Catamaran's with/without Center-Pods.....
 

Whats the purpose of a Center Pod on a Catamaran's bottom?
It sounds like some OSO members aren't big fans of the Pods, and others love them.. and I was curious as to why they are on the cat's bottom.....

I've noticed Eliminator/DCB use the pods,,, and Skater,MTI ,Spectre, NorTech, etc... do not have them....Just wondering why the Pods are there??
ANYONE KNOW..???....

Any information would help,, and PICS are always nice too..!!

Thanku OSO members....!!!!!:drink::drink:

The majority of the "true cats" (aka - without pods) will "hop" between 50 and 80 MPH. The cats WITH pods do not "hop" at any speed.

However, the true cats are much better in rough water, or so they tell me.

I own a Spectre 30 with twin 300XS outboards and mine will "hop" between 55 and 75 MPH if I don't use the tunnel tab or if it's calm out. No big deal, just accelerate thru it or slow down. Runs awesome in rougher water.

I'm sure others will add more.

Mike

That pretty much sums it up.

PR, empress us and use the search function next time. ;)

Use the search button. CMON ALREADY.

I have a 25 Talon with a center pod. I boat on a 50,000 acre lake that can get rough at times. My boat will handle up to 3 footers if I can get on top of them. A 21 Skater with no center pod can hang with me in the same water. I know that my cat with my driving ability is limited.
The plus' of a center pod cat is it will turn on a dime at speed "IF" you know what your doing as far as the attitude of the boat and it will hop a little if I'm loaded with fuel (80 gallons or more) on flat water. The cat likes a little chop to free up the hull. Hope this answers your questions. Bob

Anyone have bottom pics of a Cat with a center pod?

Im intersted in this as well, and a pic to do a comparison between the two may help to answer numerous question for our inquiring minds

Thanks Bob and Mike... That cleared it up for me.. both great points!! Sounds like a Center Pod isnt so bad if it keeps the boat from "hopping" at lower speeds,, but sounds like most arent fans of the pods....

why are "true cats" better in rougher water??? does the pod limit something there..???

I know I know,, i should probably just click "search", but its OSO talk....:drink:

Or even try using your brain a little, you might even answer your own question.

Offshore go to the classifieds and look at the Talon, Eliminator and DCB to name a few. View the picks and take a look.

did'nt Peter explain all that to you at your Lunch meeting???
mmmmmm SKATER = NO POD & winning races :ernaehrung004:

here is one with a pod

OMFG :lolhit:

What in the world is that ???... Looks like a spaceship ??

Is that a boat??... not exactly the pod pics we were hoping for....

Anyone got an Elim or DCB pic plz... LOL:drink:

Why don't you stop making all these threads and just make one that you can "TTT" all day. Name it " B0aT P1cs plzplzplz". It'd save all of us the job of sorting through your bs. This is the problem with my generation, and even more so, yours. You're straight up LAZY. You can use the search button, but you choose not to. You'd rather everyone else bring the information and pictures to you. All you have to do is click on the DCB owners section and click on any topic to get a picture of the bottom. Same with Eliminator.... actually surprised you didn't ask peter any of these questions. I still don't believe you spoke to peter for hours. Maybe you can ask "FISHINROD"? He's a member on here. You answered his questions on cats vs v-hulls didnt you? Oh wait, FISHINROD has the same IP as you. What's that about? Multiple Personality Disorder? That'd make a lot of sense.:gfight:

:poopoo: u did it now !!!!! :bigbird: just wait till he crawls back in his High chair after a diaper change & a fresh Juice Box :eek::lolhit:

Thats hilarious

Center pod cats were created after PowerCat Boats added a third "hull" to their line back in about 1960 to allow for a single engine in the center rather than duals. This has always been the reason why center pod cats exist....to allow for single engine propulsion. The pod will "protect" a center engine. The drawback is less airflow in the tunnel and therefore less lift which translates into lower speed at a specific wgt/hp. A center engine will also "trip" a cat when re-entering after being airborne at a high attack angle. The pod will also cause a bit of this alone, but without the severity. Since most West Coast cats are derivatives of each other, what you have is basic copying going on . So if one west coast cat has a pod...most of the rest do as well.

Bottom line, the pod cats have never been as competitive as non pod designs. This has often been disguised by putting huge HP in them to make up for the speed disadvantage and thereby proving the adage "if you put enough hp on a barge it will go fast".

One other thing is that the pod boats do not lope (porpoise) as much as the true cats because they do not have as much air beneath them to have a true transition from hydrodynamic lift to aerodynamic lift. They are more like a vee bottom with pontoons in that regard.

Conclusion:.....Buy a Skater

T2x

Come on Bill.. It wasnt Peter , it was Ronald McDonald ..

Pics...
 

DCB with Pod...

http://www.offshoreonly.com/gallery/...e=18541&size=1

Skater with no Pod...

http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...es/37056_4.jpg

how silly of me :lolhit:

Conclusion:.....Buy a Skater

T2x[/QUOTE]

Thats all that needs to be said!

Great,, Great pics LESSONLEARNED....

Perfect Example..... Both Amazing Boats.....
DCB / Skater

THANKU...!!!!!!!:drink:

WOW,,, the DCB and Skater are alot different looking than I thought w/ that DCB center pod....

GREAT EXAMPLE N PICS... THANKU!

Conclusion:.....Buy a Skater

T2x


Or an American Offshore

Or a Doug Wright

Or a Jaguar

Or a Motion

Or an MTI

Or a Nor-Tech

Or an Ocean Express

Or an Outerlimits

Or a Platinum

Or a Spectre

...something... anything... and... run it....

[QUOTE=Quinlan;3328420]Conclusion:.....Buy a Skater


I take exception to that. Buy a center pod if you boat on lakes and rivers most of the time and want a cabin of any size. You can also go in some ocean swells and spend the night or get out of the rain and go down below with the lady of the boat.

Centerpods are not simply a mistake by westcoast builders. They give better low speed manners to the boats. They plane at lower speeds, turn better at lower speeds, have less tendency for hop. They are certainly not an asset for offshore performance, but they were never designed to be that. They were designed to be more fun to operate in lakes and rivers. Take a ride in mine during a very rough poker run and you will get out with out bruised legs and shoulders. Quinlan, Cat, Tx2 come take a ride in my DCB.

hey C'mon Eric what about me ??? I owned an ELIMINATOR once :eek::drink:

LMFAO, I just about pissed myself! :drink:



The man that would know summed it up well. :ernaehrung004:

I would agree the pod boats do have a place on lakes and rivers, but this is OFFSHORE ONLY isn't it??? :grinser010:





PeckerPuller, if you want to actually LEARN something rather than looking at pictures, playing with your toy boats, and coloring books, go read T2x's "Great Moments in Cat History" thread. You might actually learn a thing or two. ;)

Or maybe not...

I guess it is Offshoreonly, but why do Skaters show up at Lake Cumberland? Bill you are welcome to take a ride or come and drive. Hopefully will take it to Kentucky Lake for the fun run. You've got to make the Lake Cumberland run this year.

Actually my tunnel is as deep as a 32 skater with a 1.5" pod.

Because they can, but there's a reason you dont see the west coast pod boats out on the ocean! :eek:




Just razzin ya, nice looking 34! :cool:

My 32 Skater with Arneson planes at 12 to 18 mph or 1200-1400 rpm and will stay on plane at 25 mph at 1500 rpm.

My 32 Skater with Arneson planes at 12 to 18 mph or 1200-1400 rpm and will stay on plane at 25 mph at 1500 rpm.

How much faster can a center pod plane?

T2X summed it up 100% as far as handling and performance goes.

There is no doubt that from my experience between running our 377 Talon with pod and our friends 36' Skater's that they are really two separate animals as far as ride and handling.
In my opinion the Pod cats are far more forgiving "driver skill wise" than the Skaters .
But in the right hands the Skater will out turn a pod cat 3 to 1 ,it is like she is on rails.But with that being said in the wrong hands or when pushed to far will spin you out like a top.
Not that a stepped pod Cat cant spin out, but not near as easy from my experience when in less experienced hands.
On our Bay when its gets a bit over 2 1/2' or 3'rs we cant comfortably run with the Skaters even though we have 700 or more hp ,it doesn't matter in the snot..
Beats you to death as well as having plug ins "engines far aft" she is very stern heavy and dangerously bow high over rouge waves at any speed while on plane..

Our pod rigs do have a place in my opinion.Considerably faster than most any deep V rigs power to power wise. Flatter smoother ride than most comparably sized deep V,s.From plane speeds of 40mph + to what ever your comfort level speeds are.
However that is in the "predictable" smoother water only.
They also have a great ride and never porpoise like the true cats generally do on their way to packing air..And that can be up until the 80 to 100mph depending on size of coarse...

When I have it to do all over again, it will be a 40' Skater.

I don't think my Talon will plane any faster. It will stay on plan at 25 also. My next cat will be a 30-32 true tunnel. That being said I still love my Talon!

I knew I liked you
 

All this time I knew there was something about you I really liked, even with all that Skater Nation, Skater Country or Skater City or whatever all that stuff is on your posts. You were once part of the Leach family Eliminator owners club. You have good solid roots!:hitfan:

By the way, I am sitting on the top floor of the Shore Club in Miami wishing I had a Skater right now. Nice water out my balcony, but a little rough!

Your Boat?
 

The man that would know summed it up well. :ernaehrung004:

I would agree the pod boats do have a place on lakes and rivers, but this is OFFSHORE ONLY isn't it??? :grinser010:





PeckerPuller, if you want to actually LEARN something rather than looking at pictures, playing with your toy boats, and coloring books, go read T2x's "Great Moments in Cat History" thread. You might actually learn a thing or two. ;)

Or maybe not...[/QUOTE]

And what boat do you have? Pictures please.

thnx Eric & will se ya'll soon we have both Kentucky runs penciled in on the TO DO LIST :ernaehrung004:

You have good solid roots:eek:
I was very impressed by the Gel coat,the Mira loma factory,& their workmanship, but not the same ride as the Skater ... your new boat looks awesome but if you'd taken a ride in a Skater i dont think you'd be posting the same pics . The SKATER is on rails , it only took 1 ride and we wrote the check :drink: