www.iFourWinns.com

Our boating season may have ended before it has even begun, and that may only be the beginning. You might want to check your trailers and/or transoms.

http://www.boatingabc.com/ubb/ultimateb ... /1365.html

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

Thanks for the heads-up Mike. So sorry about that. Hope it's not an ordeal to get fixed and I hope it's cosmetic only. Keep us posted --- I'll be keeping a real close eye on all our corners....

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JustBreathe
'05 230 Horizon

I'm really bummed for ya Mike. I have my boat in storage near the lake and wont be at ease until I check my boat out. Even then, I will be concerned with it. Did you only find cracks on that one side? Please keep us informed what the dealer says. Best of luck.

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05 230 Horizon 350mag Bravo III

Sorry Mike... I re-read your post and you said the craking was on both sides.

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05 230 Horizon 350mag Bravo III

I hope this can be remedied quickly. Sorry, and Amazed to see that on a new Four Winns. Totally out of character IMO.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Mike, Sorry to see those pics!!! I just waxed mine last week and was all over the transom area waxing and didn't notice any cracking. But, I did see some 1" spider cracks around the transom rub rail below the swim deck. I should go ahead and have FW check.

Keep us posted Mike

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05' 250 Horizon
6.2MPI 320HP
Bravo III

Ah..man..What a bummer Mike. I hope all is just cosmetic with the boat. Just went and looked at my 190 and looks like it sets all the way on the bunks, but I will inspect it more carefully from now on.

I also noticed in your other post, about the transom tiedowns. Is there such a thing as getting them to tight? I just noticed on my bow tiedown, a small chip behind the tiedown in the gelcoat and the bottom nut is loose. Should I be concerned?

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2001 FW Horizon 190 w/ 5.0GL PEFS

Thanks for all the good wishes, folks, I truly appreciate it. Updates are posted to the original thread on BABC.

Aquaholic, as to your chip, I'm *clearly* not the 'glass expert around here but it's hard to say without seeing it. I suppose there is such a thing as having tie-downs too tight, but I'd think that would have to be pretty darned tight. As to your chip, could it be a rock chip from your tow vehicle (1st thing that comes to mind since I bought a set of molded mud guards this afternoon). As to the loose nut, I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean inside the hull on one of the two ends of the "U-bolt" that make up the bow eye? If so, you absolutely should have that tight. It's probably obvious to everyone else what you mean; it's been a long day.

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

I have always been told that the bunks should extend at leaset an inch past the transome to provide it with proper support otherwise damage can/will occur. It seems strange the FW would design a trailer for the boat with the transom unsupported.

I have a hard time believing too tight transom straps have anything to do with the damage. The stress on the hull being pushed thru the water over a large wake IMO would have far greater forces affecting the hull than transom straps being ratcheted down on the attachment points. I've also once launched the boat and fortot the transom straps. No damage but it did shear off one eye bolt and straighten out the other. A friend did the same and his transom straps snapped.

As to the "bounce" of the boat. The boat isn't bouncing really, the trailer is flexing (real noticable with aluminum trailers). The weight of the entire boat is/should be on the rear main bunks. The boat bounces only if the boat comes off the bunks. Generally the forward bunks serve a guides only and carry little or no real weight. On the FW trailers which have 4 bunks like my 170 Freedom, you just have the weight distributed over more of the hull surface as oipposed to the trailer of my 288 whwere the two main bunks are very stout and located over a stringer. You can see the flex when you crest the top of a ramp. I've broken a couple winch straps as they get older on steep ramps with the flex of the trailer as the trailer crests the top of the ramp.

I would suggest that you spend a touch of cash and have a surveyor look at the issue for an unbiased and professional evaluation. It will also arm you with some evidence if FW has any questions.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Mike, I read your last post on Boatingabc and for what its worth, I would not accept too much responsibility for not having the boat on the trailer all the way. Weather there is 2 or 10 inches of hangover, the structural integrity of these hulls should be good enough that it shouldn't matter. I have the same boat as you, and if I thought for a minute that these hulls would be that sensitive, I would have purchased a different boat. I appreciate your integrity, just don't let them divert this from the real problem. I looked at my boat and it does not show any signs of cracking. This looks like an isolated manufacturs defect (I hope). I have a feeling that Four Winns will not play hardball with this. If they do, I will gladly write to the them with my two scents about this issue as another Four Winns owner.

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05 230 Horizon 350mag Bravo III

I do symphathize with you Mike -- Hope all gets resolved well --

I find it interesting that when I purchased my boat I used my old trailer and had lots of bunk adjustments to do. When I loaded the boat onto my trailer (not a Four Winns trailer) - I was working to get the boat where the bunks went slightly past the transom. The marina person said "Don't bother -- none of the Four Winns from the factory go to the end and they all work fine, and besides your tongue weight will be too heavy." ---- Well to make a long story short I did get the boat so it is at least even with the transom -- and the tongue weight does not seem expecially heavy (not accurately measured though.) So it does seem that the loading of your boat onto the trailer -- and the bunks not going to the end is common for Four Winns. What I do not think should be there is the gel coat cracks --

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DaleG -- West Palm Beach FL
2003 240Horizon -- 5.7Gi -Duoprop

Thanks guys. I also don't expect to have a big hassle with FW over this (although I don't really know anything yet). After digesting this for a couple of days, I really think this is some sort of defect, hopefully limited to the gel coat, that can be fixed correctly and permanently. Unfortunately it may be a few days before I have anything beyond speculation to report.

I still love this boat and still think it's one of the nicest bowriders out there today, and can't wait to get it back and get on the lakes. I haven't for a moment thought we've made a bad choice of boat. I just hope the fix is thorough and permanent.

I sure appreciate all the support on this, though.

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

Thanks to Mike, I'm keeping an eye on this issue when I retrieve this summer... got her out for the first time on Monday and pulled her up snug, more than I would usually. I was able to reduce the 2" overhang to about 1/4". Took a bit of effort, so it would have been nicer if the bunks were longer, but that should put enough support there. Any news, Mike?

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JustBreathe
'05 230 Horizon

Yep, posted an update on Thursday. They only got started on it in the last day or so (they had a couple of new owners last year who didn't winterize, so they've been tied up replacing engines since last week ). He wasn't quite done sanding out the first side, but he said so far it all looked like it was just mold mark - a surface imperfection only, with no actual breakage or penetration, unrelated to any sort of stress or trailer loading. I dunno. At this point about all I can do is let him finish what he think needs to be repaired, and then use & tow the boat as much as possible for the rest of this year and keep a close eye on it. If it's still OK by the end of this season, I'll start to feel better.

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

That sound's encouraging Mike. I hope it is only superficial damage. My boat
goes in Monday for Gel Coat (gouge) repair. I am hoping it comes back like new.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy