Volvo Penta Tow Mode

[BobRae99]

Hi All,

I'm considering options for a new R3 (Its boat show time this weekend). Does anyone have this feature on a newer boat? I'm trying to understand if tow mode gives you a number of acceleration "profiles" to the selected maximum rpm or you still do that part manually and then the system maintains the select rpm through turns and tugs on the line.

My 2016 Sea Dpp RXT does both and it makes it simple to pull up slalom skiers of different weights. I enter the max speed and the "ramp up" profile and then just pin the throttle and the watercraft does the rest.

Thanks,

Bob

[tgrace98]

Hi All,

I'm considering options for a new R3 (Its boat show time this weekend). Does anyone have this feature on a newer boat? I'm trying to understand if tow mode gives you a number of acceleration "profiles" to the selected maximum rpm or you still do that part manually and then the system maintains the select rpm through turns and tugs on the line.

My 2016 Sea Dpp RXT does both and it makes it simple to pull up slalom skiers of different weights. I enter the max speed and the "ramp up" profile and then just pin the throttle and the watercraft does the rest.

Thanks,

Bob

So I have not taken ownership of mine yet. So I cannot comment. But from what my understanding is. Any R-series with EVC has this. Essentially it is like cruise control on a car. You just set the speed you want to tow at. And no matter how you turn or what not. The boat will auto adjust the throttle to maintain that speed. And trim the motor as well.

[BobRae99]

Hi All,

I'm considering options for a new R3 (Its boat show time this weekend). Does anyone have this feature on a newer boat? I'm trying to understand if tow mode gives you a number of acceleration "profiles" to the selected maximum rpm or you still do that part manually and then the system maintains the select rpm through turns and tugs on the line.

My 2016 Sea Dpp RXT does both and it makes it simple to pull up slalom skiers of different weights. I enter the max speed and the "ramp up" profile and then just pin the throttle and the watercraft does the rest.

Thanks,

Bob

So I have not taken ownership of mine yet. So I cannot comment. But from what my understanding is. Any R-series with EVC has this. Essentially it is like cruise control on a car. You just set the speed you want to tow at. And no matter how you turn or what not. The boat will auto adjust the throttle to maintain that speed. And trim the motor as well.

That is what I thought, but I wonder what the option is on the R3 build site? Also, I can't find anything on how the skier is pulled out of the water. I notice with the "Zero Off" option, the users manual doesn't mention anything about having profiles to pull the skier out of the water, just profiles for skier preference like speed, jump speed, slalom speed, etc.

I suspect the Tow Mode option is the same.

[tbully]

When I push "Tow Mode" on the EVC controller, I get something along the lines of "option not installed". However, I do have "Cruise Mode" which works as explained above. I'm not sure of the difference. It wasn't that important to me when I purchased so I left it off.

To complicate things, I think there's a Zero-Off type of cruise option as well. That was explained to me as more of a ski/wake/surf boat feature that is GPS based. (And I would have lost my second glass panel.)

Interested in others' experiences/knowledge as well....

[akorcovelos]

No input on Volvo's version, but pretty much all modern water sport cruise control systems allow for rider profiles, and usually let you select between GPS and speed over water modes to account for current when riding on rivers where GPS speed doesn't reflect water speed for the rider. Standard cruise control is different, and as mentioned is just like a car.

[NautiGirl]

We pulled some "serious" skiers behind our 222 last year. I put serious in quotes because their prime water ski days were around 20 years ago. They grew up skiing behind a dedicated ski boat think a Malibu. Anyway, the 222 got them out of the water no problem, but the first words out of their mouth when they got back into the boat was my God that wake sucks.

If you are pulling people that are taking slalom seriously enough that they need to be pulled at a speed dependent on their weight you may want to look into a ski boat not an R3 runabout. If the R3 comes /w tow mode it could be fun, but I don't think I would pay extra for it.

Just my 2 cents (3 cents Canadian) that you didn't ask for.

[Big Block Power]

My 4 Canadian cents.
I agree it's nice if it had it but I wouldn't miss it if it didn't. I wouldn't pay extra for it either. But if your ordering a new r3 get a 430 with cc and Dreamsicle and tow mode. Resale will be really good just ask sailor

[BobRae99]

We pulled some "serious" skiers behind our 222 last year. I put serious in quotes because their prime water ski days were around 20 years ago. They grew up skiing behind a dedicated ski boat think a Malibu. Anyway, the 222 got them out of the water no problem, but the first words out of their mouth when they got back into the boat was my God that wake sucks.

If you are pulling people that are taking slalom seriously enough that they need to be pulled at a speed dependent on their weight you may want to look into a ski boat not an R3 runabout. If the R3 comes /w tow mode it could be fun, but I don't think I would pay extra for it.

Just my 2 cents (3 cents Canadian) that you didn't ask for.

I just came home from the boat show, after spending some time with the Cobalt rep. There are no profiles for pulling skiers up. Also, the evc control base has the buttons but unless you buy the tow mode option they don’t function.

I also learned that the evc throttle control has a much different feel than the non evc setup I have. It has less friction and it is very easy to make micro adjustments. I don’t think I’d need the tow mode feature.

[BobRae99]

My 4 Canadian cents.
I agree it's nice if it had it but I wouldn't miss it if it didn't. I wouldn't pay extra for it either. But if your ordering a new r3 get a 430 with cc and Dreamsicle and tow mode. Resale will be really good just ask sailor

I now have the prop charts for the 2019 R3. The VP DP numbers are: 300/50/2.7, 350/54/3.0, 380/55/3.1, 430/59/3.6 (HP/top speed/time to plane).

So, for towing, unless you have a oat loaded with adults, the 300 gets on plane quickest with the lowest top speed. The 350 or 380 are the sweet spot engines with almost identical performance. The 430 is obviously geared for top speed because it gets out of the water the slowest but tops out the highest at 6,000 rpm. I don’t think anyone would be running their 430 at 6,000 rpm for long though.

I guess everyone uses their boat differently. I think if you want to motor at 60 mph, you really want a different kind of boat - one that tops out at 70, so you can cruise at 60.

Cobalts aren’t really high speed boats in that sense. They are heavy and solid and geared to 35 - 40 mph running and lower speed water sports.

The Cobalt rep said the 300 is more than adequate to move the boat and he’d choose the 350 if I tend to boat with a full load of adults. The 380 and 430 variants are mostly combined with the forward drives for the wake series boats. The sell very few R3 stern drives with those engines (as I suspected).

[Big Block Power]

Great stuff. I think everytime we did watersports we had a full tank and stuff and 8 people at least on board. Give me power baby. You take your 300 or 350 ill take the 430.lol
2 drivers and lake conditions and current will make all of those numbers useless.
That's why they have choices. Everyone is diff. So still order me up that Dreamsicle.

[NautiGirl]

My 4 Canadian cents.
I agree it's nice if it had it but I wouldn't miss it if it didn't. I wouldn't pay extra for it either. But if your ordering a new r3 get a 430 with cc and Dreamsicle and tow mode. Resale will be really good just ask sailor

I now have the prop charts for the 2019 R3. The VP DP numbers are: 300/50/2.7, 350/54/3.0, 380/55/3.1, 430/59/3.6 (HP/top speed/time to plane).


The Cobalt rep said the 300 is more than adequate to move the boat and he’d choose the 350 if I tend to boat with a full load of adults. The 380 and 430 variants are mostly combined with the forward drives for the wake series boats. The sell very few R3 stern drives with those engines (as I suspected).

Who wants to be just adequate lol. Those numbers are a bit surprising, I would have thought the 350 and 300hp would have been much closer on time to plane since they are both 5.3 blocks. Cant be a weight thing - has to be prop selection.

I get Cobalts are not made for top speed, we run WOT once or twice a weekend and hit 51 or 52. I would still spec the 380 just to get the 6.2 block - and the lower RPM's at cruise. But as BBP said thats why they have choices.

Think I mentioned it last time we had this debate, but our factory tour guide gave me the same line about the 300 and 350 engines being adequate. I said "yeah but what do you have in your boat?" He grinned and said a 6.2

[BobRae99]

My 4 Canadian cents.
I agree it's nice if it had it but I wouldn't miss it if it didn't. I wouldn't pay extra for it either. But if your ordering a new r3 get a 430 with cc and Dreamsicle and tow mode. Resale will be really good just ask sailor

I now have the prop charts for the 2019 R3. The VP DP numbers are: 300/50/2.7, 350/54/3.0, 380/55/3.1, 430/59/3.6 (HP/top speed/time to plane).


The Cobalt rep said the 300 is more than adequate to move the boat and he’d choose the 350 if I tend to boat with a full load of adults. The 380 and 430 variants are mostly combined with the forward drives for the wake series boats. The sell very few R3 stern drives with those engines (as I suspected).

Who wants to be just adequate lol. Those numbers are a bit surprising, I would have thought the 350 and 300hp would have been much closer on time to plane since they are both 5.3 blocks. Cant be a weight thing - has to be prop selection.

I get Cobalts are not made for top speed, we run WOT once or twice a weekend and hit 51 or 52. I would still spec the 380 just to get the 6.2 block - and the lower RPM's at cruise. But as BBP said thats why they have choices.

Think I mentioned it last time we had this debate, but our factory tour guide gave me the same line about the 300 and 350 engines being adequate. I said "yeah but what do you have in your boat?" He grinned and said a 6.2

I guess the short answer is I can't afford a new R3 with a 380 or 430. So I look to the performance I can afford in a new Cobalt R3. If the 300 or 350 engines didn't give the R3 excellent time to plane and cruising speeds, I'd just not buy the boat. Everyone has different expectations and budgets. I'm not considering moving from a 210 (V6/280) to an R3 because I find my 210 too slow or not fast enough getting on plane. I'm considering an R3 for the deeper hull for the choppy large lake I boat on, more interior space and I'll admit, the glass cockpit and EVC systems are cool. I could buy a 15 year old boat though and re-power it with a VP 430, but I'd be missing all of the improvements in design and layout Cobalt has brought to the market in the last several years as opposed to what was on offer 15 years ago. I guess that is where my priorities lie. I'm happy for those here who can have both (new boat and 430 HP), but I'm not one of them.

PS the 300 was tested with FH5, the 350 with FH6, 380 and 430 with FH6.

[tgrace98]

Most r3s I’ve seen on the used market has the 300hp 5.3 so I don’t think you will get hurt on resale. I see it is about a 12k bump to go to the 380. So about 9 after discount. But you also are in Canada and have to pay the import tariff. If I was in your shoes and you could find a discounted left over R3 with a 300/350. That would be the route I would go.

Me personally I would of never gone to the 430 unless I would of powered it with the mercury 8.2. I wasn’t about to pay 10k for a Volvo Ecu flash and a different set of props.

I’m not a top speed person. If I wanted to drive 60-70 I would go buy a used formula fastech. I think I topped my 262 out 3 times in the season I had it. Most of the time I cruised in that 30-45mph range

[Big Block Power]

Maybe there's a reason all the r3s on the market have a 300 in them
People keep boats that have plenty of power. I had 300 ponies in my 200 and that wouldn't happen again.

[NautiGirl]

Maybe there's a reason all the r3s on the market have a 300 in them
People keep boats that have plenty of power. I had 300 ponies in my 200 and that wouldn't happen again.

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