Volvo Penta IPS

Waiting for some one else to build the drive that suits your pocket and your needs most,and you probably will wait for ever.The only way you can get what you need is to design and build to your own specifications.This is not impossible and the costs of one off building need not be high.Look at the auto trade and see how many vehicles are the same design,and the designs change almost over night.Perhaps boat building should learn from the auto trade.There is much more variety now than a few years ago and boat designers are starting to be inovative,but there is plenty more scope available.Modern autos have many more components than older ones and still achieve good economy and the extra bits and pieces do not slow them down.There is a lot of room for improvement in modern inboard/outboard drives and their motors.

 

woodboat, come on your on the chesapeake you should know better then most, I work down in annapolis way, and i woudl say average about 2-3 boats a month will get hauled at our marina alone from people hittinng bottom, dead heads, or whatever else is out there...its just facts of like... i can recall this summer alone 5 different boats who hit so hard not only was there prop damage, there was severe rudder damage, as well as structrual from the upward impact.. this is what leads me to believe I am gonna be makin some money slapping these things on... I just wanna know how much these things are gonna way, cause Bravo III are to damn heavy bringin one of these up from the bottom could be a real bear. however having said all that, i dig the idea, i like the results they are showing and in time this might be the next "big thing" but if it is time will tell, and a sure fire way to know if this is gonna be it or not is watch what merc does if they follow, they will likely make it simpler... and maybe even better just look at I/O's from 25 years ago for your answers i guess

 

As Gonzo suggests, we are all predisposed to a little (healthy or otherwise) scepticism, and given that Volvo aren't exactly a back-yard operation, I'm sure they've done their homework and the IPS will be at least somewhat successful. Then again, one would proabaly have said the same for OMC and FICHT....
Personally, I think the system is fundamentally flawed. Any new drive unit that has two very expensive props as its 1st line of defence is a bit suss. But when it's secondary defence is to send the entire drive unit to the bottom, I'll keep shopping elsewhere.
All the performance figures that I've seen compare the IPS to conventional shaft drives. How do they compare to larger sterndrives? Konrad make drives for larger engines ( http://www.konradmarine.com/products.html ) My guess is that there's not much in it and I'm sure that if Volvo had put the same level of resources into developing a larger duo-prop unit, the difference would be even smaller. And whilst sterndrives are still somewhat vulnerable, at least they don't fall off the first time you run over a submerged log!
The reality is simple - IPS is a marketing gimmick - a very efficient one perhaps, but no more...

 

I stand by my words about ripping one off and having more money than brains I grew up on the water. It doesn't take long to figure out that where the river takes a turn it is shallow on the inside edge The crabber two doors over goes out everyday, he never runs aground. It is gonna be the weekend boater, driving a porche, with the brand new Cruiser Yachts that hits bottom and rips one off, not me. I didn't say they wouldn't be getting ripped off, just stating who it is that will be doing it
Maybe I should get into the marina business, looks like business will be picking up.

 

you wanna make money in the marine industry start off with 2 million and get out quick if your lucky you got 1 million left.... Sea tow dosnt have a ton of boats running all around the bay cause business is slow. 90% of boaters out there are the weekend warriors ergo these guys will be bringign in tons of business i guess

 

Do you work in a marina in Annapolis? Do you own one maybe?
Rob

Oh, my favorite thing is to take the boat to a nice restaurant on a weeknight. Weekends I rarely travel far.

 

not in Annapolis, I cant stand the Ego's there. a little further south of there is where my shop resides. I am not an owner just a mid level personel

 

Always interesting when on the vast web you find someone nearly down the street.

 

yea this is twice this week for me scarey, some times.

 

Will the props that fall off, fit on the shafts of the ones that do not? IPS look SOOO nice and shiney.

 

I beg to differ - somewhat at least - I've done plenty of work surveying commercial boats that have run aground. Sure, if all you ever do is jump on your boat (commercial or pleasure) turn the key and head out the same old inlet into deep water and go fishing, or potter from the marina where you keep your boat to another where you eat lunch, then chances are you wont bump the bottom. But do any real cruising and chances are that you will eventually hit something - whether itis an uncharted rock or a submerged log.
Hopefully, if you're running sterndrives they'll kick up on impact and you might have to change over to the spare prop (you do carry one I hope... ). With conventional shafts you at least have the option of the protection offered by a keel (or two)

 

First off there is some smileys and a bit of tongue in cheek.
Have you seen damage often that would be hard enough to rip off one of these units?
My current boat has inboards but a single center keel offering little protection to the shafts and props from say a log. Surely prop damage has got to go up. I question if the common damage will be catostrophic.

 

There seem to be many negative but unqualified coments. This unit is for high performance use. If your budget doesn't allow you to own one, it shouldn't drive to sneer at those who can. Manufacturers sell what the market wants or needs.

 

Right Gonzo. I think the Merc duo prop is still a option on most boats.

 

Yes, they do. In the subject of spare props, Volvo among others offers an emergency plastic spare. A duoprop set is about U$100.00. It is good up to 25 mph. Finally the marine answer to the donut spare