Late models without pods

Richie89

Active Member
Aug 20, 2012
599
Miami Beach, FL
Boat Info
450 Sundancer
Engines
Twin Cummins 480 Zeus
I am still searching for my next boat and i'm having a revelation that i really don't want pods. i don't really even care about a joystick. i would prefer both bow and stern thrusters actually. i'm also now leaning towards a bigger hulled boat (like a 50 Sundancer) that has some speed where i can run around above high 20's knots. all the new boats i've been looking at seem to have Volvo IPS and my internet searches are revealing some nightmares. How can i tell used Sea Ray models that don't have pods? I've seen some big Sundancers with Cummins engines that don't list pods (or specifically say Zeus). will i have to find an older boat to not get pods? i know the new 400 Fly has V Drives, but we are starting to think we want a bigger boat in case of any seas we might encounter and running inlets. thanks for any input.
 
I feel the same about pods. Im not going near them. Check out 420/44 dancers or 48 dancers. most are with v-drives.
 
Just about everything prior to 2010 was available with either v-drives or inboards. All high horsepower boats, i.e. those requiring more than 800 hp/engine (580DA, 610DA,) are inboards because the the Zeus system in Sea Rays maxes out with the Cummins QSM-11 engine. After 2010, there was/is some resistance in acceptance of the Merc Zeus drives, plus, new hulls were initially designed around the pods and many older designs were retrofitted to accept pods. That means you will find some models that only had pods while most others with pods also had v-drive options since those hulls were carry overs. You just have to go shopping for the right model first then try to find an inboard boat.

I have run 48DAs, a 50DA, 52DA's, a 54DA, 580DA's and 60/610 Da's all with v-drives or inboards. You aren't going to find easier boats to handle without thrusters than the 580DA or the 610DA, but with a bow thruster, I think pods would be a waste of money plus vastly more expensive to maintain and keep operating.
 
Richie...our new 460's (DA & Fly) are shaft driven boats......but hey, let's talk about this, and all our models when we visit in two weeks on the dock!! I'll show them all to you and offer my opinion on each.

See ya soon!!

Capt. R
 
This seems like a common complaint within my group of boat friends. We all prefer buying boats in the 10yr old range and keeping them for 5-10yrs. Many of us are starting to research our next moves, and the natural progression is early 2010s 42-47’ Sundancers, but they’re all pods. So we’re stuck looking at the 420/44 (which really isn’t a night/day upgrade from my current 400, so that’s a hard sell), or going to a 48 or larger (which is really a lot more boat than I want/need). I find myself looking outside of the Sea Ray brand for our next boat, or just keeping what we have for another decade, which is a bummer.
 
Pods would be more risk than I’m willing to take here on the shallow south shore of Long Island.
 

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