www.iFourWinns.com

For those of you with larger bowriders. How big of water do you boat on? Have you ever had any issues launching / retrieving them?

I live in Southern Mn. Land of 10,000 lakes (well actually I'm just on the southern boarder of what you'd consider lake country). Other than 60 - 80 minutes to the Mississippi or St. Croix rivers, it's all smaller lakes around me. Since I bought my boat I've had numerous people say things like "you can't use that around here can you?" or "Where do find a lake you can use that on?"

I honestly haven't had any serious issue with it. I'm sure you've all experienced the new boat phenomenon, where you have to get used to any particular boat and trailer combo, but that wasn't a "problem".

We've rented a summer cabin on a 300 acre lake in northern Mn, that is plenty deep. 300 acres sounds small, but it's 1 1/4 miles long x 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide, has no public access, is surrounded by hills and trees, and we're usually the only ones on the lake (besides the Loons and Eagles). A 24' boat on such a lake may sound odd, but we might do it next year. My only concern is getting it out of the lake. The only launch we have access to is at the cabin, it's a nice deep drop off so that's not an issue but pulling it out and up the hill may be an issue if the ground is wet.



As I'm beginning the process of reserving a cabin again for next summers vacation, the fact that my boat is now 5' longer and 1,500 lbs heavier is weighing on my mind. I can't imagine what a bummer it would be to get up to the cabin and find that we couldn't launch our boat. Or maybe worse, that we couldn't get it out. Actually at the lake we go to we could probably ask one of the other cabins with less hill for access to their launches, but not sure how deep they are.

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

I think it has as much or more to do with your tow vehicle as it does with the boat. Our "day lake" is an hour away and has a few different ramps. Since my wife isn't fond of backing the boat, we use a ramp that is very wide and very long & shallow. That presents a challenge getting the boat off and (more) getting it back on, but it works and she's reasonably comfortable with it.

The lake we prefer to boat on, Table Rock, is several hours away. We usually spend a week there every summer, boating every minute of it. There are a thousand ramps there, but after 5 years we still have trouble finding one we can use because everything there is so steep (Table Rock can easily be 200' deep, 100' from shore). We've launched on ramps where the whole rig slid to the water with all 4 wheels on the truck locked up (not fun) and there was obviously no way we could retrieve there. If I had a 4WD truck with a higher capacity, more of those ramps would be usable for us. I'm one of those (seemingly rare) people who believe that 90% of the truck owners with 4WD have no real use for it. Unfortunately, retrieving a boat is one area where 4WD can be a real asset.

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

Mike,

Your day lake must be Lake Clinton. I used that lake for about a year while stationed in KS and remember having to back the rear bumper of my suburban completely in the water in order to get the boat off/on the trailer. As our suburban is also 2WD, there is definitely a fine line between a ramp that is too shallow (having to back so far into the water) and a ramp that is too steep (crossing your fingers with the two back tires spinning on a wet ramp). The ramps we use here in Colorado seem just about right as far as the grade goes and the grooved concrete helps with the traction.

As for redblur's dillema - On the southern MN lake, without an improved ramp and such a heavy boat, I would definitely worry about getting "stuck in the mud" when trying to haul that H230 out of the water. On the other hand, I would love to have a small lake all to myself and my boat for just a few days. Even if I didn't have enough room to get it on plane, just floating and trolling would be nice.

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Scott
2008 Horizon 210 Frenzy Edition
Volvo 5.7L Gi

Nope, Perry. Never been to Clinton actually.

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

Thanks for the replies.

The lake is definitely big enough to get up on plane. At 1.25 miles long, fairly narrow and sheltered from the wind it's actually just about the ideal water sports lake. For the most part the lake is completely yours from mid morning until dinner time, when you have to share it with one or two fishing boats or pontoons. It takes a decent wind to get any sort of ripple on it. And it's big enough to turn the boat at full speed.

If it didn't work out so nice for stuff like that I wouldn't bother again. But it works well, and I know the owner so it's a little more "casual" than renting from a stranger.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Lower+Balsam+Lake&sll=47.502209,-93.342886&sspn=0.008147,0.01929&g=43257+County+Road+333,+Bovey,+MN+55709&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lower+Balsam+Lake&ll=47.502359,-93.345423&spn=0.032587,0.077162&t=h&z=14

As far as 4x4. Although most of our Mn winters have been Missouri winters lately (much to the disappointment of us snowmobilers) we can still occasionally use the 4x4 and there is no way I would pull my boat with a 4x2, just because most of the ramps around here are gravel. I wouldn't even have pulled my old 19' with a 4x2. Besides, around here a 4x2 is like a nice boat with a too small engine. It won't sell until they finally darn near give it away, whether the people actually need it or not is irrelevant because they think they do.

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

Yep - unfortunately, I purchased a 4X2 in Alabama where nobody drives 4WD, but being in the military, I am now in Colorado, where I might end up needing 4WD in the winter. Made it through last winter without it, so I will press my luck again this winter.

Also have parents who live near Detroit Lakes in MN, so will bring the 2WD Suburban up for the holidays. Figured that if the interstate isn't driveable with a 2WD vehicle, it probably isn't safe for a 4WD either.

Your lake sounds perfect. Let me know how the launching/recovering operations go and I might be your new best boating friend next summer . The great thing about the lake that my folks are on is that we just wait until the "weekenders" go home, then we have glass conditions for water skiing.

Oh - Mike, Flipped a coin between using Perry or Clinton, but somebody advised against Perry due to the aquatic nuisance mussels in Perry vice Clinton...didn't know any better at the time. I'll bet that the ramps at Perry and Clinton were identical...long and shallow.

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Scott
2008 Horizon 210 Frenzy Edition
Volvo 5.7L Gi

We own a nice cottage about 1 1/2 hours north of us here in Michigan thats on a 300 acre lake. We just bought a new 2011 H210 SS and we have plenty of room on the lake. In fact I wouldn't want too much bigger body of water personally. Our lake is perfect for haulin ass, tubing, skiing or fishing. You really don't need all that much to have a major blast. We have Houghton lake about 45 min north of our cottage, and its gigantic, something like 20,000 acres!! But if you talk to the locals they say the wind can pick up a little and the lake is damn near un-boat-able with the waves and chop.

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2011 H210 SS
MerCruiser 350 MPIC/Bravo I 300hp
"Crooked Wake"


Prior Boat
1999 Bayliner 1950 CL

They say Perry has them, but I've yet to see one, even on the boats that are slipped there year around. I figure, if ever there was a lake that would benefit from the cleaning effect of zebras, Perry is it.

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

I just cant wrap my brain around boating on 300 acres. In Texas a 300 acre lake is a no gas motor lake. Does everyone have to take turns boating?

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I put my 18' in a smaller 200 acre lake and I'd put a 24' in there if I had one. It seems like overkill and ticks off the couple of guys fishing, but it is great having a smaller lake to yourself and also being able to do watersports on a windy day. Probably not the best for cruising around though.

There is a concrete launch where we go, which could be a major difference maker. Without knowing the actual condition of the launch at the cottage, I'd also be concerned about the ground becoming soft and pulling that much weight out.

Basically - yes, although there is usually no one else around! The most our lake has had going is 3 boats, on busy days.

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-Rob.


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

Yep, I take turns with myself . Actually no. There would be enough room to have a few boats out there doing watersports at once and they'd still be less cramped than some busy lakes.

How many times have you been on a larger lake when it's windy and the few places sheltered from the wind are crammed with boats all trying to find the calm water? This one is sheltered and private. You've got a 1.25 mile run of calm water, can turn at speed, and once you're over your own wake you're on calm water again for 1.25 miles. It sounds counter intuitive, but very few lakes that I've been on give you that much calm open water to yourself. May different parts of the country are different, but we get some decent winds around here so finding the calm water is always the question.

My question was more about wondering if people have run into problems getting bigger boats into and out of lakes. I've been to the lake with a smaller boat and loved it, would do it again in a heart beat if things work out. And honestly I'd have to say that 95% of people looking for a "water sports" weekend would fall in love with the setup too. Now looking for a place to cruise around and explore or sight see is a different story.

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

I think between this board and BABC you have your question answered. If there is a decent launch ramp, grass is not too wet, it is not muddy, the neighbors don't mind you launching, you should not run into problems launching. Since you don't mind boating in a small circle all day doing watersports, I would say it's a go.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

That Ramp looks like it could get pretty messy with a 24' boat, is there any concrete or gravel or is it just like backing straight into the lake? If it's not too steep, I guess there really isn't anything too bad that could happen aside from the truck getting stuck.

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2001 190 Horizon
Volvo Penta SX - 5.0GL
\t

There is crushed rock into the lake and the shore is a mix of dirt and rock. This is in the Mn iron range so in general the ground is fairly rocky.

At the risk of giving this dead horse a little more beating, this post kind of got off into the wrong direction, as I wasn't really asking about the size of this particular lake.

I'm more wondering how common it is to find a lake access that you can't get a bigger boat into or out of? Some of my friends and neighbors think I can't use my boat on smaller lakes, but they're not boaters and I've never run into that situation yet. As I search for cabins, some of them are on lakes that are maybe questionable as far as being able to get in and out of. I've found a couple cabins on smaller lakes, that are in an area with several larger lakes, which would be the ideal situation, but would suck if we couldn't have the boat on the lake where our cabin was. Some of the private people I deal with seem fairly knowledgeable about the access, others either don't really know or are specifically giving me a noncommittal answer. The Mn DNR website sometimes lists public ramps and if they're gravel or concrete, etc. but I know my father in law lives on a lake with a concrete ramp that I'd never be able to get my current (or my old) boat into because it's such a shallow drop off and the lake is so low that I'd have to have the truck parked 20' past the end of the dock to be in deep enough water.

I realize there are ramps that the only thing you're going to get in is a 16' aluminum fishing boat, but has anyone ever run into a ramp that you could get a 18' runabout but not a 24'?

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

Sorry I started my post in a little bit of the wrong direction, but what I was getting at basically was that so long as you think the lakes big enough and there aren't any size regulations, imo why not try it. You should be able to get it in, at which time you will realize if there will be a problem getting it out, which would give you a little bit of time to figure out/make a plan/find somewhere else to take it out. I've ran into some pretty shallow ramps up north her in WI, but the biggest limiting factor I ever run into is the width of the drive leading up to the ramps at a few lakes.

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2001 190 Horizon
Volvo Penta SX - 5.0GL
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