Seven Marine and Volvo Penta Partnership

A Seven Marine and Volvo Penta Partnership means outboards with an IPS joystick and big boat features.

When Volvo Penta became the majority owner of Seven Marine in 2017, most boaters and industry insiders wondered what these two highly innovative companies would come up with. We’re seeing the results of their collaboration with Volvo’s drive technology coupled to Seven Marine’s powerful outboard engines. We’re at the precipice of the Seven Marine and Volvo Penta Partnership. Volvo Penta pioneered sterndrive technology in the 1950s and continues to produce high-performance Aquamatic Stern Drives today.

Coupling the same type of robust lower units from their stern drives to an outboard created the new Seven Marine 527 CR. This not only provides the power and efficiency of their DuoProp counter-rotating (CR) propellers but also creates outboards that use Volvo Penta’s EVC (Electronic Vessel Control) systems and joysticks. There are many benefits of this pairing and I was able to experience them firsthand during the Miami International Boat Show where Tiara introduced the new Seven Marine/Volvo Penta 527 CR outboard package on their Tiara Sport 38LS.

Tiara is an innovator of new technologies and has a long history with Volvo Penta. They worked closely together when the Volvo IPS debuted and the Tiara 38 Open was launched, one of the first IPS-powered boats in 2004. This ongoing collaboration demonstrates how popular IPS and Volvo’s EVC system with joystick control has become. One of the primary benefits of this new system is that the same joystick used on larger
inboard applications is now fully integrated into these outboards.

IPS

Anyone who has driven with an IPS can maneuver the outboards with the same precision and ease, including joystick driving and docking. The optional package on the Tiara also has Volvo’s Glass Cockpit helm (in partnership with Garmin), dynamic positioning, autopilot-joystick integration, and Easy Connect remote connectivity.

Robbie Massengill of Seven Marine demonstrated the benefits of this new system on a rainy, choppy day on Miami’s Biscayne Bay. The joystick moved the boat sideways straight off the dock and when he kicked the boat into forward gear, there was a slight shift noise that was more of a muffled echo than the loud gear clunk many outboards make. The lower units of these big outboards use an electronically controlled 90 ZF wet disc clutch and heavy-duty gears with a 2.55:1 gear ratio designed to handle the big torque needed to produce the thrust necessary to drive larger and heavier boats.

Big Boat Features

In a three-foot chop with winds gusting to 20, the 6.2-liter V8 outboards pushed the Tiara onto plane rapidly and once trimmed, sped easily through the waves. You can fully drive
the boat with the joystick, which felt strange at first. With the throttles set and the course set, it was easy to sit back and steer the boat using only the joystick with the ability to dodge an obstacle to either side and come back to your original heading. You can also reset the heading using the joystick, handy if currents play havoc with your direction.

Maneuvering the boat through turns with the joystick worked flawlessly despite my ingrained urge to grab the wheel. Another interesting benefit of the DuoProp outboards is
their ability to keep the boat on plane at slow speeds. Once on plane, the RPMs slowed and the boat kept on plane down to a speed of 15 mph (13 knots).

This is something many outboard-powered boats can’t do. They can run slow at displacement speeds and run fine once on plane. However, there’s a gap where they can’t really run at intermediate slow speeds. The added surface area of the DuoProps and their counter rotation reduces cavitation. This allows these engines to effectively drive the boat through a wider range of speeds.

DPS

As the boat idled and the dynamic positioning system (DPS) engaged, the big Sevens gently rumbled and held the boat in place. It was remarkable how well it worked in these adverse conditions. The conditions also showed how well the Seakeeper 3 stabilizer works. The boat remained comfortable even while locked on DPS in the open, windswept bay.

The Seven Marine 527 CR outboard demonstrates that combining two innovative companies like Volvo Penta and Seven Marine can lead to great things. “The combination
of Volvo Penta DuoProp technology and Seven Marine’s high-horsepower rating makes it possible to push larger and heavier boats more efficiently at all speeds,” says Massengill,
strategic account manager of Seven Marine. “The result is improved low-speed maneuvering and planing, faster time to plane, enhanced power, and improved fuel efficiency across speed ranges. Additionally, the DuoProps dramatically reduce cavitation, even when running in rough seas.”

By Arnie Hammerman, Southern Boating April 2019

Volvo Penta pairs their new D11 diesel engine with IPS950 pod drives for a perfect combination.

Green and clean may have a fuddy-duddy reputation to some people—good for the environment but some say not much fun—however, Volvo Penta is changing that with its new D11 725-hp diesel engine. When paired with the company’s new IPS950 pod drives, the robust powerplant is more fuel efficient and pollutes less.

The D11 engine’s innovative technology creates an optimized air and fuel pressure ratio, which increases combustion efficiency. After-cooling provides more engine power, and on the exhaust end it simply emits less particulate pollution. That’s because the new D11 engine must comply with the world’s most stringent environmental legislation, U.S. EPA Tier 3, which comes into force this year. The particulate emissions requirements are 40 percent lower when compared with the old Tier 2 levels.

“The IPS800 and 950 are matched with the new 625- and 725-horsepower D11 diesel engines, providing a perfect combination of torque, speed and maneuverability for 40- to 60-foot flybridge yachts and sports cruisers,” says Marcia Kull, Vice President, Marine Sales North America, Volvo Penta of the Americas. “The result is two new and reliable drive packages both with a unique high torque.”

At the 2013 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show last fall, the Tiara 50 Coupe was equipped with the D11-IPS950 package. In fact, the boat builder designed the 50 Coupe specifically to utilize the new engine. “Tiara has enjoyed a very successful engineering and working relationship with Volvo Penta from the beginning of the IPS system in 2005 in North America,” says David Glenn, marketing director for Tiara Yachts. Tiara was one of the first manufacturers to incorporate that entire IPS system in a boat, which was the 40 Sovereign at that time. “With the Tiara 50 we took the same approach,” Glenn continues. “We designed the hull around the D11 engine to take advantage of the higher fuel efficiency and the EPA ratings. The IPS950 drive line gives you less drag, and we positioned the engines and drives accordingly to take advantage of the CG (center of gravity) and loads. It runs well and is very nimble around the docks.” On the all-new Tiara 50, the technologically advanced D11-IPS950 power package in a twin application is matched to a successful ocean proven hull. This delivers a solid ride whether enjoying a calm day cruise or pushing the vessel to island getaways far offshore.

Cruisers Yachts is developing new 50- to 58-foot coupe and bridge models for 2015 utilizing the D11 engines and IPS950 drives. “We are closely tied with Volvo Penta on this project,” offers Jon Viestenz, Cruisers’ regional sales and product development manager. “It’s exciting and the engines and drives offer a wide range of performance options.”

Offered in three power classes—625, 670 and 725 horsepower—the D11 engines also provide more powerful torque, improved drivability and reduced noise levels compared to other engines in these horsepower classes. “The new D11 series is based on the latest technology within the Volvo Group, and has been optimized for marine use,” Kull adds. “The result is a compact, powerful engine series with new and improved basic design. In addition to a wider range of power classes, the in-line, six-cylinder diesel engines are enhanced with a large number of technical upgrades.”

The engines use the latest generation of the Volvo Penta electronic platform, the Electronic Vessel Control (EVC). The latest generation of EVC enables an additional number of features for increased security and control, and improved functionality.

“We have further enhanced our twin-entry turbo where each exhaust pulse maximizes charging pressure,” explains Thomas Lantz, Chief Product Manager at Volvo Penta. “This gives an extremely powerful torque already at low RPM. The engine responds instantly to operator commands and provides improved drivability with stronger acceleration.”

Pairing the D11 engine with the new IPS800 and 950 drive packages provides higher torque, better drivability and significantly less noise. With steerable drive units and double forward-facing propellers, the Volvo Penta IPS system provides about 30 percent lower fuel consumption and 20 percent higher top speed compared with traditional shaft installations.

Inside the IPS unit the mechanical compressor increases the charging pressure directly from low RPMs and creates an even more powerful low-speed torque. Together with the double forward-facing and counter-rotating propellers the boat operator enjoys an extremely good grip in the water. “The drive packages are more responsive to commands and together with the joystick control, the result is significantly improved maneuverability,” Lantz adds.

The D11 series and the new IPS models are based on the same installation dimensions as before, which could help reduce costs for boat builders. All fuel and oil filters, oil dipstick and oil filler are gathered in the back of the engine where they are easily accessible for servicing, which allows for easier maintenance. The IPS installation is delivered in a complete package from Volvo Penta. In comparison to a setup with shaft drives, the installation time is reduced by more than 50 percent.

By Don Minikus, Southern Boating February 2014

Tag: IPS