IPS is 20 years old! Would you?

[ari]

Volvo Penta's IPS system is 20 years old this year! Time flies.

Now a 20 year old boat is starting to get on a bit, and more to the point, people buying 20 year old boats are likely to be those of a more limited budget (or they'd likely be buying something a bit newer). So the big question is, are those people going to be put off IPS boats for the (perceived or otherwise) cost of maintenance?

Or will the advantages of IPS - easy manoeuvrability, better space utilisation than shafts, potential for more powerful engines than outdrives and, some believe (I have my doubts) reduced fuel consumption compared to shaft drive (but not better than outdrive), or simply that's all that is available in the type of boat they want, override those doubts?

TLDR: Will the buyers of 20+ year boats be happy to adopt IPS or will it start to become a sticking point as the boat ages?

 

[benjenbav]

Conventional wisdom seems to have been to avoid IPS out of warranty.

But, could it be a selling point that a 20y/o boat has IPS on the ground that instead of worrying about future deterioration failure all you need to do is budget for replacing the pod on day one and then you’re good to go and with a warranty.

Perhaps it’s the intermediate boats of 8-12 years where there might be a greater problem as the sticker price plus pod replacement could easily be more than a 3 y/o example with some warranty left?

 

[rafiki_]

I would not buy a boat with IPS, new or second hand. I understand the perceived benefits of manoeuvring and cabin space, but I prefer the simplicity of shafts. My boat is sufficiently manoeuvrable.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Yup I agree with @rafiki_ although @benjenbav has identified a possible way of mitigating the risks.

Calling @oldgit I’m sure you’ve got a view…

 

[Bouba]

It is getting hard to find boats without IPS.....I don’t think that there will be choice soon....but I would be wary of any first generation anything

 

[jakew009]

How much is a replacement pod (DIY, not from a main stealer)?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

12k?

 

[[164147]]

I wouldn't buy a boat with IPS either - of any age. Shafts or shafts...

 

[volvopaul]

I always place IPS in the same league as speed camera vans , they were introduced to make money.

 

[ari]

12k?

You sure? Volvo Penta outdrives are more than that.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

It was a guess. Maybe a poor one!

 

[benjenbav]

I always place IPS in the same league as speed camera vans , they were introduced to make money.

You say that as if boats were otherwise a sensible financial option.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

It’s all in the man maths.

 

[kashurst]

It’s all in the man maths.

There is a fine line between man maths and insanity. IPS is that line.

Personally from the little I understand about them I would stay clear. It's not just the pods, it's all the associated electronics, sensors and twenty year old connectors.
It's getting tricky to keep things like KAD44/300s reliable as the electrics age.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Yup agreed, no amount of man maths would persuade me. I wasn’t a total fan of outdrives either in hindsight.

 

[oldgit]

In the real world of rubber and salt water .
Grooves in the propshafts and water in that mega expensive oil in gearbox.
Approx 1250 Hours, less than 20 years old.
Quick fix ? well , 2 weeks ashore hurry up replacement IPS unit.
Reputable VP dealership.
£18.500. Supply and fit inc p/x on old unit.
The £500 quid might have been the lift and block off.
Remind me how much a metre of stern tube packing is these days but to be fair need a repack every decade or so.

 

[Hot Property]

Outboards for sub 30 ft boats seems to be the norm.....

 

[oldgit]

Many of the sub 8/9 m boats seem to be going down this route.

 

[Hot Property]

Many of the sub 8/9 m boats seem to be going down this route.

It's the future...

I probably spend £100 annually for my DIY service on my Honda 150 which takes about 2 hrs at a leisurely pace ...

 

[oldgit]

...and going to guess that like many other "trades" lost over the mists of time , the secrets of mending outdrives is already being lost.
Gen Z totally baffled by the absence of anywhere to plug in a computor on the boat and as for the prospect of being on their knees in some cold wet boatyard wondering exactly where that hydraulic oil is coming from or wondering wether to just paint A/F over the the top of all those impossible to get at barnycules buried in the transom assembly.....Yea Right.
Expect to see an example of some long neglected water logged "290" being ruefully smiled at on a TV programme as the next restoration project, after restoring that wooden rocking horse.
A retired respected forumite will be watching and shaking his head, and 90 % of forum repair posts will disappear ?