Something BIG is coming from FW...what????

JeffLW · **Posted:** Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:48 pm

usje141 wrote:

If it gets filled with water I would imagine you just make it into a hot tub.

You may be on to something. If that was a hot tub up front I'd be interested. Otherwise I'd rather have the cabin space.

ric · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:35 am

OOps

Jdpber · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 11:09 am

RotaryRacer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 11:29 am

Maybe it is a hot tub. FW put a hot tub in a boat before....

But really I'm failing to see the point of a 43'+ bowrider....that you have to go up steps at the helm, squeeze through a window then take 3-4 more steps down to get to the bow seating...

And in the process of making this boat a bowrider what have you done to the interior space. I can imagine that most of the underdeck bow area is now just unusable space.

FW makes the H310....I'm wondering how many of those they have sold? I imagine that to put a business case together that an even larger bowrider was a smart move there had to be some very compelling evidence.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 11:38 am

H310 has been a very poor seller, same with the V305. And so too will be this abomination. Relatively cheap for them to make, existing V435 hull, sawzall out the V-berth and deck, insert bow seating, add glue and a few screws, done.
The Cadillac area is well known in Michigan as a haven for Medical marijuana growers. Apparently some of "Frenchy's" staff has been burning a few too many blunts lately. :wink:

RotaryRacer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:16 pm

Maybe it goes without saying, but I think it is clear that FW has spent far more time developing products for the Euro market and probably the Dubai & Asian markets than the US. Which from a business standpoint makes sense.

I'm still not seeing how this H440 thing really fits the traditional "mold" for those markets. In fact now that they are owned by Beneteau, I wonder if this product is sort of a still born, dead on arrival sort of thing. I think the parent company has the Euro market figured out. Of course it could be the total opposite and it is the this new parent that determined this product was the direction they wanted to take the product line. Maybe this hacked up express is simply the best they could muster within a few months of one of the first major shows of the season.

If you look at the current product developments from a company like Chris Craft you see a clear divergence from the traditional "Cabin Cruiser" (express, sedan or otherwise) style boats. Day boats are what it is all about.

I think the H310 was sort of the FW ultimate dayboat product for that niche. But, obviously they saw a hole in the market that they felt needed to be filled.

Basically my read on the H440 is that it is taking a relatively good express cruiser and making it into a dayboat. There are many inherent compromises.

ric · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:18 pm

Well, considering they're not going out of their way to make the H440, why not?

I'm still waiting to win the lottery so I can buy an H290

Jdpber · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:42 pm

for $200k why not just grab up one of these.. tons of boat for the money. bow master with stateroom shower, bunk room, guest stateroom. hall hull bath, inclosed full pilot house with huge L couch, nice size galley, adequate salon with huge couch, nice cockpit and large swim platform. Spaciouse fly bridge. so much more boat for the $$ and has a nice size engine room that you can actually work on the engines, ocean capable.. boom done.. 2 freaking wet bars one upstairs and one down.. i mean come the **** on this is a much better bang for the dollar..

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2000-Bayliner-4788-Pilot-House-Motoryacht-102328152

blue dragon · **Joined:** Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:01 pm **Posts:** 792

I'd like an H290 as well, but not at the price they are asking.

ric · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:13 pm

LOL bayliner

Jdpber · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 2:21 pm

that is a lot of boat for the money. Twin cummins 370s for 740Hp of thrust.. on place and cruises mid 30s, high bow, Davot crane. a hell of a lot more than what this retarded FW will offer and i am sure that bow rider fly bridge FW will demand 400+ so one would be stupid to not seek out other options.. No BL is not the cadilac of the sea but select models have good characteristics and equipment and this model is one of them.. I have spend a good deal of time on this model and i would own one hands down before many others of its size out on the market.

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:51 pm

ric wrote:

LOL bayliner

Believe it or not, those big Bayliners were well built yachts. There are two mid to late 90 models at our club (a 50' Pilot House and a 45' Flybridge MY) and I couldn't believe they were Bayliners when I first found out. Very seasoned boaters own them too.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:58 am

298VISTA2000 wrote:

ric wrote:

LOL bayliner

Believe it or not, those big Bayliners were well built yachts. There are two mid to late 90 models at our club (a 50' Pilot House and a 45' Flybridge MY) and I couldn't believe they were Bayliners when I first found out. Very seasoned boaters own them too.

My point exactly.. it is like after 40' bayliner is a totally different company.. now you would not catch me even riding in one of the smaller runabouts.

clayton · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:31 am

Spoke with Four Winns directly yesterday pertaining to an unrelated issue and the service technician instructed me that the "something big" announcement is not a bow rider....would not divulge actual topic only confirm that a bow rider like the posted pics in this forum is not the announcement.

RotaryRacer · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:46 am

clayton wrote:

Spoke with Four Winns directly yesterday pertaining to an unrelated issue and the service technician instructed me that the "something big" announcement is not a bow rider....would not divulge actual topic only confirm that a bow rider like the posted pics in this forum is not the announcement.

If that is the case, their teaser photos are intentionally misleading. Which I don't have a problem with, as long as the real announcement is better and more appealing.

www.iFourWinns.com

Something BIG is coming from FW...what????

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