TommyMcK
Jetboaters Lieutenant
- Messages
- 168
- Reaction score
- 372
- Points
- 162
- Location
- SW Florida / Middle Chesapeake
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2023
- Boat Model
- Wake
- Boat Length
- 22
I didn't see many first hand accounts of the DRiVE system from actual owners, so figured I'd provide my impressions after 3 months of usage.
I have the 222XD, so it has both the "Yamaha Drive Control" and DRiVE. My understanding is that the Yamaha Drive Control is just the throttle by wire, and the full DRiVE system combines that with the paddle throttle controls and the steering servo remapping for docking.
The part of it that I find the most useful is the single throttle mode. 95% of the time, you don't need differential thrust, and it's just more convenient to have the engines synch'd while tooling around. That's available with just the Yamaha Drive Control though, so wouldn't be a reason to spend the extra money on DRiVE.
It's probably obvious to most, but just in case, you don't have a differential thrust option with DRiVE engaged (e.g. starboard forward, port reverse). The paddles either put both sides in forward or reverse. I've had an AR230 for 20 years, and there aren't that many times where I really needed differential thrust, so not a big deal, but when conditions call for it, it's useful to have. You still have that option, but you need to disengage the paddles to get it.
In general operation, the throttle by wire and steering by wire work well while underway. The steering motor is noisy but I don't find it objectionable.
As to how DRiVE works for docking? Well, I'm underwhelmed. The paddle control mapping is a bit funky for my tastes. The non-linearity can encourage abruptness of control sometimes. You can train your brain, but you have more fine control with the throttle lever. Most (or many at least) docking maneuvers require blips of thrust rather than continuous thrust, so the spring loaded paddles are nice from that perspective, returning you to zero thrust when you let go. But the downside of that is that when you let go, the buckets return to neutral. There are a bunch of times though when it's more appropriate to have the buckets in forward, but the engine at idle. Gives you just the right amount of control authority depending on conditions. That's not really an option with Drive.
My final observation is that while the steering re-mapping associated with DRiVE mode is a great idea, even with that, the wheel has enough travel in it that you can get confused as to what paddle is forward and which is reverse with the wheel hard over.
I've come to the conclusion that I prefer the old-fashioned throttle for docking. Having said all of that, DRiVE definitely works, and some folks might find it an improvement over traditional controls.
I'm very happy with the boat. There weren't any 222XEs available anywhere when I picked my XD up, so it wasn't an option for me. And the cost delta wasn't that much anyway, so I'd probably still have gone with the XD for the uniqueness of it anyway. But if people are trying to choose between the 222XE and 222XD, the extra few $K associated with DRiVE is worth thinking about.
I have the 222XD, so it has both the "Yamaha Drive Control" and DRiVE. My understanding is that the Yamaha Drive Control is just the throttle by wire, and the full DRiVE system combines that with the paddle throttle controls and the steering servo remapping for docking.
The part of it that I find the most useful is the single throttle mode. 95% of the time, you don't need differential thrust, and it's just more convenient to have the engines synch'd while tooling around. That's available with just the Yamaha Drive Control though, so wouldn't be a reason to spend the extra money on DRiVE.
It's probably obvious to most, but just in case, you don't have a differential thrust option with DRiVE engaged (e.g. starboard forward, port reverse). The paddles either put both sides in forward or reverse. I've had an AR230 for 20 years, and there aren't that many times where I really needed differential thrust, so not a big deal, but when conditions call for it, it's useful to have. You still have that option, but you need to disengage the paddles to get it.
In general operation, the throttle by wire and steering by wire work well while underway. The steering motor is noisy but I don't find it objectionable.
As to how DRiVE works for docking? Well, I'm underwhelmed. The paddle control mapping is a bit funky for my tastes. The non-linearity can encourage abruptness of control sometimes. You can train your brain, but you have more fine control with the throttle lever. Most (or many at least) docking maneuvers require blips of thrust rather than continuous thrust, so the spring loaded paddles are nice from that perspective, returning you to zero thrust when you let go. But the downside of that is that when you let go, the buckets return to neutral. There are a bunch of times though when it's more appropriate to have the buckets in forward, but the engine at idle. Gives you just the right amount of control authority depending on conditions. That's not really an option with Drive.
My final observation is that while the steering re-mapping associated with DRiVE mode is a great idea, even with that, the wheel has enough travel in it that you can get confused as to what paddle is forward and which is reverse with the wheel hard over.
I've come to the conclusion that I prefer the old-fashioned throttle for docking. Having said all of that, DRiVE definitely works, and some folks might find it an improvement over traditional controls.
I'm very happy with the boat. There weren't any 222XEs available anywhere when I picked my XD up, so it wasn't an option for me. And the cost delta wasn't that much anyway, so I'd probably still have gone with the XD for the uniqueness of it anyway. But if people are trying to choose between the 222XE and 222XD, the extra few $K associated with DRiVE is worth thinking about.
