Nova Trawler ?

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Mark565

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Jul 20, 2022
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I'm headed out to look at an 86 Nova 36' Sundeck on Friday 7/28. I'm trying to find the book value but have not been successful online. It doesn't show up in NADA. Picture wise it shows well. One thing I get mixed reviews on are the engines, they are Volvo TAMD41's. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark
 
Book value on this boat will have no meaning. Only thing to do is find a broker to look it up in soldboats.com. Today’s market has no sense, so sold boatsis really the only way to tell a possible value. Even that is somewhat suspect due to the various conditions of boats.

As to Volvos, I will never own another one. Parts are too expensive and way to hard to get. Volvo apparently doesn’t care about support, particularly older engines. Others may have different feelings but as soon as I see engine type as Volvo I do not even look at the listing.
 
Welcome Mark. A good friend had a Nova 40 sundeck. He liked it, but was over 25 years ago.

I have no experience with Volvos. But since you're new, I'll inform that Comodave is one of TFs most knowledgeable posters.....and not prone to hyperbole. Best I can tell, Volvo is a good engine - there are a gazillion of them in OTR trucks. But my sense is they haven't done well in the marine market due to auppprt reasons Comodave states.

Good luck with whatever direction you take.

Peter
 
Back a few boats (about 15 ago) we bought a new boat with twin Volvos. The support was terrible. Only saving grace was that I sold boats part time for the dealer so when my engines broke down they would strip a part off a new boat to get mine running. But that should not be the case, especially with brand new engines. Reading posts from others it doesn’t seem that the support has gotten much better recently. Not saying don’t buy a Volvo, just go in with your eyes wide open. Do your research and find out what parts are or are not available and what they cost. Good luck.
 
Thanks guys, definitely appreciate the input. I’m also considering a Mainship 36 with aft cabin but it is powered by 270hp twin SBC’s due to the ease and cost of parts.
 
I'm headed out to look at an 86 Nova 36' Sundeck on Friday 7/28. I'm trying to find the book value but have not been successful online. It doesn't show up in NADA. Picture wise it shows well. One thing I get mixed reviews on are the engines, they are Volvo TAMD41's. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark
My boat came with TMD40s. In 2000 i upgraded to TAMD41s. Those 90s engines (yours from 86 seem like they may be replacements. I know they weren't in use in 80, likely not yet in 85, definitely there in 90, so maybe yours are not the original engines) are great engines. They appear on more commercial boats from the 90s than any other brand here in BC, and seem to run forever, and run hard. Mine were in a Commander 30 whose owner complained to Volvo that they wouldn't do what he wanted, so were replaced with something bigger at 1500 hrs. In my boat they have gone to 4100 hrs. One suffered a catastrophic failure that has been attributed to an accessory, so not the engine's fault. That one is now like new and the other, at 4100 hrs still runs like a top.
Dave's complaints are valid if you live where he does. If you live where i do, Volvo service is by very knowledgeable folks and parts, if you ever need them, are easily sourced and no more expensive than Cummins or other popular brands.
 
I'm headed out to look at an 86 Nova 36' Sundeck on Friday 7/28. I'm trying to find the book value but have not been successful online. It doesn't show up in NADA. Picture wise it shows well. One thing I get mixed reviews on are the engines, they are Volvo TAMD41's. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark:
I purchased my "86 Nova 44' Sundeck Trawler two years ago. It has Volvo TAMD 40s with about 4500 hrs on each. Parts can be expensive and at times difficult to locate. The bigger issue has been difficult access to the engine---my mechanic is good, but complains a lot about how much more trouble the Volvos are to work on. Otherwise, I love the boat, is a great live aboard and used to really enjoy the run to McCovey Cove last year when the Giants were winning.
Good luck with your search.

Jeff
Good luck in your search.
 
Thanks guys, definitely appreciate the input. I’m also considering a Mainship 36 with aft cabin but it is powered by 270hp twin SBC’s due to the ease and cost of parts.

I’d much rather have the volvo engines than go with gas. It’s true that parts are spendy, but if they’ve been maintained you should be able to plan ahead for required parts.
The cooling system and filters on the stbd engine can be tough to access on some installations but it can be done. Do those have turbo’s/aftercoolers? Those coolers need regular service.
Anyway, the core engine is pretty bulletproof, but all the bolt on stuff is a pain.
 
We have owned our 1986 36' Nova sundeck for 22 years and agree with all the negatives regarding the Volvo engines. As for the boat itself, there is no coded wiring anywhere. I guess they use whatever colored wire they have at the time. Plenty of bright work to keep you occupied. At sea, with too much top hamper, she rolls quite a bit.
 
My son sold his 86 Nova Sundeck in California about 2 y ago for around 44K. It was in very good shape with two green volvos. it was a marina queen and he only took it out of the slip once a year for a mandatory inspection by the harbormaster.
The new owner similarly is using the boat as a condo. I have never seen it move out of our marina.
Nonetheless the sundeck is the biggest 36 trawler around except maybe for the krogen manitou
 
1989 Nova Marine 37

Bought our '89 Nova 37ft Sundeck trawler in 2019 before the pandemic started influencing prices - $90K Canadian (about $70K USD?). Have not regretted the purchase - as stated this Sundeck trawler provides for a lot of boat in a 37ft length. Getting somewhere between 50 and 100 hours each year in our short 5-6 month season here in the north, with the Volvo TMD41s requiring only normal annual maintenance with no issue obtaining parts...so far (fluids and filters). I would think a "sound" diesel powered boat of this vintage should be worth no less than $44K USD ... until some point in the future when it is no longer seaworthy; when it could become an inexpensive cottage.
 
Back a few boats (about 15 ago) we bought a new boat with twin Volvos. The support was terrible. Only saving grace was that I sold boats part time for the dealer so when my engines broke down they would strip a part off a new boat to get mine running. But that should not be the case, especially with brand new engines. Reading posts from others it doesn’t seem that the support has gotten much better recently. Not saying don’t buy a Volvo, just go in with your eyes wide open. Do your research and find out what parts are or are not available and what they cost. Good luck.
An example of Volvo pricing...a $186.00 fuel line.
 

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I thought you fell on it and bent it when you fell. LOL
 
My nephew ran a fishing charter out of NJ. He had twin Volvos, but I don't specifics beyond they were diesels. He had many bad experinces and sold the boat for another because of the Volvos.
 
A friend of mine and I went shopping for a boat for him and concluded the Nova was a good choice.

HH very nice picture including the boat’s wake (avatar).
 
Really nothing wrong with a Nova. It is just the Volvos…
 
The Volvos are good engines and easy to work on, ideal for the DIYer. It's the Volvo lack of product support that's bad.

Volvo designed excellent engines, but when you can’t get, or afford, parts the design doesn’t matter. We bought a new 29’ Chaparral with twin V6 Duo Props in it. It ran great. It would do 47mph and you could crank the wheel over as fast as you could. It would just lay into the turn and go. No cavitation. I drove the same boat at an in the water boat show for the dealer I sold boats part time for. It had the Mercruiser Bravo 3s in it. It rumbled and vibrated much more that the Volvos did. But at the time I wish I had the Mercruiser equipped boat because Mercruiser had parts available. But even being brand new we had a problem with parts for the Volvos. And it was under warranty.
 
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