June 4, 2019

Doug Coe’s rebuilt 1970, vintage Bertram Moppie has been repowered with Volvo Penta IPS.
 
When it’s time for fun on the water, Doug Coe loves hosting family picnic outings on Fiddler, a vintage 1970 Bertram Moppie. He loves it even more now that Fiddler has been repowered with Volvo Penta IPS.
 
After buying the 35-foot Moppie, Coe converted it into an open runabout day boat with polished wood decks in 2002. This year, he cranked it up a notch further, repowering Fiddler with Volvo Penta IPS with joystick control and Glass Cockpit integrated helm control and display console. 
 
The IPS repower project was spearheaded by Florida Detroit Diesel-Allison, a Volvo Penta Power Center, and the work was carried out at American Custom Yachts, which performed the installation and major hull modifications. 
 
The family’s boating excursions have been totally transformed. 
 
“Now it’s a picnic boat on steroids,” said Coe, of Boca Grande, Florida. “It’s bigger, beefier and better looking.”
 
The Volvo Penta IPS600 with D6 435 diesels made a big difference in performance. The IPS, with its individual steerable drives and forward-facing props, is providing higher speeds with faster acceleration. Coe’s family and guests enjoy the lower noise levels and no exhaust on deck, while he loves the smooth ride and fuel economy.
 
“Sea trials revealed an improvement in top speed from 24 knots to 34 knots with less horsepower with the Volvo Penta package,” said Russell Gomulinski, sales manager at Florida Detroit Diesel-Allison. “That translates into a significant savings at the fuel pump.”
 
With IPS, the difference in the boat’s maneuverability has been “night and day,” said Coe, who added that the switch to joystick control was much easier than he anticipated.  
 
“I’ve been driving boats my entire life,” he said. “I’m 54, so I’m a little old school. When I put my hand on the joystick, it took a minute—but I got it. Not as quick as my 20-year old, who picked it up in a second. But I picked it up pretty quick.”
 
In the years to come, Coe plans to divvy up his cruising time between Florida’s West Coast and Cape Cod, where he has a second home. He’s excited about using the boat’s new bells and whistles. 
 
“I can’t say enough about the Volvo Penta and Florida-Detroit Diesel-Allison team. From start to finish, they were awesome,” said Coe. “Now the Fiddler has Volvo Penta everything.”