www.iFourWinns.com

As a former trailer boater and one who is going to be putting the cruiser on a new trailer occassionaly nothing made me more unhappy then the way the previous owner slopply painted my outdrives. Almost killed the deal when I bought but learned to accept it and realized function over form was more important. Still, I was always use to a pretty shiny VP so my Mercs painted with antifouling paint was unsettling. Plus, it was a hack job. This spring I was determined to correct that.

Here are the pics of original condition, the progress and the final results!! I couldn't be happier. I wish the previous owner never used the brush on paint! They look pretty damn good but next year will spend more time getting them a little smoother. Need to get new decals now. Those are ridiculously expensive.

Started with this eye sore. Albeit protected and no corrosion or growth issues.



Cleaned up around the edges to get that nice separation again and began rubbing off the old anti-fouling paint.



After priming: They almost look like VP's!



THE FINISHED RESULT! With new coat of bottom paint on hull.

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Former owner of:
1996 Four Winns Horizon 200 5.8L VP
2006 Four Winns Horizon 260 8.1L VP
2007 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer

Current boat
2004 Sea Ray 290 Sun Sport Twin 350 Mags

Looks good. It'll look sharp when its up on that new trailer.

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

Thanks. Definitely an improvement. Its not a trailer boat per se so I can live with them now. Headed to Port Clinton on Thursday to get the trailer. It will be so nice to be able to bring it home and detail it. God, I missed that last year. Its so much more difficult at the marina. I was spoiled having my 260 home all the time.

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Former owner of:
1996 Four Winns Horizon 200 5.8L VP
2006 Four Winns Horizon 260 8.1L VP
2007 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer

Current boat
2004 Sea Ray 290 Sun Sport Twin 350 Mags

Looks Good.

Is that antifouling paint on the drives now? Are you renting a vehicle to get the trailer?

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi

Yes, it is. Its the Trilux 33. We'll see how it holds up over the season compared to the other way. I think it will be much easier to do yearly up keep at this point. Undoing what he did was a chore but worth it.

No, not renting. Borrowing an Expedition that's fitted with a round plug and brake controller. Gonna drop the trailer off at the boat, have them lower it onto via sling in case any adjustments are needed and install the bow stop. Once its load, I'll rent the truck for the day to haul it home, drop it off for a few days to detail it, then pick up the truck again to drop it in the water.

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Former owner of:
1996 Four Winns Horizon 200 5.8L VP
2006 Four Winns Horizon 260 8.1L VP
2007 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer

Current boat
2004 Sea Ray 290 Sun Sport Twin 350 Mags

Hack job is an understatement. I can see why you were put off by it when you first saw it. You did a first-rate job cleaning it up, though!

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

Very nice. Mine need cleaned up too, so I may be hitting you up now that you have "expertise". It's not long for the water!

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2006 Vista 258
2007 Yukon Denali

I forgot to ask. How did you get the paint off? Good old fashioned elbow grease?

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi

Yep! It actually comes off easy but there are lots of nooks and crannies. I used a 3M scouring/fine sanding pad for the most part. Occassionally a scraper. I used some bottom paint stripper then some fine grit sandpaper to clean the hull. Actually, as sloppy as it was they looked a lot better last spring and they stayed relatively clean this year for never bing out of the water. My slip neighbor who put nothing on his on a Rinker 350 has a a huge mess on his hands. They look bad. So I guess having a sloppy job was actually better than having then stock becaue I doubt I would have paints them last year. I hope the spray Trilux holds up as well.

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Former owner of:
1996 Four Winns Horizon 200 5.8L VP
2006 Four Winns Horizon 260 8.1L VP
2007 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer

Current boat
2004 Sea Ray 290 Sun Sport Twin 350 Mags

When are you launching? I moved up my pickup date to Tuesday April 6th. That gives me just enough time to install some stuff on the new truck and get it polished before I pickup the boat.

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

Aahh the joys of now owning a bowrider on a trailer. Drop the batteries in, fire it up on the muffs, fuel it up.(At road prices) and fill cooler, drop it in the water, go boating.
Of course when its dark this summer... I haul it out drive it home, you get to drink more beer and go to bed right were your at.

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi

Looks pretty good Cincy. Now you need to get that Buff Magic out and get that paint off the trim cylinders and shine up those B3 props, and it will be sweet looking.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Tennja- the trade offs are definitely there! But having a trailer to at least haul it out occassionaly is going to make stuff like this so much easier. But the idea of having a shiny bottom and running gear are over. I guess I sleep better knowing its all well protected and not getting all kinds of growth on it. You know my "style" of boating so you're right, I wouldn't trade sleeping on the hook for anything now.

Cap, if I'm not mistaken the Mercs have factory paint on that portion of the trim cyclinders (when fully lowered). At least it seemed like factory paint on there. But you're right, need to get those props cleaned up but waiting to bring her home. Wanted to get all the messy stuff done before it was put on the trailer.

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Former owner of:
1996 Four Winns Horizon 200 5.8L VP
2006 Four Winns Horizon 260 8.1L VP
2007 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer

Current boat
2004 Sea Ray 290 Sun Sport Twin 350 Mags

Well as bad as you fresh water guys might think that looked....it's nothing compared to what our drives look like even with 2 coats of Trilux after 6 months in the salt pond...I am going to haul the boat mid season and clean and re-paint this year but still this is my last I/O...it's going to be outboards after this or straight inboards if I ever get a big enough boat....
Cincy your drives came out great!

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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

I do wish there were more choices of cruiser boats with outboards. Some of the latest outboards are pretty sweet. Inboards are nice though, nearly no maintenance as long as you don't run them aground.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista