres the vessel solely with the controls, the steering wheel is not used.
Volvo Penta IPS features individually steerable pods that are operated electrically. In “sport fish mode” the pods are directed outward to the very maximum. When the driver operates one engine forward and the other in reverse, the torque is many times as great as when the propellers face backwards (which they always do with conventional inboard engines).
“You need to experience ‘sport fish mode’ at first hand to appreciate just how effective it is. The driver can manoeuvre and turn a 40-foot boat weighing 10 tonnes as though it were a nimble little dingy. Fishermen who’ve tested this function were lyrical over it!” says Pelle Nestvall, project manager at Volvo Penta.
Pictures:
High resolution
Low resolution
For further information, please contact Ann-Charlotte Emegård, AB Volvo Penta,
phone: +46 (0)31 66 84 18, E-mail:
ann-charlotte.emegard@volvo.com
www.volvopenta.com
