8.1 with v drives?? Does a fueling boat follow you around everywhere you go? Luckily around here regular unleaded is sub 2.40 a gallon. Got diesel last night for 2.85 a gallon. That's the cheapest in over 3 years.
I've never operated a v drive but have chartered a good few. Found they were impossible to dock without a crew unless you had bow and stern thrusters.
@aero3113 please post if you come across a 400 with a hardtop and joystick, not beige hull. Will pay a finders fee! Lol
You don’t need a joystick as long as you have a bow thruster, which the 400 does. My friend’s diesel one is still for sale. It’s a 390, but basically same as 400 except swim platform. (But yes, that is a difference)
@aero3113 please post if you come across a 400 with a hardtop and joystick, not beige hull. Will pay a finders fee! Lol
You don’t need a joystick as long as you have a bow thruster, which the 400 does. My friend’s diesel one is still for sale. It’s a 390, but basically same as 400 except swim platform. (But yes, that is a difference)
I am looking for digital throttles at a minimum. Does the 390 have the same aft stateroom with 2 beds?
Edit: seems like the 400 doesn’t have the u shaped settee that the 390 has?
@Dream_Inn can you get me some interior pictures of your friends 390? Also does it have the composite drives?
Yes, I can get you some pictures. It does have the U shaped seating in the galley. It has the same aft room with two twin beds, along with sink and cabinet area. I’m trying to remember the drives. They are beefy for the diesels.
The line that put me off was “freshly painted in navy”…. Can’t do a dark colored hull.
Actually, the "key" word to that is painted. It is no longer in the gel coat, it is painted like the formulas do. No tough time waxing and compounding every 6 months to get that white chocky stuff off.
I've known and boated with the owners for over a dozen years. Professionally taken care of boat.
@aero3113 please post if you come across a 400 with a hardtop and joystick, not beige hull. Will pay a finders fee! Lol
You don’t need a joystick as long as you have a bow thruster, which the 400 does. My friend’s diesel one is still for sale. It’s a 390, but basically same as 400 except swim platform. (But yes, that is a difference)
Agree with this. When shopping for my boat, 90% of them have pods and a joystick. I did not want to deal with pods and finally found a V drive boat with a bow thruster. Thats all I need to put her anywhere I want, I can walk the boat sideways with this setup to dock. I'm not saying never buy a pod boat, they have some great benefits, but if you have a choice go V drive vs pod.
@Dream_Inn can you get me some interior pictures of your friends 390? Also does it have the composite drives?
Yes, I can get you some pictures. It does have the U shaped seating in the galley. It has the same aft room with two twin beds, along with sink and cabinet area. I’m trying to remember the drives. They are beefy for the diesels.
No composite drives on volvo diesel. They are a bigger metal drive. Volvo marine diesel and volvo marine gas are completely different engineering, production, business, etc. They share almost nothing except the name.
@Liberty44140 I believe a sub 40' sterndrive boat is appealing to a wider swath of prospective buyers if equipped with a joystick even though I agree that sterndrives + bow thruster is probably equivalent (having never piloted a joystick boat).
If I move to a boat like the 390/400 without joystick I would probably add a stern thruster as well. Relatively inexpensive (in boat terms) and great peace of mind in suboptimal docking conditions.
Famous one liner - "boats are easy to buy and hard to sell".
@Liberty44140 I believe a sub 40' sterndrive boat is appealing to a wider swath of prospective buyers if equipped with a joystick even though I agree that sterndrives + bow thruster is probably equivalent (having never piloted a joystick boat).
If I move to a boat like the 390/400 without joystick I would probably add a stern thruster as well. Relatively inexpensive (in boat terms) and great peace of mind in suboptimal docking conditions.
Famous one liner - "boats are easy to buy and hard to sell".
Agree, I’ve got several friends newer to boating who bought sub 40’, twin IO boats with joystick. They went from single IO to this setup so they are happy as clams! I too have never driven a joystick boat but those that get them, both pod and IO, report a bit of a learning curve but once they get it they love it.
As someone who did indeed buy a sub 40’ twin IO with joystick. I can say it is the best thing I ever got on a boat. There is a learning curve and a nuance to how the stick reacts. Kind of like basic steering, where people tend to oversteer when they first get into boating. Same with the joystick. You just get used to it. To me it's like driving an automatic versus a manual transmission car.
Comments
I've never operated a v drive but have chartered a good few. Found they were impossible to dock without a crew unless you had bow and stern thrusters.
No finders fee needed. Can go to food and drinks when you take me out on it. ⚓️
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
https://longisland.craigslist.org/boa/d/massapequa-park-2009-tiara-sovran-3500/7810699599.html
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
Regards,
Ian
The Third “B”
Secretary, Ravena Coeymans Yacht Club
https://www.rcyachtclub.com/
Actually, the "key" word to that is painted. It is no longer in the gel coat, it is painted like the formulas do. No tough time waxing and compounding every 6 months to get that white chocky stuff off.
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
If I move to a boat like the 390/400 without joystick I would probably add a stern thruster as well. Relatively inexpensive (in boat terms) and great peace of mind in suboptimal docking conditions.
Famous one liner - "boats are easy to buy and hard to sell".