Fish_Hunt

I am very interested in a local express fishing boat to increase my time and comfort offshore [comapored to CC].
The boat happens to be equipped with POD drives. I am not mentioning the make of the drives because I do not want a comparison of manufacturers.
The boat is only a few years old and seems to have been cared for.
I know the seller and he told me honestly "my price is low because people are afraid of pods".
Two friends have pod drive pleasure cruisers [2008 and 2010] and they love them. they take overnight cruises and weekenders but not off shore.
Would you buy an offshore express with pods - if the price was right?

Knot Tight

Probably depends on what kind of buyer you are looking for and intended hours of use as well as the location of use. Not sure where the price divide is but a guy buying a million dollar boat may not care but a guy paying 300k might not want the additional expense, maintenance, and complexity. I know there are 2 39 Seavees on the market with pods that seemed to be all the rage at the boat shows when they came out that aren’t selling at what looks
like very cheap prices. I know with Bahamas
trips inboards aren’t ideal for running around the reefs and spear fishing, and ips drives would be even more of an issue.

Riptide

No.

mystery

makes no sense

pods vary big time depending on make/model/generation and what they are coupled with

there are pod setups that i wouldnt touch with a 10 foot pole and pods that work just fine

Fish_Hunt

The pods are Zeus.
Boat is in New England and I would use it in the North East for everything from Stripers to Bluefin.
I frequently fish alone, making the maneuverability of the pods attractive.
A heavy boat would be a handful in wind and current, with straight shaft.

Lorne Greene

I am a huge technology fanboy but hell no on pods. I have read so much about exhaust issues, internal component failure, trim tab issues, them falling off and needing to be recovered, software bugs, dealers that "service" them but have no idea what they are doing.

fireisland1

The expense is just one consideration. The real issue is down time. There is nothing more frustrating then losing a big part of the season. This is the real risk of pods. I for one would not risk it. They may be fine now but eventually they will bite you.

leeava

Zues more mechanically sound than Volvo's during a running hit. Zues doesn't draw as much either. More routine expense than straits but, more efficient runners.

mark101

Met a guy with an F&S in canyon club .Had a big boat and a smaller express that capt said , never again will I have a pod boat ,,,, constant issues and not many techs that can fix em , stay clear in my opinion

74lbSteve

I don't have a dog in this fight... but just curious. How many who have expressed an opinion actually own a boat with pods? Or at least have some running experience with them?

tvguy243

I've never owned a boat with pods, never even been on one with them while underway

That said, I would not buy one

Expresses are easy to control. If need be, look for one with a bow thruster

cobraarvey

Fish Hunt, I was in the same spot as you 6 years ago. After 8 years with my Southport 28, I was ready for something more substantial to make the 70 mile run to the edge. At my age, running a CC was just getting tougher on my crew and I. When I was researching buying a mid 30's Express, I looked into pod boats, including several that were in great shape, only a year or two old, and really tempting. However, during my search a very wise boat builder that I respect, pointed out a trend that I should investigate, (even though he had built a pod boat due a customers insistence). He had observed that most pod built boats end up back on the market after two or three years. Told me all I need to know. Might be a coincidence, but damn if I have not observed the same thing through the years, including several boats in our area that I've personally have seen back on the market shortly after their completion. Do your research, and I think you will find that most pod boats tend to be on the market for quite some time, including some that are super clean and priced competitively. Perhaps you will find one priced so low that it is worth your while, or one that suits your needs due to shallow water in your hometown. I certainly understand if an owner has a draft issue in the waters surrounding their home port, but I don't think the positives (maneuverability, shallow draft, more cabin room), outweigh the maintenance issues.

mystery

for many, keeping a non-pod boat more than 1-2 years is a long time!

i have seen no data that correlates what you are saying

in many cases, someone with money, buys a boat that is too much boat or they want more boat or their plans change

people that have issues with boats or don't like boating will likely dump and sell within a year

now that sucks for those of us who like scoring good deals on 1-2 year old boats, need to do a very thorough review to make sure not getting a lemon

captpepin

If the cost is that compelling than, first look locally and make sure there is a yard that can service them where you live. If you can't get someone local you can trust then expect to lose a substantial part of a summer in the future do to an issue.

If you can get someone local than do the math on if the discount is worth it.

706jim

I know pods are used on cruise ships, tugs and ferries. But there's just something about those things hanging off the bottom getting torn off because they can't tip up like a stern drive or outboard. Even a totally mangled straight shaft wouldn't be leaving a hole in the bottom of the hull.

mystery

we have seen some pictures of aftermath right here on THT over the years that would disagree with your statement!

zenm

I had a boat with Volvo pods. Post 2012 models, adhere to planned maintenance intervals and find a good service provider, they should be fine. I was overly hesitant with them and appreciate them more no longer having them. However I probably wouldn't buy them again.

Now the bad news, I would think long and hard before going with Zeus pods. Volvo owns the stack for IPS, whereas for Zeus it's a Cummins/Mercury combo with each of them pointing the finger when something goes wrong. If you have a reliable, local person who is good with Zeus maybe it will work for you. But from my research and anecdotal evidence they are hard to come by. My Volvo guy in South FL turned away so many Zeus calls that it became a running joke between us.

Lastly, I don't think they are good for people who put a lot of hours on their boat because they are complex, don't last as long and expensive. While not quite as precise, the joysticks on many outboard models are 80% as good.

Flybull

If the only issue for consideration of the pods is handling solo, I'd just go with something with a bow thruster...

A stern thruster can be added fairly easily as well.

mystery

i have been meaning to do some research into why some boat builders are / were mixing and matching ips power / drives

what is the boat builder that did that with down east style boats and now everyone is afraid to buy (they may have produced some straight shaft too but very rare)?

flbluerunner

I have over 3000 hours on one of the first sportfish boats with Volvo IPS600's.
Maintain them as recommended by Volvo and they should serve you well.
as stated above most people commenting have never been on a pod boat much less owned one.