Shafts strike back in the war against pods

by Mark Rothfield on 16 Nov 2013 When Maritimo inserted pods into the 440 Offshore a few years ago there was a lingering sentiment that the procreation was one of convenience, a one-night stand more than a marriage made in heaven.

The divorce came around two years later with the release of the M45 Motoryacht – same hull, only this time optioned with the shaft drives so cherished by Maritimo patriarch Bill Barry-Cotter.

In some hulls, pods have been known to completely transform the performance. Here it’s the other way around, with shaft drive yielding a distinct improvement in personality, athleticism and attitude in the M45.
I jumped aboard recently for a quick coastal run on a day borrowed from the brochure. Blue seas ruffled by a slight tailwind, swells well-spaced, whales breaching in the distance.

The Cummins diesels were purring at around 2800 rpm, lapping 118 litres/hr in total as we ran at a sweet 21 knots. But with a clear runway between the waiting coal ships and jutting headlands there was no need to spare the QSB5.9s’ 480 horses.

We bumped the throttles and our speed built to 25 knots for 3000rpm and 85% engine load, still acceptable for long-distance cruising.

The longer our journey, the more there was to like about this boat. Cocooned from the morning chill by the enclosed bridge, which is really a second saloon, I kicked back in the saddle and steered with a socked foot instead of bothering with the autopilot.

Pre-conceived notions about the 45’s motion, given the obvious bulk above waterline, dispersed in the wake. Aided by full fuel tanks, the aft chines sat low and magically dampened the rolling moment.
Where the 440 was a big boat writ small, the 45 is more like a small boat writ big. The bridge, cockpit and saloon are all said to be larger than on the original M48.

We eventually reeled in the 45 nautical miles from Newcastle to Pittwater in under two hours. Having made the trip countless times I can’t recall a more pleasurable one.

In averaging 25 knots on the delivery run the M45 hovered around the magical gallon per nautical mile – figures formerly associated with boats around 35-feet long … and boating editor’s beer consumption.
While there’s only marginal fuel difference between pods and shafts at lower revs, around the cruising mark of 3000rpm the shaft boat has a range advantage.

It gets interesting once you start wringing the throttles, with Maritimo’s data for the 435hp Volvos and 480hp Cummins showing top speeds of 29.7 knots and 29.5 knots respectively – but the pods are burning some 30 fewer litres at WOT.
Purchase price-wise there’s nothing in it either. Maritimo has pegged this enormous 45-footer at under the million mark – just.

With the 440 now axed from the range, it would only be the most ardent pod lover who’d overlook the shaft in this example. The empire strikes back ...