www.iFourWinns.com

How's it going everybody. After doing a bit of research I stumbled upon this forum and figured it would be the perfect place to seek some information and advice. Before I get into any details I figured I'd provide a bit of a preface for this story. Growing up my family spent our summer weekends out on the river with our Horizon 195 Cuddy (not sure of the year.) Anyways this boat was Dad's pride and joy for years and his way of getting away from the regular stress of his life. He was a cop in one of the most dangerous areas of Maryland as well as a former Marine and Vietnam Vet and I could tell this boat was his one outlet to "get away" for awhile.

Dad's health had been declining over the years and in 2000 we discovered he had throat cancer. After putting up a tough fight and giving in to radiation treatments, the cancer finally went away but he was left with a severe case of emphysema. Dad continued to work, even after retiring from law enforcement, in order to support us. The boat unfortunately was never used again once we found out that he had cancer and has sat covered up outside for the greater portion of this decade. Unfortunately, Dad passed away in 2004 when I was a senior in high school. The boat has continued to sit outside, mostly untouched until today, when I decided to pull the cover off of it for the first time in awhile. Looking around inside the cab I found an old polaroid my mother took of us as kids jumping off the boat and swimming around.

This is where I begin to ask for help from anyone who is willing to share their experience and knowledge. I'm 22 now, just graduated from college and would really like the experience and opportunity to get Dad's boat up and running again so my family can once again enjoy those weekends out on the river like we did so many years ago before my father passed away.

I really want to know where I should begin in getting the boat back to working condition. I'm mechanically inclined so most repairs shouldn't be a problem but I'm a Jeep fanatic and know nothing about marine motors or boats which is where I'll need the most help. Giving it a decent look, the boat still looks to be in pretty decent condition. I pulled the motor cover off and it looks to be in great shape. I am pretty sure that the boat was winterized before the last time we ever used it so where should I begin??? Any help is welcome and greatly appreciated as I attempt to restore what my father found so much joy in.

Welcome and great story. Let's make your dad proud.

I think the first thing would be to take several or numerous pictures so the forum can look things over good first. Then we go from there. Open a photobucket account to post your pictures. maybe some of the other guys have a better way we can view them.

Look for the serial numbers for the boat, the engine and the outdrive. Any additional info will help.

What's your location?

Already have a photobucket account that I use for my Jeep forums so hosting pics shouldn't be a problem, just need to find the camera.

Here's the info I can get right now...I found this stamped on the right of the transom...I'm guessing it's the VIN # 4WNMH064E686

Motor is a Mercruiser Alpha One 185/V6. The serial # for the drive unit is OA598243.

Also the Maryland boat registration sticker stuck on the side was for 1998 so thats probably around the last time it saw water. There is also a sticker on the back from what I'm guessing is the boat dealership we originally got it from. Figured I'd give them a call tomorrow and see if they are still in business and might have some info.

Thanks again in advance for the help, pics will follow once I can find my camera. Definitely looking forward to some wrenching/repair time.

BTW I'm located in Upper Marlboro, MD.

What an outstanding project; you are to be commended! I've often wished I could find the 16' Starcraft we had when I was a kid. "'75 Johnson, 'lectric choke."

Of course the other reason to take lots of pics is so that you have good before & after.

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

WElcome to the board and this is a great story. Awesome that the boat stayed in the family all these years. Lets see some pics of it and get you started on your way back to the lake.

_________________
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)

Plan to take as many pictures as I can tomorrow. I'm going to clean it up as much as I possibly can. I know it definitely needs some hardcore buffing and waxing. It's been covered pretty well with a canvas snap on cover and a tarp but I can tell moisture got inside by the slight mildew stains on the seats and interior. Any decent cleaning products that will get rid of most of this?

I would worry more about getting the motor running first before you spend to much time on the cosmetics. If you have a local West Marine store I would stop in and browse through the chemicals they sell. Not sure what works good on mildew. I am sure some others here will have advice on this.

_________________
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)

For some reason I feel that cleaning it up first will get me more motivated to work on it. Plus there is a ton of crap on the inside of it, mostly old rafts and stuff. I like having a clean working space. Other than that as far as the motor goes...the battery was disconnected so I'm not sure if its still good or not after sitting for so long. I planned to give it a jump and then put it back in to see if I can get the electronics to work. I cant find the key right now so I'm going to have to search around the house a bit. I figured I would start small and work my way up with it. On that note though, what should I begin to look for as far as a checklist goes? I'd love to be able to hook the battery up and have it crank right up but thats wishful thinking.

I think that getting this boat running again would be a great project for you because it is part of your family heritage....more than just some fiberglass...wood...cast iron and aluminum...
Anyway...you have some real work here...one is that the engine may be locked up from rust....I hope it was well fogged when put away...the other is the fuel tank will have to be cleaned out...carb cleaned and rebuilt...fuel lines replaced...those are the basics....if the engine is locked up there are ways of freeing it up. What I would suggest is go over to
http://www.iboats.com and joint the I/O forum...of the boating forums I visit...this one has the most knowledgable mechanics....ask your questions there...
and good luck with it....don't be discouraged if it takes a while and a fair amount of money to get this going again....in the end it's part of your family heritage worth preserving....
I spend 2006 and part of 2007 resurrecting my '88 Horizon that had a rotted deck and stringers...I did some of it myself but hired out the worst of it to the 'glass shop...and in the end it came out great...cost some money...but I ran the boat second half of 2007...all of 2008 and now again in 2009...21 years old and still going....

BTW I am a Jeep nut too...still driving my old 98 ZJ (Grand Cherokee) I test drove a 2007 Grand Limited with the 5.7 today...this one is a rocket ship...it takes off like a '69 Charger and drives great...may wind up buying this one if the price is right and it checks out...

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Spray Nine is designed for mildew and will clean just about anything in the boat.

http://spraynine.com/marine/

Good Luck on a great project!!

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2010 H190 4.3VP
Tow Vehicle:
2007 F150
Previous boats:
2009 H180 3.0VP
1996 Horizon QX 3.0VP

Awesome story and I cant wait to see the progress of this boat!

Yeah, its wishful thinking to think that battery is going to work.

Without seeing it, its hard to come up with a REAL plan of action, but if it were me:

1. Buy a manual for this boat (or download one?)
2. Full clean, inside and out. I too like a clean working area.
3. Buy new oil filter, fuel filter, fuel/water seperation filter, outdrive oil, engine oil, engine oil filter,impeller, spark plugs, wires and distributor cap/rotor. CHANGE ALL OF THEM before even trying to run the boat.
4. If possible, drain the fuel tank. Be sure to inspect the fuel lines. Add some fresh fuel and some fuel additive that can eat away the varnish.
5. Inspect as much of the wiring as you can possibly see. Rodents can do some serious damage.
6. Remove and lube the prop/shaft somewhere along this maintenance check up.

After all of these have been done, I would try to run the boat on the hose in the driveway. Going this route gives you some "insurance" that many of the key components are new and should in theory be in good running condition. From here, this can go 2 ways....fire right up and run, or lead you down the path of additional troubleshooting.

Being optimistic that its going to crank up and run well, DO NOT put the boat into the water until you have checked a few more things:

1. Blower works
2. Bilge pump works
3. Boat goes into and out of forward and reverse properly.
4. Power trip goes up and down.
5. Steering works properly

Best of luck and be sure to show us some pics!!! When you take the pics, be sure to take a picture of the dash so we can answer any gauge questions that may come up.

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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

The way I see it there are a couple of crucial issues in re-viving a boat that has not been used for that long....
1) if the engine was not fogged...the piston rings could be rusted to the cylinder walls...and could be broken if you try to start it without using rust penetrator and letting it soak in a good long time..Even then I'd not try to crank it over with the starter....but try to turn it over gently by hand...after removing all the spark plugs...spraying something like Kroil or PB Blaster and having let that sit for a week or so....if it won't free up then you have to get it to a mechanic for evaluation...
2) Whatever is left in the gas tank...is not suitable for running an engine at this point...it has to be cleaned out...

You might try contacting a shop that restores classic cars that have been sitting...they deal with these issues all the time...the rest is details....I'd change all the rubber on the boat though...fuel lines....bellows on the sterndrive and cooling lines...

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I always use the 3M Mildew Remover for the mildew on our boats. We have a pontoon that the seats get pretty covered in mildew and the 3M Mildew Remover always takes is off pretty good, and whatever it doesn't remove typically comes out with a Magic Eraser. Make sure you use some sort of vinyl conditioner after using the stuff though, because it dries the vinyl out a little.

_________________
2001 190 Horizon
Volvo Penta SX - 5.0GL
\t

Biggest thing for me is finding the key right now. I finally did find my camera though so I should be able to take some pics once I get home tomorrow. Apparently the motor was replaced very close to the time we stopped using the boat, I found this out from my mother and she told me it had barely been used so thats hopefully going to put things in my favor.

Once I find the key I'm going to grab the battery out of my Jeep and hook it up just to make sure all of the electronics work and go from there. I got on the FourWinns site and was able to download the manuals they have but it doesnt get very mucdh into detail as far as a step by step process. Once I familiarize myself with the motor I should be good to go though.

Pics will be up tomorrow!

*On an additional note, after speaking to my mother she seems to recall that my dad paid to have it fully winterized to the tune of like $150 or so. I dont really know how much it usually costs or whats involved but I know my father didnt half-ass stuff so hopefully the motor was mostly preserved because of that.

DO NOT START THE ENGINE.

If the engine was winterized properly then you might be in pretty good shape. I'd start by removing all the spark plugs and pouring a few ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder. Let that sit for a couple of hours and then turn the crankshaft with a socket wrench. This will let you feel whether the cylinders are all turning over smoothly (the spark plugs have to be out for this, ALL of them). If it turns over smoothly then put the plugs back into it and do a complete oil change. That'll get the old oil out. You could do the oil change first but if it's seized, or a valve is frozen, then you'd just have wasted your time along with the oil and filter. Once you've got fresh oil in there ONLY THEN should you try actually starting it. But only run it long enough to confirm that it does run, and ONLY at a low idle. I'm assuming you'd be using water muffs on the outdrive hooked up to a garden hose. The typical hose and residential water spigot does not provide enough water pressure to keep the engine cooled at anything other than at idle, and then only for a few minutes.

If the engine actually started and ran then you'd know if it was worth putting more time into it.

Your greatest enemy is stuff that 'works' well enough to get it started, but craps out two hours later while out on the water. This is generally anything rubber. It's likely most of the hoses are in need of replacement. They don't last forever, even if stored in a climate controlled space. Under a cover, exposed to all four seasons (and their daily temperature swings) they'll get brittle and dry rot. Replace them ahead of time before they fail and leave you stuck out on the water. I'd absolutely replace the fuel hoses and any raw water or coolant hoses. Those are crucial to the safe operation of the boat, and whose failure might lead to much greater problems. Don't forget, the impeller inside the engine is also rubber, replace it.

If you can't find they key just replace the ignition switch with a new one. It's just an electrical switch, not integrated with a column lock like in a car.

But until you turn the engine manually I WOULD NOT START IT. If you start it and there's a stuck piston ring or valve you might take an otherwise OK engine and ruin it. The oil soaking down the cylinders and then being manually turned makes it less likely any real damage will happen. Some folks go so far as to use a power drill on the distributor shaft to run the oil pump. This gets the oil circulated to places like the crankshaft bearings and rod journals. Turning it manually doesn't usually get enough pressure going to hit them. But since the engine isn't ancient and was well maintained it might be OK. If this was an old car engine that had been sitting neglected in a barn I'd definitely do the drill/distributor step.

You're young and might not be prepared for the expense of boat ownership. Be warned that it's not an inexpensive hobby. Next to nothing you pay for on a car even comes close to the prices of boat stuff. Sentimentality is great, and I certainly don't want to discourage you, but be ready to shell out a couple thousand dollars to get things set to rights. Don't say I didn't warn you...

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista