www.iFourWinns.com

Finally got the boat wet yesterday. This is by far the latest first outing we've ever had. Good stuff, though. In a few short hours we accomplished the following:

1. I finished replacing all the fender liner screws with stainless machine screws & stainless nylock nuts. I got one side done in storage with the boat on the trailer, but it was a major PITA doing it that way. I decided to take the tools & materials to do the other side with me to the lake, and was able to get the other side done in just a few minutes while my wife and the boys loitered a short distance away...

2. ...Which gave my wife the first time experiences of driving the boat off the trailer and bringing it in to a dock (to pick me up). We smited three El Guapo's with one stone.

3. Installed my new handheld GPS mount. I've wanted to add one of these since we first got this boat, and now wish I'd gotten done a lot sooner. That thing is the bee's knees. Being able to see your position on the lake without even turning your head is awesome. I don't need a GPS in the boat around here, but on the very big lakes like Table Rock and especially since we like night boating, it's extremely useful there.

4. I think we finally figured out how to load the boat without power loading. I think we found the right combination of trailer depth (deep!) and winch handling so that we'll have far less dependence on the engine than we've had in the past to get loaded. The 240 sits very high on its trailer - the only way to make it trailerable without a permit (I could probably tow with the drive down and stand a good chance of not hurting anything) - so this aspect has been a challenge.

5. Spent several hours in a calm cove swimming, talking, hanging out, and not burning gas .

A good day.

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

Congrats on FINALLY getting out. You will always wonder how you got along without a GPS once you have one. It's likda like a DVR...

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Mike,

Where at? Table Rock? PdT? Smithville?

Going over the 4th?

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Dave, I've had a GPS for years - actually I'm on my 3rd one. It's the boat mount that's new. I've used them in the boat from the beginning, but always having to look down, pick it up, orient it in my hand, put it back down, etc. This is heaven compared to that.

Paul, it was just Perry. But given this much-delayed first outing, I would've been happy putting it in a bathtub. Given the timing (just went yesterday), I doubt we'll get out over the holiday weekend. On the other hand, we frankly haven't discussed it yet, so who knows.

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

Its good to hear the boat getting into its natural habitat
Ardy
South Oz

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

At least you were able to get out before July Given the spring this year, that's probably a reasonable goal for some.


I wonder if this is the case with all FW trailers. A couple of times we've left ours slightly trimmed up pulling out, and have had enough clearance to avoid draggin the skeg on the ramp

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-Rob.


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

No, it depends on the model. I don't know where in the model line the change occurs (maybe with the 240?) but the smaller boats sit down between the fenders, at least to a greater degree. The 240 sits literally on top of them. My neighbor has a 1995 190 (still looks and runs like a brand-new boat except for the fact that he was run into at Table Rock a couple of weeks ago) and he's always amazed when he sees how high this sits compared to his.

Anyway, I haven't yet made the mistake of forgetting to raise the drive when pulling out, but it's somewhat comforting to know there's some margin for error down there .

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

What GPS do you have, and any pics of the mount? I have a Garmin GPSMap 76Csx and had a mount for it in my Sea Ray, but have yet to mount it in my 225.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Garmin eTrex Vista Cx. I've got a couple of pics, I'll update this in a few minutes.

That 76CSx is the bomb .

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

Mike,
Did you really get your boat in the water? Or is this just a story so we wouldn't bug the $hit out of you if you didn't have your boat in by July 4 weekend?

Maybe you were just "geo-caching" (treasure hunt with your gps) with that new handheld gps unit.....

Glad to hear you got her out. Did you have to drag the "reluctant" kid with you or were they elsewhere?

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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

Where are your trip pics??

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

I think Marc is on to something. Mike was geocaching with the family in the city park. Come to think of it, I don't think he has a four winns. My guess is a snubby bayliner.

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Ya, pics or it didn't happen Mike.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Now THAT hurts.

Tough crowd! OK, I only have crummy pics because I spent the whole time trying to learn the ropes with a new underwater housing for my camera. I thought I was having trouble with camera settings, but after looking at them at home I realized it wasn't working because the water was so muddy! Damned Kansas lakes.







Geocaching - been there, done that - I pretty much gave it up a couple of years ago when that dumba$$ decided HE didn't want to support virtuals anymore. I always learned something when I did a virtual. I learn nothing by looking for an ammo box full of happy meal toys.

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

Sooo .... ummm .........






Who's boat is that, in the background?

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner