Video Description of Yamaha's Articulating Keel

[Bruce]

Yamaha's Mike Ricciardi Walks Through The New Articulating Boat Keel
Yamaha's 2015 boat line includes a ground-up redesign of the industry’s top selling 24-foot models and the introduction of the boating industry’s first Articulating Keel that enhances handling at all speeds. Take a closer look at this new innovation with Yamaha's Product Planning Manager Mike Ricciardi.

 

[ptwb]

It's called a Rudder !!!!

rud·der
noun \ˈrə-dər\
: a flat, movable piece usually of wood or metal that is attached to a ship, boat, airplane, etc., and is used in steering

 

[Gym]

I love how they demonstrate it at full speed, where it's not needed rather than at slow speed where it is needed.

 

[TxChristopher]

Yeah but rudder sounds all boring and bland . . . articulating keel sounds uber cool and high tech!

 

[Julian]

Gotta love the marketing guys! It isn't a used car.....its a Pre-Owned vehicle! In this case they made up a whole new term to call a rudder an articulating keel....but everyone knows what it is....

Would love to see some overhead slow speed turning shots (they could hire @Ronnie and his quad copter!), and some no wake mode straight line tracking....

 

[ScarabMike]

http://www.boattest.com/boats/boat_video.aspx?ID=3211

 

[HawkTX]

Wonder how that compares to the thrush vectors?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I get a real kick out of that , I patented a rudder system attached to the nozzle with tie rods way back when, I even offset the axis for power steering and incorporated adjustments for increased or decreased influence.
All without changing the hull design.
I mounted the rudders on the back of the boat away from the center keel so it would not make contact with the ground, etc. " that new rudder looks awfully ominous". The tie rod system I built worked great but it was not cost effective for potential customers and retrofitting it to boats required drilling holes in the hull to mount the rudders so I went with the rudders that utilized the nozzles to make the system cost effective and easy to install.
I will say I am very surprised that they chose this way of accomplishing what has already been done .
It is also similar to the other rudder attachment that someone patented with a few exceptions.
And that system works but again it has a cost factor and holes in the hull etc.
I still own the patents 6561858 and 6702630 And there are some killer nozzle designs that some of the new jet boat companies should look at, Why reinvent the wheel? And change the body to
get it to fit. Edsel comes to mind ! Time will tell but I see it not as a jet boat but a boat that is propelled by jets.

 

[OrangeTJ]

I think what they are going for on the 242 and 240 are boats propelled by jets and not necessarily "jet boats". Personally, I think that is a smart move. It broadens the appeal of the product.

 

[jdonalds]

I'm with you Jeff. While we went finless this year and I really don't see the need for fins, I think the Cobra or Vectors are better choices than what Yamaha came up with. My major concern is backing up to a beach.

I think the new design shown in the video will make the boat track much better at high speed (not sure there is a problem here that needs a fix though) or even those long 5mph zones, but I think it is the new keel that will have the biggest effect rather than the rudder. I don't think it will help much for docking where there just isn't much water passing by the rudder to make much difference. It's those long no wake zones where the fins or a rudder really shine. Fortunately for us we don't have any of those long zones on our lake.

I do think it will sell well though. There are lots of people who don't back up to a beach like I do. I usually shut the engines off and drift back until the boat touches the bottom. I certainly wouldn't do that with the new rudder. The other thing I do is pull the boat to the shore with the Anchor Buddy allowing me to pull it in. Again I bring the boat in far enough so adults as well as kids can step onto or off the boat. In either case the fins or a rudder are a liability.

 

[Ronnie]

Would love to see some overhead slow speed turning shots (they could hire @Ronnie and his quad copter!), and some no wake mode straight line tracking....

They wouldn't need to hire me which would violate one of the few laws governing "drone" use, I would take the video and provide the raw footage for free (well maybe for a chance to test drive a 2015 240 or 242) so long as I could post I here as well. I'm starting to wonder if the new keel will love up to the hype or if it will me up like seadoos air suspension for pwcs (I.e., introduced one year and discontinued the next). Not likely with the keel itself but possibly with the rudder (which looks like it has less surface area than cobras or thrust vectors).

 

[JetBoatPilot]

We are buying a 2015 AR240 and will be filming the comparison between Thrust Vectors andthe articulating keel. We will post the results when they are in. I am looking forward to driving one. They say it has rack and pinion steering so the little resistance that you feel at high speeds has been eliminated.

 

[OrangeTJ]

It also sounds like the new model has 1.5 turns lock-to-lock vs. 3/4 turn. More mechanical advantage = less sensation of resistance at the helm. Also less aggressive steering, of course.

 

[Pointblank]

We are buying a 2015 AR240 and will be filming the comparison between Thrust Vectors andthe articulating keel. We will post the results when they are in. I am looking forward to driving one. They say it has rack and pinion steering so the little resistance that you feel at high speeds has been eliminated.

Is there any reason the Thrust Vectors couldn't be mated to the 2015 to give it the best of both?

Looking forward to your vids @JetBoatPilot

 

[JetBoatPilot]

I think the linkage that connects the rudder to the nozzle will interfere with the Thrust Vectors as they are. We'd have to do something pretty radical in the design to integrate them with the articulating keel. What we'll likely do is take the rudder off if a customer wants the Thrust Vectors on a 2015 24 footer. As we learn more we will post here first.

 

[biglar155]

I'm not a fan of the rudder. It just looks cheap and cheesy.

Here's a thought: Who among us hasn't sucked up a rope? (TBO, I haven't yet, but haven't done much skiing / tubing relative to many folks here. I'm sure my day is coming.) And what if that rope happens to get snagged on that rudder as it's being sucked up? Hmmmmm.... Probably not going to go well.

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC - I got a chuckle out of your comparison to the Edsel. Almost feels that way with this one...

 

[Lspeedss]

@biglar155 .. Amen..cheesy...I do not have a problem with the way my Yamaha handles.. In fact I can do things with it I could not do with an I/o...I prefer my jet boat characteristics... Its a blast..
Steve

 

[jdonalds]

I think the linkage that connects the rudder to the nozzle will interfere with the Thrust Vectors as they are. We'd have to do something pretty radical in the design to integrate them with the articulating keel. What we'll likely do is take the rudder off if a customer wants the Thrust Vectors on a 2015 24 footer. As we learn more we will post here first.

That sounds like a good move Will, to remove the rudder. I think the design is a mistake, but at the same time I think it will appeal to people and sell well. I don't like it because it would hinder my practice of backing up to a beach until my boat touches bottom (engine long off by that time).

 

[JetBoatPilot]

We live in a coastal region so beaching the boat does not work well for us, due to the tide coming and going. With that said the rudder does add a point of concern for guys that are anchoring around rocks and stumps. If a boat comes by throwing a big wake while you're at anchor and the boat is sitting shallow the rudder could be damaged during the rocking.

One area of concern that Yamaha engineers did not think about is the exposure of the connecting rod to submerged objects while in reverse. We've had customers hit things in reverse and since the Thrust Vectors are designed to be sacrificial in an impact situation the nozzle was saved. If the connecting rod takes a direct hit I would think the starboard deflector nozzle would be the first thing to break or the steering cable would get bent.

 

[biglar155]

...One area of concern that Yamaha engineers did not think about is the exposure of the connecting rod to submerged objects while in reverse. ...

Yeah, that's another good point.

I know I sound like an "old guy" who doesn't like new things, but I just think those rudders are going to be trouble. I'll bet a lot of them will be removed and/or broken off within the first two seasons.