www.iFourWinns.com

I will tell all of you...this 2001, 298 Vista, was our family's first boat. We purchased it nearly 4 years ago. It was an unbelievable deal compared to what was out there at the time. Our first mistake...probably that it was an unbelievable deal. I did hire a reputable marine surveyor to inspect the boat before I purchased. Our second mistake...the fact that it apparently was not well maintained coming from salt water. After a first year of numerous small issues and my inability to recognize/understand the problems; and the fact that we tried a host of local mechanics (none of which knew more than me..and that is scary in itself), we pulled it out of the water. We sent the boat several hours up the road to the "Four Winns" dealer. There it sat for several months. If memory serves me correct; the total bill was around $13,000. There were too many issues to list.

Ahh, a solid boat at last. Wrong, there is not a weekend that goes by that something is not working. My neighbors continue to tell me how good the boat looks, however, I can help but growl. They are right...it does not look like a 2001. We had Trac Vision installed, two flat screen televisions, under water blue lights (unbelievable), upgraded the stereo, the seats have been redone, new carpet, teak wood in the cabin, etc. Most would probably say..."why not get a newer boat with all of those amenities alrealdy?" I guess it's like anything else you own...you want to make it your own.

We absolutely love the boat, however, there are so many potential components/issues to deal with on a boat like this. I have finally found an absolutely awesome mechanic that is supposed to be on our boat on Monday. He could not believe the corrosion on all of the wiring/terminals due to the salt water. He is also replacing both of the fuel pumps on the Port engine. Hopefully, he will address some of the other pesky littles issues that I cannot seem to figure out!

Here's to a successful 20011 boating season!

Best of luck. We bought our 298 this past fall and I am lucky enough that the old owner is a member here and is very responsive to my questions. He also sent all the service records he had with the boat, and thats a major help. I have had a few issues, nothing major so far. Like you, we have spent big $$$ on the stereo and a few other small upgrades/accys to make it our own. We have things we want to do still, but for now...its come along fine for us.

Still....you (and I) have to remember that its still a mechanical machine, which means ongoing maintenance and repairs are a part of life. I have learned one thing in my experiences in life. Dont use a cheap mechanic and use OEM parts whenever possible. The added cost for the two is generally better and remember...you get what you pay for. I dont use a Four Winns dealer for service, I happen to use a Chapparal dealer since other than basically Fiberglass...everything else is made by a different MFR and are all pretty universal. I use my service guy because he was recommended by more than one person....hopefully your new guy will serve you well.

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

In fairness, any boat that doesn't see meticulous maintenance is eventually going to see the issues you describe. It's a painful lesson to learn. It's 10 year old boat, so a lot of things are going to require attention.

Have the hoses been replaced? They're no doubt old enough to probably need it. Which hoses you say? All of them, but start with the fuel hoses and the waste water ones first. Those are the ones that will seep fumes as they get old. Next are the hoses that feed raw water. Like the ones to each engine, the generator and air conditioner. And be ready to also replace the seacocks as those tend to corrode, seize and break over time. These are tricky because while you might be able to replace the hoses attached to them while in the water, if a seacock breaks you're in real trouble, FAST.

I'd wonder why you had corrosion issues in the engine compartment. Most of the time that compartment is relatively isolated from the seawater around it. Most water that gets in there is from the rain or during washdowns. Usually the only time seawater gets in there is from something leaking, like from a broken raw water hose. Or from the boat partially sinking. If a major leaks happens you really have to get down in there and thoroughly wash off all surfaces to eliminate as much of the salt water as possible. Just letting it dry leads to the salt causing corrosion.

I'm aware of the many issues that can develop with mechanical systems. But I've met many a boat owner that isn't. Usually when they're bemoaning the surprise hit their wallet has taken due to their lack of awareness. It's at this point I mention to them why I'm always doing something with the boat. I'm taking care of it and that ends up taking a lot of work. Most of the people suddenly shocked into the reality of boat ownership stop owning a boat soon after this. It's a shame, but such is the nature of owning a boat.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Salt water is unforgiving, but you should never have salt water in your bilge. I had to replace a starter solenoid, because the starboard side exhaust manifold drain dripped a bit of salt water on the terminals on the solenoid. They were rusted in place so bad I had to cut off all the wires, butcher off the batt cable and re-terminate everything. Replaced the solenoid, installed new terminals, then covered them in marine grease. When I reinstall the manifold drain, I put a bit of OMC gasket sealer (Permatex Aviation Sealer) to stop any possible leaks. I had to replace all the battery wiring, the OE stuff was really corroded, the quality of the wiring on my boat was fair at best. Yet, most of it has survived in the salt air on the mooring behind my house 6 months out of the year, for the past 8 seasons.

I have found that OE wiring in many boats is not up to the corrosive effects of salt air. Even those chromed engine vent louvers, they get corrosion on them in like one season. Thats one of the reasons that dual console boats (salt water bowriders) cost more, they are built with the right materials for the ocean and salt water.

Here in LI if I buy a used boat, I have no choice, all salt water, unless I go upstate to a place like Lake George were there are many pristine older boats.

Probably the best you can do with any new to you boat, is to go through all the basic systems first before adding anything else to fix any flaws, then figure out a maintenance schedule to keep it reliable. I have done this with my old 88 and it's been pretty reliable once the initial bugs were worked out by my mechanic back in 04....

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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