www.iFourWinns.com

The boat is great and I'd hate to sell it. What will something like this run me? Ballpark?

It varies by where you're located...so where are you?
Here a job like that is about 4K or so. However, we are in one of the most expensive labor rate areas in the country (Long Island NY)...marine mechanics charge about 115/hr...
There may be some ways to make it cheaper, as in:
If you have a good mechanic that will pull the engine and drive&transom mount for you and store them till its done, that may be cheaper than having the 'glass shop do the whole thing. Or if you can do that with help, of course that will save a lot of labor. I did this when I had the boat fixed back in 06/07...I cut out the old deck, saw how bad the stringers were, ripped out the foam and took it to the 'glass shop. I had them repair the stringers. I put the foam back in and installed the new deck. Then thought of how to finish it. If I put the carpet back in, I could have made it look good enough myself. BUT, realizing that the carpet and unsealed holes was the cause of all the rot, I decided to have them glass it for me and then gelcoat it in non skid gelcoat. So I saved some money but there was still a fair amount of cash spent....

BUT....before you do all this...check the engine mounts...check the deck....if you have a hatch for the gas tank take that up and look at the stringers...etc....

_________________
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

You can slow the leak by tightening the transom bolts, but its a band-aid over a bullet-hole. Been there.

_________________


Jimbo
Na. Ga.

2000 170 Horizon LS
4.3GL

So I have been spending the day looking online for a quality marine fiberglass shop in Eastern CT that can a tleast go through the transom with me and at least give me some type of assessment on damage and work to be done. You can't know everythign till you tear it all apart but I do need to atleast have a "budget" for when I sell this to the admirl. She has talked about no boat

Anyone from my area use someone?

One way to find people is to ask marine mechanics who they have heard good things about. This is a job you want done right the first time because of the fact that you are pulling the whole powertrain out of the boat to fix it. While you have it out, you can look at other things that are impossible to get at such as the engine coupler, the Y pipe, oil pan, etc.

The way to sell it to the admiral is, the boat has no value unless its fixed, if no boat = we sell it and get money for something else...you tell her no one will buy it and you can't sell it in good conscience to someone. So you put a for sale sign on it, disclose the problem as you should and likely it sits for a couple of years...unless you get really lucky.
If we can get past the no boat concept, another way to sell it is to take the price of repair and consider what you can buy for that (crap & other people's neglected junk).
Obviously its much easier if she likes boating. My wife wanted an in-ground pool which we did, so anything I did to the boat, was a drop in the bucket compared to that little project...lol....

Funny story, I was going to 'glass the deck myself, started it, she came out and saw me with the tyvec suit on, respirator on, covered in 'glass dust and said, "take it to the shop!!!"....which she was against a few days before....So the shop did it and I have no regrets.

good boat, good engine, good drive, bad transom, fix the transom.

_________________
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

This is why we love louC.. good ole american who gets it done.. Great knowledge , experience and alot of help. Thanks Lou.

_________________
1997 Horizon RS 180
5.7 GL Volvo Penta /SX drive. (1.60)
2018 Ford F-150 super crew 4x4

My pleasure. Good luck to all of your in your boating adventures. Sometimes you have to break out the piggy bank and do a big job to keep the old tub running. I did 2 big ones, the deck/stringers and the outside paint job. It was not cheap, but the boat looks great and is very solid. For what I spent on both, it would be very difficult to find a boat that would not have problems in a few years. If I ever get another one it will have to be 3-5 years old max.

_________________
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

Well I am going to have Dan over at www.restoredboat.com come take a look at the boat next week after I bring it home this weekend.

So Dan came to look at the boat and gave me the verdict. My (and most folks here) intuition that I had some rot in the transom was correct. Dan knocked around with a hammer and used a moisture meter and agreed I definitely needed some work done. He noted it was good fortune that my gel coat around the outdrive doesn't show signs of cracking/wear so I won't need to incur that addition expense.
We checked the stringers and motor mounts and from what we could access with the motor still in place that there didn't seem to be an issue there. He told me that if I provided him the boat with all the mechanicals removed he estimates his job would be in the $900-1,000 range. So if I put $1500 in the budget for doing the glass work (there will be more issues of course) what else should I definitely replace/inspect while the motor and drive is removed?

Starter (replace)
Oil plan (inspect)
Y-pipe (inspect)
Flappers (inspect/remove)
Exhaust Manifolds/risers (inspect/replace)

Thanks.

Buy some sand paper, a wire brush and a few rattle cans of VHT Engine Enamel.
Give the engine a degrease, a sand and a few coats of quality paint over where there is corrosion.

_________________
2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

Engine coupler, the notches that the splines fit into should be good and square not pointed. If so or if you see any rubber dust replace it.
Check the sealing surfaces of the inner transom mount where the Y pipe mounts and the sealing surface of the Y pipe itself.
Look at all the fittings and lines for the steering system.

_________________
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