New Four Winns owner

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

The only problem with Perfect Pass is the cost...while i would like to have that system on my boat, there are many things on my want list for that $ 1,000 + installation. Besides, as a new boat owner you need to learn the take offs and the throttle feel before going with Perfect Pass. + 1 on a good mirror / ski rope and get your mind set on safety issues and routine....simple things can get you in trouble if you aren't thinking cuz your motoring and people are getting in/out of boat. Here are some of mine when involved in water-sports.

1. No backing (I don't do it - i will drive around before i back up with anyone in water regardless)
2. Person in water knows to never have rope on backside of their head...basically, they keep rope between them and boat (means they have to lift it over their head when you approach them with rope in water)
3. Whoever puts ladder down - raises it
4. In water means PFDs
5. Only 1 person on device at a time - i don't care who designed it for what....simple - if you have 2 kids on a tube and one drops.....you have to turn to get them and 2nd drops....you got two kids in water at different places and other boaters see you with kiddo # 1 - basically they assume water is clear and drive around and place kiddo # 2 in danger. Seen it OVER and OVER and OVER again. If you aren't on a private lake with no other boaters don't do this.
6. I normally keep blower motor turned on all the time while towing (too many stops and starts to mess with it otherwise) - i kill motor whenever someone is getting in or out of boat period.
7. Dont follow another boat towing anyone - don't let another boat follow you
8. Look all around constantly and assume people are stupid and you wil not be dissapointed. General rule - the more expensive the boat - the more ignorant the driver.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:42 pm

People look like tools and it scares the crap out of me watching someone in a boat flooring it to pick up the guy floating in the water. Go slow.

Since I drive two boats for wakeboarding (mine and a buddies wakesetter) I can tell you two things.... There is really no difference between having a 130hp or 350hp engine. Makes no difference going 17mph. Driving his boat with a perfectpass is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier and allows me to pay attention to the lake and rider. My boat without is has me constantly adjusting throttle, annoys the crap out of me. If you plan to be wakeboarding weekly, you'll cough up $1200 for the PP and be very happy to do so.

Also, it doubles great for just a cruise control when chillin

Walt · **Posted:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 5:47 pm

ric wrote:

People look like tools and it scares the crap out of me watching someone in a boat flooring it to pick up the guy floating in the water. Go slow. Driving his boat with a perfectpass is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier and allows me to pay attention to the lake and rider. My boat without is has me constantly adjusting throttle, annoys the crap out of me. If you plan to be wakeboarding weekly, you'll cough up $1200 for the PP and be very happy to do so. Also, it doubles great for just a cruise control when chillin

Another +1 to PP. Search "Walt's Mod's" if you want to see how easy to install. I can say it is easily worth the cost, by letting the GF drive the boat while I board. Last summer my BIL offered to let me use his boat (no PP) at LOTO for free. Instead, I towed mine the 3 hrs each way and filled up twice... and it was worth it!

Also, when someone "drops", drop the throttle too. Otherwise, as they are retrieving the rope, both of you are fighting the wake YOU just made. There is rarely reason to get to someone in a hurry, just go to idle as they fall, and head straight to them. Many headaches saved that way.

Welcome, good luck, and Budget, budget, budget!

MuskokaDB · **Posted:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:14 pm

My boating will be fresh water. The boating in Ontario is fantastic. We have the Trent-Severn waterway that starts from the eastern part of Lake Ontario and meanders through many lakes, rivers, and locks. You can stop at many small quaint towns and either camp at the locks or stay at motels or on board your own craft. It is 240 miles long and goes into Lake Huron at the other end.

I boat on Lake Muskoka, and go through a lock to Lake Joseph and Lake Rosseau. Many great towns by boat, and resorts as well. Many movie stars are on this lake system and can been seen at the local town.

Eddie Van Halen
Steven Spielburg
Tom Hanks
Martin Short
Cindy Crawford
Kurt Russel
Goldie Hawn
Our own Mike Weir
Steve Yzerman (had to mention hockey!)

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were in the town of Bala last summer

Can't wait for summer!

chrisvs · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:04 am

Welcome to the group, and to the longest winter of your life!

You are going to love the 180, she is a great boat. Perfect for the Muskoka lakes!

ric · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:15 am

I just google mapped those lakes. Wow. You might wanna think about GPS.

MuskokaDB · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:34 am

I know what you mean about a GPS. Last year I rented a 20' Monterey and got lost trying to find the town of Port Carling. Had to stop and ask directions. Luckely on the way back there was a great landmark (lighthouse) that was very close to where we we staying.

I have been looking at marine GPS. Looked at one for my iPhone but they do not have very many Ontario lakes listed as of yet. Nothing available for my blackberry.

I am hoping to see something at the upcoming Toronto boat show. I will also be looking at a bunch of other stuff as well. I have already purchased a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, PFD's, waterproof flashlight, back up air horn, back up bailer, 50' rope, all the nessessary Canadian coast guard requirements.

Still need towing tubes and trailering boat cover, will look for one specifically for my year and make of boat

LouC · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:00 am

Welcome and good luck with the boat. That's a great starter boat, simple and easy to maintain. If you are going to do your own work get a set of OEM shop manuals, I have them for my old OMC Cobra and it's saved me thousands over the years.
I also like the advice for pulling tubes and skiers. I have never done much of this because I do not trust other boaters to be safe and considerate. We will do it but on days in the summer during the week when no one is out there. Weekends are too crowded with boaters not thinking of other people. If you have not, take a boater safety course. Also with I/Os and inboards certain safety precautions are very important (always sniff for fumes before starting the engine and run the blower). If it does not have one, install an auto bilge switch and a bilge pump of at least 1100 gph capacity. That little 500 gph one the boat comes with is a joke.

Did the boat come with maintenance records? If so find out when the last time the drive was removed for service. An I/O power package requires more maintenance than an outboard. The outdrive should be removed at the end of each season to check for water in the drive bellows and also to check the gimble bearing, ujoints, and input shaft oil seal. Neglecting these points can cost you a lot of money. I do mine each year.
Impellers (raw water pumps) also need regular maintenance and usually replacement is called for each year, or every other in some cases. Both are important to avoid expensive repairs.

ric · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:48 am

I'd follow that advice with the 1100gph auto bilge. There's quite a few stories on this board where bowrider owners nearly lost their boat getting caught in a freak storm due to waves crashing over the bow and the little 500gph bilge not keeping up. Rule is a good brand and don't forget to upgrade the hose/thru-hull size to 1in. Attwood makes some nice stainless steel fittings, don't use plastic junk. If that lake is famous for storms, I'd add a second 1100gph on a manual switch and direct battery circuit only as an emergency backup.

How boats come from the factory and how they should really be configured are two different things. Four Winns gets them closer then most at least.

There's tons of good GPS's out there, but Garmin is quite famous. You can get the GPSMAP 4xx or 5xx series quite cheap and their maps are 2nd to none.

Also, if you got $200 to spare.... install a washdown system. Pressurized water is priceless on a boat. It's amazing how dirty they get and how stupid you look trying to bail in water from cups to clean.

efdog · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:55 am

MuskokaDB wrote:

I have been looking at marine GPS. Looked at one for my iPhone but they do not have very many Ontario lakes listed as of yet. Nothing available for my blackberry.

Get the Navionics Marine and Lakes US and Canada iPhone APP...It will be the best $15 you'll EVER spend. I cant live without it on the water now. I don't even use the chart plotter or my magellan GPS. Navionics integrates your iPhone's GPS and maps can be uploaded over wifi so you don't have to waste data, gives you the depths, speed, ETA's. It's amazing.
I just checked your local lakes, and ALL the Muskoka lakes are listed including buoy locations, undwater cables, marinas, and most importantly depths.

There have been many times where my Navionics app got me home safely when the thick Maritimes fog rolls in without notice.

ric · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:02 pm

The best thing about navionics is that they work on android. You can get a $100 android tablet just for the app and keep it on the boat. If you break it, you're out $100, not $500 for an iphone.

efdog · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:39 pm

ric wrote:

The best thing about navionics is that they work on android. You can get a $100 android tablet just for the app and keep it on the boat. If you break it, you're out $100, not $500 for an iphone.

That's true. Just make sure the hardware you use has a GPS, and you're good to go.

MuskokaDB · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:11 pm

Prior to purchasing this boat I had the local marina check it all over and they thought that it had about 45 hours on the motor and it is in perfect condition. They also winterized it as well. It also came with all maintenance records and it has been serviced regularily. The only reason they were selling is that the husband unfortunately passed away and his wife needed to sell. The entire boat and trailer is in perfect condition. I just had them install a bracket to hold the spare tire and fix the horn, that's all it needed.

This boat came with a blower and an automatic bilge, not sure about the gph but we will not be going out in rough waters.

I checked out Navionics Marine and Lakes US and Canada iPhone APP and it looks great. will get it for sure.

The washdown system sounds interesting, will add it to the list of things to look for at the boat show

Thanks to all for your comments, advise, and assistance. Big help for sure!

Walt · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:15 pm

I did download apps from EarthNC... seems OK. I am most impressed with "Find MO Fish". KC area lakes have very good depth gradients and info. With the inaccuracy of my phone GPS, compared to any Garmin device I own I just don't trust the phone. I spent about two weeks "searching for satelites" in Wyoming (lukily my Nuvi was there!). I am very happy with my eTrex Legend, and even more impressed with my Nuvi loaded with the TOPO maps (search forum, we covered this, if interested). Noone seems to make good lake maps for my area, hence haven't bought the inland lakes software.

ric · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 6:48 pm

I used my Iphone 4 in a small plane flying from Nassau to Ft Lauderdale and at 8k feet going 160kts it had no issue telling me alt, speed, heading, etc but it was hit or miss on GPS lock.

I don't live on a big chain of lakes, but if I did... and getting lost means I run out of gas and stranded... I wouldn't trust a phone.

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