www.iFourWinns.com

Periodically, like everyone else, I browse the boats for sale online. I'm not actively in the market, but like to see what is available at what price (just in case). I keep seeing a 210 for sale with the 5.0, 220hp Merc for 25k and couldn't help but think that it's underpowered to have been for sale for quite some time. So I got to thinking what the next logical step for us may be.

Something like the 210 doesn't seem to add all that much interior space than what I have today. Since most of my 18' is interior space due to the smaller platform and my boat is already 8' wide, it seems like I would be only gaining a sun pad and swim platform.

Of course, upgrading also means I can no longer store in my garage (or my nice friend's for the winter) and need to have full time storage. Indoor is preferred, but adds a lot to monthly costs.

My wife likes the Yamaha AR240 boats, but I'm still not 100% sold on having jets vs a traditional drive and also how that boat would hold up over the long term. Since we primarily do water sports, tubing, and hanging out, something that handles some chop well and can entertain is ideal. I like the idea of a tower for trying to improve my wakeboard skills.

I tend to lean towards the H240 as the size that I would like to have, but it may seem too large when we go to some of the smaller lakes. It just doesn't feel like I would be adding all that much until I got to that point.

I also like the Nautiques, but some water I'm in can get shallow and my wife isn't sold on having an inboard after riding in a friends Moomba (I'm sure the ride of the Nautique is a lot different than a direct drive ski boat)

My other problem is that I still like my boat. It has ample power, a fair amount of interior space, I can keep it in my garage, and takes very little effort to launch/retrieve. However it is getting up there in age and it gets used basically every weekend May - September.

Anyone else go through this when thinking of upgrading? Thoughts on what to look at when browsing?

I've also mentioned smaller cruiser styles (248) so we could take the shortcut over to Michigan , but that didn't go well

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Think about the money it will take to flip & then all the other things you could do. For me, I'd rather get every bit of investment out of my boat by using it to death rather than selling it now for 60% of what I paid a few years ago. Keep your boat - buy a new sound system for it or some other cool upgrade and just use it - to death.

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Mojo
North East River, MD
04 268

I agree with your assessment about not gaining much room until you get into the 240 range. But also consider whether you have enough tow vehicle to pull 6,500# or what the added cost would be to deal with that. On the other hand, I'm going on 6 years in a 230/240 and still have no desire for a bigger boat. I like that.

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

We went from a 20' Crownline to an SL242. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE everything about the SL but it is harder to get to and from the lake. It is HEAVY and the Z71 pulled it but we knew it was back there and it burned a lot of gas pulling it. I have since sold the truck and decided the dry storage cost out weighs the towing vehicle gas(plus it is just nice to get out of the boat and go home) and the local dealership can pick up and deliver for service cheaper than I could deliver it. If you love what you have, Put a tower on it, upgrade the stereo like was mentioned above and a few other upgrades and use it until it will not go anymore.

Or you could go buy a new boat, that is also a bunch of fun.

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Askieffer
2009 SL242

Being honest with myself and you guys... I should have stayed with the H200 I originally bought. It had lots of room for our family and did OK the few times we had guests. We upgraded for the washroom (A big mistake since it ended up being useless for adults) We didn't do enough hands on research and it bit us in the A$$.
If I could go back in time I would add a nice bimini and camper canvas as well as extended swim platform to the H200 and call it a day. I would then also buy a camper so when the water isn't inviting we could jump in the camper and go inland! The best of both worlds IMO.

I need this season under my belt with our cruiser to see if this opinion changes

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I agree with you & Mike that you need to go considerably bigger to get the same amount of cockpit room you have now. Most newer model runabouts seem to put too much emphasis on sunpads at the expense of cockpit room, in my opinion.

It sounds like you're thinking about it the right way. For me, the three biggest factors in an upgrade decision are 1) cost (obvious), 2) towability and 3) storage.

The best news is you're sitting in the driver's seat. You've got a boat that works for you, but if the conditions are right then you have the opportunity to upgrade. I sat in this position for years before finally pulling the trigger on our current boat. People thought I was nuts when I bought some land and built a storage garage (my Toybox) 5+ years ago. I built it big enough for the biggest boat I could conceive owning given my boating style (large trailerable runabout for inland rivers/lakes). Three years ago I upgraded my tow vehicle to 8,800 lbs. Last year, I finally pulled the trigger when I found the right deal.

It's a big decision, but as I said above, you're in the driver's seat. Take your time and enjoy the drive.

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2005 FW Horizon 250
8.1L VP DP

Keep your options open , keep looking at everything you can. You never know what you will find that might just be the right boat for you. A buddy of mine is considering an upgrade to 20 to 24 ft. BR. I showed him this one. He is coonsidering it.
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/2241030939.html

As spring gets closer here in the midwest, you will find more and more of a selection to choose from. No matter what the brand. Enjoy the hunt !

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

My problem is I like money even more then boating. I did the 2 foot-itist thing a few years back, and looking back at all the money that was left behind still chaps me. I will stick with the old 200ss till she sinks. Oneday I will own a 65' houseboat but it will be a cash and carry deal, I hate bills.

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I can vouch for Joe on this....

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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

Interesting question about upgrading/downsizing. I've had smaller boats for years, mainly as runabouts at the cottage, skiing/tubing with the kids, and a few day trips. We decided on the 205 a couple years ago, as it was a decent size with a cuddy - so it could still serve as a cottage boat, yet also as something we could use to take longer overnight trips. We've used it twice for big trips (8 days once, 10 days another time), and while its been great, its good on gas, it can go places lots of bigger boats can't or shouldn't, and I can tow it to different places - it does have its limitations. It can be pretty uncomfortable in heavy water, its hard to pack and cook your own meals, and getting in and out of the cuddy is getting harder on the knees and back! I have to admit, I do look enviously at other, larger boats (especially Vistas...), and wonder if it's worth it to upgrade, as that would mean no longer storing it at the cottage, higher costs and less flexibility (for example limited or no towing).

Interestingly, in chatting with people on our trips in the last two years, several cruiser people admired our boat and said they had "the most fun boating when they had a smaller boat like mine" - then they said goodnight and retired to their cabin with the AC, full bar and 42" flat screen to remember those good old days....

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2005 Sundowner
2008 Highlander V6

For what it's worth, you sound exactly like us last year. We had a 19' that we liked and suited our needs except maybe a little cramped sometimes (OK, a lot cramped sometimes).

We really liked the Yamaha's a few years ago but when we went back to look at them they lacked a lot of the appeal they used to have for us, plus we couldn't find a decent used one for a good price to even consider.

I also briefly considered a ski boat, but the price and the things you mentioned steered me away. Although a friend of mine who owned one kept reminding me that while you can't trim them up, they draft less so it's not as bad as you'd think. Still, there are definitely things we do that an I/O is better suited for.

Finally, we boat almost every weekend and we wanted something that would fit in our garage.

Actually the 230/240 wasn't even on my radar because it was "too big". But I found one close by that had a good price so I went to look at it. It turns out that one was underpowered but I really liked it. And as you said I realized that it offered so much more than the 21' - 22'ers we'd looked at. A few weeks later I found the one I got for too good a price to pass up, and since I'd already looked at the first one, I knew the boat well enough to jump fast.

Our favorite local lake is about 1200 acres and almost all of the lakes we go to are in the 1000 - 1500 acre range, with trips to the Mississippi and Lake Pepin or the St. Croix a few times a year. On the local lakes, most of the time we are the biggest boat there. Definitely the biggest bow rider. But in reality the only time it seems "huge" is when it's in the parking lot. When everyone else has 18' - 22' boats the 230 really stands "above the crowd" literally. But launching or on the water, we haven't found any drawbacks. IMO it's actually the perfect size for someone in our situation. It's not too big to take where we do, but it's big enough to take on the occasional "big water".

Oh, and while it's a monster in the garage, it does fit (after putting in a 8' door).

I have every intention of keeping this boat for many, many years. I told my 10 year old twins that I expect to take there kids on it. Who knows if I will, but the idea was to buy one that fit our needs for many years.

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2005 Horizon 230 5.7 GXi/DP "Nauti Addiction"
Towed with a 2003 Suburban Z71

That is definitely a concern, I don't think the Explorer is up to the task

I'll likely search for a storage facility this year that I can "grow into" with requirements of a minimum 8' door, 10' wide and 30' deep. The trouble is finding something convenient for under $200/mo. I would like a personal unit, which would allow me to store all of the boat stuff in it and free up some garage space.

I know I'm in no hurry, which provides me the luxury of browsing, since I have a perfectly good boat that fits our needs.



Similar here, my in-laws live on a really small 200 acre lake that we also boat in for a couple of weeks out of the summer. Yes it is small, but it is great for watersports since there is absolutely no traffic, plus I can also keep my boat in the water

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

We started out with a storage unit exactly like you described - 30' deep, 10' wide door, but the door was also 10' or 11' high (can't remember which), and I would recommend that. When we first bought this boat we were paying $190/month for the unit. It was great - close to home, clean, 24 hour gated access, actively managed, problem tenants dealt with promptly, etc. About 2 years later the facility was bought out by a national conglomerate. The place went downhill fast. Bags of garbage were left laying around for over a year (with no attempt to find the perpetrators, let alone clean it up), they tried to eliminate the 24 hour access, they got rid of amenities like vending machines on the premises, etc. - and to top it off they raised the rent over 26% in 3 years. The last increase was the last straw. We moved the boat and all the extra household stuff to a different facility - same size unit - for $90/month. I hate not having it close to home, but on the other hand it's very close to where we boat most often. I figure the inconvenience of towing it home a couple times per year for maintenance is the tradeoff for saving all that money. Nothing would be as nice as a large enough garage at home, though.

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

+1

I need to stick close to home with my storage unit since I'm within a 10-20 minute drive from about 10 different lakes and I use my boat about 2-3 times per week in the summer. I'll probably have to pay a higher premium, but convenience is a requirement.

I also thought about extending my driveway next to my garage to be able to park it next to the garage, but I would prefer to have it stored indoors. If I'm going to cover it, it's going to be in a slip somewhere. My problem with the slip is that the lake we enjoy the most does not have slips for rent. The local lake that does have slips available is very expensive, has been closed the past two summers late in the year, and has a weedy, muck bottom.

My other option is Lake Michigan boating, but the water is very cold compared to the inland lakes, I'd need a much bigger boat, and I'm afraid I'd spend too much time on Cap'n's side of the lake

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Robbo should you end up going a little bigger and need an indoor winter storage place cheap I can help you out there if you don't mind coming up my way just for the winter months. I store my boat at a guys house that has two large pole sheds that he rents out for storage at a rate of $20.00/month no matter the size of your boat! I basically take my boat there at the end of Oct. and pick it up around the begining to the middle of May and he charges me $120.00 for the whole winter. Just a thought if you go bigger and need winter storage. What is the Explorer rated to tow? We have a 25' Baja that with the trailer and fuel pushes about 6000 lbs. and I tow it with my Trailblazer no problem. Granted I do not take on the highway or above speeds of 50mph, but it does the job for now until I can get a bigger truck. We do only tow a few miles however each way to the lake, but it has no problem pulling it out of the water. My Trailblazer is an LTZ though that has a heavier tow package than a standard model and I did install air bags in the rear to help level the truck out when towing the boat.

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1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)