super termoli

I am just not sure that being able to swim around the drives is such an important factor when choosing hardware for a high-performance offshore boat.

If that is a major factor when purchasing a boat, then a beamy cruiser with conventional shaft drives will have a much deeper cockpit, guardrails, will have better access to water and generally be much safer for children with props completely out of the way.

I really think that whether you have #6 or ASD makes very little difference from that point of view when you have a set of sharp labbed cleavers in the back. Either way, you have to be extremely careful, educate your children about it and better still, put covers on when on anchor or rafting up for extended periods.

As for resale, things are changing slowly. It was the same when ASDs started being popular on large 60'+ express cruisers. People advocating conventional shaft drives looked down upon ASD and were advancing all sorts of arguments against them, including the docking one. At first, resale was difficult. However, nowadays it is a very well accepted system and actually commands a premium over conventional drives. Very few people looking for a fast cruiser today would disregard a boat because it is fitted with ASDs, quite the contrary actually.

Offshore powerboat market is notoriously conservative so the evolution is slower but we will get there. I remember people doubting the benefits of EFI not so long ago. Diesels are also increasingly popular. And so will the surface drives because they really make more sense in high-performance applications than in any other.

Comanche3Six

The Mercruiser drive without standoff boxes keeps the prop closer to the transom of the boat. The arneson drive appears to have the props out further from the transom. Shield or not, I would not dive off the transom when going for a swim. And one would have to negotiate the Arnesons when climbing back onto the swim platform. Perhaps this alarms some cautious people. They are a great drive, fast durable racy looking.

Lofty

Bravo or Arneson!?!?! This has got to be a joke.

KNOT-RIGHT

Fred is this where the line starts?



Gerry

KNOT-RIGHT

Dude start a poll Alpha,s or Arnesons.

What should I order on my new 55 MTI?

Lofty

I can't believe you guys are so concerned about people diving off the back of your PERFORMANCE boat. Personally I don't let anyone dive off the back of my boat ever.

Six's are cubic dollars Arnesons are not. Six's fail more than Arnesons. Don't neglect the oil pump in a Six!!! Arnesons have some real performance enhancements for most hulls.

I don't know how much different the price of SSMVI boat would be to a comparably rigged Arneson boat.

I would say the up side on Arnesons outweighs any swimming/recreational disadvantages.

Again we are talking performance boat!

Lofty

I have heard from many fisherman that the ASD6 isn't well suited for trolling and tends to snag their lines.

rockit man

I used the ASD 6 on our prototype boat and they were great.Could not break them . I tried them on a notched transome and without the notch all was fine either way. WE could run at 115 mph in 3-4 ft seas without any challanges. We had to work on our step system as we had a vacume to overcome which we have on the new production boat which caused some handling challanges over 100 mph on the proto type boat. Rick was great on helping us with the setup and would use them again . By the way I have the ASD 6 setup for sale in the classified section these are the pair we used for testing and are like new.

Thanks Wayne
Liquid Technologies,LLC

KNOT-RIGHT

What drive should I use?

customryder

People are just afraid of change good or bad..the Arneson on my Nor-Tech is a FAR smother ride that on a Bravo or 6 drive.. I don't see how people put up with that porpoise & think its all right... silly....I have been beside other Nor techs between 60-80 (where you spend most of the time) they look like they porpoise bad.... The Arney's are faster, smoother, stronger...the only thing in the water is the skag & 1\2 prop less drag. no big torpedo to drag in the water + it takes less power to turn the prop... wake up America!