www.iFourWinns.com

Hi
Thanks for the responces. Few more questions? How do you compare a used 2008, 338 to a new 2008 with full warranty? What is the warranty worth? I see most if not all 338's on Yachtworld and Boat Trader are over $170,000.00, some are why over and listed as repo boats. I can't swing a new boat but could do a hold over, not sure how to place a value on the new/old boat? My wife has put her foot down and told me to buy a bigger boat. Thanks Honey!

My opinion on your first question is not too much value. The Four Winns and drive package warranties are fully transferable. If anything catastrophic is going to happen it will probably happen under your transferred warranty.

As far as asking price it's simply that, asking price. People, especially those sellers of a 1yr old boat tend to greatly overvalue them, most likely because they are outside down on their loan. Given the fact that you can find new 358s for 165k, I wouldn't pay anything over 130k for a 338. Starting at 20% below asking price isn't out of line IMO.

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-Tom
2003 298 Vista

If you can get any 2008, 338 for 130k - I'd be on that ASAP. That is a VERY attractive price.

The one in Seattle at 140 is a bargain (in my mind).

165k for a 358 is pretty crazy. I would bet most of the 358 owners paid alot more than that for theirs.

If the wife says 'get a new boat' - do it quick, before she changes her mind.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Have you looked at a 338 or 358? Just by pictures alone the 338 doesn't look like a sizable space increase over my 298.

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-Tom
2003 298 Vista

There's a 298 at one of my marinas, and the 338 is a very sizeable increase. The 318 also seems like quite a sizeable increase over the 298. I forget the beam on the 298 but it seems narrow.
As for finding a used one... I tried to go down this road on two different boats. The fact of the matter is you are going to do much better with a new 08. The dealers are painfully trying to get them off the lot and FW is taking a beating doing what they can in incentives to help them. I tried to buy a used 08 that had 8 hours located exactly where I was going to be working this summer so I wouldn't have even had to transport it. I tracked down the owner and personally spoke to him. He gave over 190K when he purchased it at the end of last season. He was pretty shocked when I told him what I could get into a leftover for early this spring, and the kicker was the boat had over 10K more in options than his! He put down 30K so he would have to lose out on another 20-30 to get out of it.
Another boat I tracked down was coming in on a trade to a FW dealer. It had about 50 hours and the dealer said no way could he get close to the number either. He actually encouraged me to go buy the new boat to get them off the lot so the used ones would begin to sell.

Bottom line, if you can get approved for the loan (assuming you need one) then get the new leftover. That 358 has had at least a half dozen contracts that have fallen through because the loans aren't going through. The upper 700's aren't even cutting it. Fortunately I was in the 800s so I was good to go... even with an existing cruiser loan.

Yeah, six figure boat loans aren't like a car loan for a Kia.

we need cash for clunkers!

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Hi, We have looked at the 318 and the 338 and like the 338 better. We sleep on the boat most weekends and like the berth on the 338 better. Question about factory help, Will the factory send the buyer a rebate check after purchase or is the rebate going to the dealer? Anyone know how many $'s the factory is giving on a 338
Thanks

It goes directly to the dealer. It's figured into the deal up front. There seems to be variables with the amount of the rebate. Depends upon how long the boat has been on the lot, how persuasive your dealer is with FW, what other mfg promo's are going on, etc..

I think you really need to jump 2 models to see a difference. A 2008 318 has a 10'9" beam, my 2003 298 has a 10'6" beam. The V-berth depths are identical, the midcabin on a 298 is 3" deeper the the 318. The 338 is where the difference is probably noticeable with 1' of additional beam and 2' longer LOA.

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-Tom
2003 298 Vista

I have 2008 358 and love it. No major issues at all. There are 2008 338's in my marina and both are having problems with the hinges for the engine hatch. Apparently the actuator that lifts the hatch is not positioned properly and over time the hinges are bending. FW engineering admits it is a design flaw but do not have a fix for it yet. I don't know if this is happenning on all 338's but both of the new ones in marina have it. One boat came from a dealer in Chicago and the other from NJ.

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2008.Fourwinns V358
1999 SeaRay340 Sundancer
1989 SeaRay 260 Cuddy

Mine one hinge was replaced by the dealer when it was noticed by the gentlemen from FL on here when I posted pics. He said his 318 also had a bent hinge. My hinges have been OK since. My dealer mentioned that it bends if you stress the hatch when removing or assembling.. or something to that effect. Now I have noticed a stress crack to the transom corner just starboard of the hatch assembly. The other 338 here has the same stress crack. Might have to live with it, it's small.. at least so far. Rberm, If you could check their boats for the stress crack that would be great. I will post pics here at some point so you can see what I mean. Tell those guys to check out this site!

I'd love some pics of the 338 from chicago. Same color scheme as Sierra's 358, I missed out on that boat. How do the drives hold up in Jersey with the salt water? We're pretty much fresh and the Monterey next to me is an 06 and the drives were replaced by Merc due to corrosion. He now thinks his new replacement drives are corroding and is going to haul it out to inspect. I noticed I had some corrosion after only about a month in the water... I touched it all up but some of the metal was already getting "eaten up".

Also, that 358 that was at Aloha marine sold.