[Jayr]

Hi,

New member here. We are looking to buy our first boat for use in the Pacific Northwest. No previous boat ownership experience in this class. We have been renting runabouts for a while. Some of our desires/requirements include at least 1 cabin, full head, bbq on main deck, hardtop with full windscreen, wide(er) side deck for easy access to bow, good build quality etc.

Plan is to get a boat that will work for the next 5-6 years, whole family gets trained by a captain on the boat, gain experience in freshwater lake for at least a year before venturing into the salt/locks.

We looked at a couple of Tiaras Sovran (4300 & 4400) to understand what Tiara offers in their yachts. We really liked the build quality of the Tiaras. We felt the layout of the Sovran in general suits our desires. We really liked the wide beam with the wide side decks that were easy to walk on. Overall, we feel the 2007-8 3900 Sovran is the right boat at the right price point for us.

Any owners of 3900 Sovran of that vintage here? I would really appreciate if you chime in with your thoughts in the early IPS builds. Have they been reliable? I understand annual maintenance is a bit more on IPS boats but we are ok with that. 

I have also come across some posts about the Older IPS pods that needed updates (pulleys, seals, strainers etc.) Which model year did these updates appear in? Was this a service campaign by Volvo to fix the issues or something that the owners had to pay for? How do I make sure that these have been addressed. Is this something the survey will reveal?

Any other issues to look out for the 2007-8 model years?

Regards,
JR

[GMahanna]

I recently purchased a 2010 Sovran.
Look for maintenance records on the pods and updates including stainless steel swivel rings. The upgrades can be expensive, and in my case the seller showed me a $6000 bill.
Also look for IPS 500s over 400s.

[Jayr]

Hi

Congratulations. Awesome boat.

Thanks for the reply. I did learn about the “required” updates to the Volvo IPS system seals, pulley, strainer cap etc. I am planning to make sure that these updates have been done before making an offer.

Regards,
Jay

[Bradford]

We have a 07 4300 Sovran with IPS 500's here in Lake WA.  We have had some minor issues but nothing that has stranded us.  The local Volvo guys at Pacific Power are awesome and they know these vintage of early pod systems very well.
I view the lake as the best possible conditions for these pod boats.  The saltwater can be really harsh on these drives, but as long as they are properly maintained, painted (prop speed) and serviced regularly (requires haul out).  Prop Speed should last 4-5 years in the freshwater according to folks I have talked to.
So far, we are very happy with our first pod driven boat and the build quality if Tiara in general.
I have seen a couple 3900 out here in the PNW, but not as many as the 4300's.
Happy searching! -Brad

[Jayr]

Hi Brad,

Thank you for posting your experience with the Tiara Sovrans. We feel that the Tiara build quality is excellent and it is a classic timeless design. I think the 3900 should serve us well in PNW. We plan to gain experience in the lakes before venturing out into open waters.

Regards,
Jay