Not first hand but from reading and friends who own them.
They are the choice of builders because they are the easiest and cheapest to install. For the boat owner thereafter they expensive to maintain. And every repair seem to be in the thousands (usually north of $5,000). I would not attempt a DIY with it either. You make a mistake with packing a stuffing box no biggie (relatively so)..with a sail drive seal etc...Biggie. And then there is the ever-present corrosion of the drive issue. Aluminum and salt water do not play nice. Me? I would stay far away. Good luck with your search. David F. Risch 1981 40-2 (401) 419-4650 (cell) ________________________________ From: CnC-List <cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com> on behalf of Nauset Beach via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 9:41 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Nauset Beach Subject: Stus-List Sail Drives in general > Maintenance? Am beginning to look for the “next” boat [this winter’s armchair boat project vs. the real ones] and have come across some that have sail drives, though most are traditional shaft drives. What is the group’s experience with sail drives from any engine builder? Google has revealed Volvo and Yanmar have the bulk of the market and sail drives are becoming the rule vs. the exception on newer boats over the past 10 years or so. While they are reported to be quieter / less vibration than traditional shafts, from what I have read the maintenance beyond changing the oil in the drive unit annually [just as one would for the engine] is not really a DIY project. Replacing the 2 seals, particularly the one keeping the water out of the boat, sounds like they are a yard job – and expensive ones at that; on the order of $2 - $5k depending on the location of the yard. And the “recommended” seal replacement interval is reported at every 5 to 7 years… While many owners may go well beyond that, what happens to an insurance claim if one has exceeded the manufacturer’s “recommended service” interval? Any experience / information with sail drives is appreciated. Thanks, Brian From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Rod Stright via CnC-List Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 7:21 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Rod Stright <strig...@eastlink.ca> Subject: Stus-List Volvo Penta Sail Drive Anyone out there have any experience at replacing a Volvo Penta Sail Drive and transmission? Recommendation on a good source for parts and expertise hopefully on the east coast.? Thanks Rod 2004 C&C 99
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