New Volvo high output IPS system.

[MarioG]

Huge difference in power output. Now up to 670HP! Volvo claims that sportfish builders in the Carolinas are building boats with this system. claims that it will revolutionize sportfishing. Volvo is also tooting that this system would make a great repower for larger yachts. IMO, I think it's a bit of a stretch for a repower not to mention an insane amount of money, but what do I know.

Which brings up a good question:

If you had the choice, would you repower your Hatteras with an IPS?

[Pascal]

well, i guess for the sportfish guys who like to run at top speed in the dark, the safety of IPS maybe a good incentive. If they hit something, the pods will rip clean leaving the boat afloat compared to a ripped shaft... assuming they dont' hole the hull !

IPS woudl allow the engines to be moved aft and free some space under the saloon, maybe enough for an extra stateroom if they can do play with cabinetry to get some headroom?

intersting to see how they're going to use them.

IPS is of little interest to aft cabin MYs since they have to be located near the stern.

[SKYCHENEY]

Which brings up a good question:

If you had the choice, would you repower your Hatteras with an IPS?

Answer: H*II No!

[krush]

I'd go diesel electric way before that.

[harnett]

I saw a sportfisher in Beaufort, NC that had this system in it at the recent fishing tournament. Volvo was using it as advertisement. Don't know how it performed out in open water but the docking moves the captian put on could not be duplicated on a standard drive boat!! I could certainly have put my boat in the same slip he did but not at the angles sideways that he did it at. Think he was just showing everyone that he could.

[MikeP]

Yep, you could put a IPS in a classic Hatt and you can put a fully digital dash in a 1964 E-Type jag...

But I'd rebuild the old DDs until the blocks crumbled into rust.

[Boatsb]

I love the ride in the classics and the change in weight, Distribution of the weight and the direction of thrust would be an unknown. i would love to do the refit on someone else's dime to see how it works. Then I would make a more informed decision for my own.

[Brian Degulis]

That's a steerable drive if you use two and place one ahead of the other and control them with a computer and joy stick you will have controll that no conventional inboard could even come close to matching. If you ever ran or watched a Zdrive or tractor tug it's the same idea you can get equal thrust in all directions. Plus there isn't a strut shaft and keel screwing up the waterflow to the props it's going to be smoother and quieter.

The down side is going to be cost and vulnerability you got a very expensive drive hanging off the bottom with little or no protection tht's probably not near as strong as a conventional inboard drive.

Brian