www.iFourWinns.com

I just bought mine two months ago and as I was cleaning it up and winterizing the last week or so, I was reflecting on what I liked about it.

Previously I've owned a Maxum and an Ebbtide

So the question is more meant to be thought provoking than a specific laundry list. And to be fair, what don't you like or would you change?

To get things started here has been my observation

General engineering - it seems like things are fairly well laid out. As an example on my 230, I think the sunpad area is just very innovative. I also like the abundance of storage. It seems like a lot of thought went into turning any extra space into storage. On the other hand, I find it very annoying that other than a small compartment by the stereo, there is no good storage near the helm. For maps, sunscreen, etc. Basically all the stuff that used to go into the "glove box" of my Maxum.

Quality - This was evident when just looking at them, but really became evident when installing my wakeboard tower. Looking up on the underside of the gunwale it's easy to see the strength there. And then to drill through it, its much thicker than my old boats. The carpet and vinyl are also higher quality.

Ride and handling - Of the few Four Winns I've been on, I've always been impressed with the quality of ride. While my wife loved the boat when we got it, in the back of her mind she still thought our old boat was probably "good enough". Until we took it out on Lake Pepin over Memorial weekend, and the lake was very rough. With out old boat we would have turned around after an hour and headed home. With this one, 35 mph across the lake no problem while her and our guests just sat there talking.

Dislikes? Seems like for all the things the "smart people" that engineered the boat did right, they did a couple things that make me wonder if it was the same people. There probably isn't a 2004/2005 Horizon owner out there that hasn't cursed the bimini once or twice, more specifically the folding of it. Also the aforementioned lack of "misc" storage near the helm.

I'm curious to see what owners with more experience have to say about theirs

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2005 Horizon 230 5.7 GXi/DP "Nauti Addiction"
Towed with a 2003 Suburban Z71

As far as the bimini goes - you're right, and that's why they changed the design in '06. It's been our experience that the '05 bimini does become more manageable with practice. I think a bit more soundproofing in the engine compartment would be nice, but I can do that myself if it becomes a priority. The head is wonderful with little kids, on the other hand it's about useless for anyone bigger. Putting the dual battery option on the same side with the captain and fresh water tank, with nothing on the other side to help balance the load, was dumb and it shouldn't have taken them until 1-2 years ago to change that on the new builds.

I looked at several brands when we were shopping, and was drawn, as many are, to the overall build quality and better than average storage. Of course I haven't been happy with the dealer situation. Even before the collapse, when I was happy with everything else about my dealer, I wasn't happy about the amount of effort they put into prep & delivery. Few are truly happy over the long haul with their trailers. During the first 5 years I've replaced every component and piece of hardware on my trailer except the frame, winch, wheels and brakes. I'm pretty happy with it now, but it's been a long road getting there.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

This topic has been coverd several times. Here is the most recent of about 5 of them. Please read.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6473

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Well mine is an antique compared to the newer ones here but what I like about it are the good ride and stability and the true deep v hull design (21* deadrise, more than most others). Also on my older model the 'glass is thicker than many newer low priced boats. There is no molded in 'glass in the rear of the engine compartment to restrict access. I hate that aspect of newer boats and some of them I would not buy just for that reason alone. I can pull out the rear seat and then get at the starter, oil filter, manifolds, etc without needing a chiropractor after the job....some of the newer ones, you'd have to pull the engine to get at the starter...

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Agree with pretty much everything that has already been said.

Love the overall quality, layout, and lines on the boat. Looked at many boats and kept coming back to the H230/240 everytime. Love the storage. Love the sunpad/lounge area.

Agree that the bimini is quite a pain to close. It has been the topic of a few minor disagreements/frustration between the admiral and I this season. Hopefully, a second season of practice will help us out there. Other than that--I actually love the bimini and it is one of my favorite things about the boat. Ours is the oversized version to accommodate the camper canvas and it covers the whole cockpit. Also like how the bimini is mounted. My Maxum had the bimini mounted to the windshield (like many boats) and I always thought that was way too much strain on the windshield.

Also agree with the dual battery issue. My boat definitely lists to the starboard side. To add to the problem, I have my stereo amp and sub in a sealed box on the starboard side--so I need to do something to correct this issue.

A couple of minor beefs--I personally hate the sink. Knew this going into the purchase and loved everything else about the boat and was willing to deal with it. My wife wanted the bathroom--so along with that comes the sink. I much prefer how Crownline puts the sink in the bathroom. For me--having it in the cockpit is wasted space. I would much rather have the u-seating wrapped around further. The little garbage can at the sink is a joke. Whoever designed that never went out on a boat for the day. We could fill that in 10 minutes. That has essentially become my glove compartment since the boat lacks one for the most part. Love having the cooler out of the way--but sometimes it is a pain to get to when you have a full load of guests on the boat. Always feel like I am asking someone to move to get into the cooler.

Overall--love this boat. Definitely made a good decision. If I had to do again--I would probably be tempted to go with an H250/260 with and 8.1L--but this boat works out well for us and I can still tow (barely) with my Pathfinder for another year or two until I can get a better tow vehicle (yikes--then 2-foot fever will probably kick in again).

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Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

Mine is older, but I like the sunpad (front and rear), and the bow tent. I also like the swim platform layout (suits me better than other boats I've owned). For a 5.8 mine gets amazing fuel useage (MUCH less than I figured I'd get). I also love the durability and general lasting appearance.

Something I REALLY like on the newer models is the front bow ladder.

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'90 Horizon 220 5.8

As Capn has pointed out, this has been covered before. I will post what I have on other threads, style! All boats are going to have there issues, but what one / brand / model turns you on?!?

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

We spend a lot of time on our boat, 2-3 weekends/month year round with 2-3 nights/weekend.

I like the cabin layout compared to other 26-28' boats, the large water and holding tanks I like the sturdiness of the hull.

I am not impressed with the fit and finish at all. Four Winns did a terrible assembly job on my boat and if I had been the original owner I would not have accepted delivery. They over drilled many of the holes so I now have screws that won't hold, the cabinet doors were miss aligned and cannot be adjusted because they screwed up on the holes so bad. Anywhere trim comes together the alignment is horrible. The amount of wasted space that could have been used for storage is pretty high. I hate to say it but I think all my buddies bayliners were finished better and made better use of storage space. I will not own another Four Winns because of the the small details.

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

Do yourself a favor and look at Four Winns again before you buy your next boat. We are VERY pleased with the fit and finish of our '04 268. I've been on quite a few other Four Winns cruisers... '05 268, '08 278, '07 338, '06 and '07 318, and the fit and finish was fantastic. I was just on a '10 Sea Ray 310 and I'd say its fit and finish was on par with Four Winns.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Like the V8 on a 190 (2003).
Like the fiberglass floor instead of wood.
Like the snap-in carpet
Like the quality and softness of the interior seats.
Like the large bimini that I can stand and walk under.
Like the slightly deeper V rather than a lower profile hull.
Like the smooth ride through slightly rough water
Like the stability of the boat in turns
Like the welded trailer instead of clamp-on bolts (except the welded guide-ons).
Like the the ease of launching and loading the boat on the trailer.
Like the swing-away trailer hitch that allows the boat to fit in my garage.
Like the single axle trailer that tows and turns easy (easy getting into the garage).
Like that there's been no major problems in over 7 seven years of boating since new (keep it maintained).
Like that the boat is rated for up to 8 people (several adults and kids/teenagers). 6 is about the right number.
Like the feeling of being on the lake with family and friends on a nice summer day.

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2003 Horizon 190 5.0 Volvo
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 5.3

I think it is worth noting a few things.

In 2000 OMC still owned Four Winns. I have no idea how much influence OMC had on the day to day activities at Four Winns. I would guess there was some influence, although it could have been very limited. Others more in the know than me may be able to help answer that. Regardless, OMC was on its last legs in 2000 and it isn't a surprise that attention to detail was lacking. From what I can tell when Genmar took over Four Winns in 2001 there was a marked improvement in the little details. I think this improvement has held strong since then. It will be interesting to see how the product and attention to detail changes in the coming years now that Project Boat Holding (Platinum Equity) has taken the helm. From what I have seen in the engineering/product development side, things are looking good.

I like a lot of things about my boat. I really like outboards. In my opinion this boat was designed well to take advantage of the outboard without much by way of compromise. When looking for a boat in the 17-19 ft range with an outboard, Four Winns always impressed me. In my opinion it is the little things and attention to detail, from the basic design to the build quality that set it apart from other boats in the class.

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

I have owned 3 fw boats. The first was a 2001 17' 90hp outboard that I bought new, I loved, still love to this day as my favorite boat. I sold it to a friend who still has it. Next I bought a 2003 225 sundowner for the cabin. This year I bought a 1999 258 vista (wife wanted a full head). I absolutly hate the vdo guages on the vista. I also hate that the windows don't open in the cabin and bathroom. I am currently looking for replacements for the vdo and the windows. All in all I really like it. I think it boils down to what style you like.

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Blue Baron
258 Vista 1999
Great Sacandaga NY

I've got a 261 Liberator with right at 1000 hp.
What's not to like.......................

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1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

LOL thanks for the laugh. I've owned bayliners all my life and recently looked at a newer bayliner 265 and a 2003 vista 248. Boy i was blown away on how cheap bayliners have gotten. That's too bad you either weren't a smart enough buyer to find a four winns that was taken care of, or you weren't smart enough to maintain your Four winns. Doesn't matter if you own a Cobalt or a Ferrari, if you dont take care of it you will see the quality diminish.

There may have been quality flaws on the OMC era boats, on mine the hull 'glass job was good, but the wood was very poorly glassed in. Stringers were glassed in about 1/2 the way up, the rest was raw wood. Yes raw wood that rotted. Deck had a thin skim coat of glass, none of the holes were sealed, and that lousy carpet held in the moisture. I made sure the stringers were glassed all the way up when it was repaired, the deck was gelcoated with non skid gel, the carpet ditched except on the gunnels and all the holes sealed....

I for one would never have a boat with carpet in any outside area and would not buy a boat with wood in its structure with out a VERY careful inspection.

I looked at an 89 Steigercraft 23' Block Island the other day, this is built to work boat standards, you cannot imagine how solid that boat is...

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II