www.iFourWinns.com

Firecadet613: I saw on another forum thqat you bought cockpit carpit for your 268. Happy with it? Whereand how much if you don't mind? Thanks. AL

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I actually just emailed them. Thank you.

Is the boat is in heated storage, and accessible? If so, couldn't you put RV anti freeze in the fresh water tank and leave it pressurized for a few days? If you have pink water in the bilge you can trace it back and should be able to find the source.

Unfortunately, it is outside, however it is winterized and pressurized with pink antifreeze. The only problem is I by-passed the hot water heater, so that takes the relief valve out of the picture. I have never heard the pump kick back over, so I tend to think it's on the drain side. I was thinking of putting dye in the system, but you just reminded me that I can just use the anti-freeze instead! Thanks.

Capn is correct as to where I got it. I LOVE it. Jsimon also purchased some for his 268 before he sold it, and Bliss36 is looking into it as well.

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

They responded to my email and said that they don't have the template for my boat. I find that a bit hard to believe, but I guess I'll have to trace them and mail the templates. Thanks.

They have a template for an '01. It matches up perfectly!

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

Update: I went back to the boat where it is stored at a friend's house. I removed the shrinkwrap, put a level on the water line, levelled the boat, put the canvas up, put the plug in and essentially simulated it sitting in the slip. I wanted to let it sit through a few good rain storms to rule out rain. I opened the bilge before I left to get a look at it, and low and behold, pink antifreeze in the bilge. This ruled out the hot water heater but indicated I still have a problem. We get a two inch rain storm, I return and the bilge is full of water. I spray the back of the boat near the gutter drain that passes through the rear storage and yup, you guessed it, the water ran down the boat, backwards through that gutter towards the engine hatch, entered the gutter system around the engine and drained into the bilge through three screw holes that hold down the smaller of the two engine covers. Who the hell designed this??!! Does anyone know if they designed it to flow forward or if my boat was not put together properly. I would like to know this before I call the company. The easy fix is to block off that channel to prevent the rain from going into the boat. When I get it home, I'll cut a piece of wood to fit into the gutter which runs through the storage compartment and silicone it in. I'll also silicone the screw holes as they are not really necessary. The main hatch sits over the smaller one and the seat goes over that, so I'm not really concerned about going without screws.
The next problem will be to figure out where the antifreeze came from. It definitely came from the starboard side, near the fresh water tank and the plumbing and the pump. I suspect it came from the plumbing between the tank and the pump and seeped out over time. It was shrinkwrapped at my house and towed about 5 miles to my friend's house with the plug out. So, anything in the bilge in the spring would have seeped out over the winter. Any thoughts?? I'm thinking of putting an air hose in the water fill and putting some slight pressure to the system. Thanks to all of you who are and have been so willing to help.

My 248 gets rainwater in the bilge as well, the channel thats by the walkthrough and the drain in rear locker will let the water go forward in the rain when sitting in the water. The screws dripped on the smaller cover I put a little silicone on the threads and screwed them in and that stopped that. But water will still go over the low spots on the sides, then I also noticed the sealant on the drains themselves were leaking. I fixed the drains, not much I can do about the low spots.

I had the lift guy adjust the bunks so the boat is bow up on the lift and since then the bilge has been keeping pretty dry, some water still ends up on the sides because the holes through the stringer wont let all the water drain into the bilge and some water still gets on the floor and into the engine hatch with a blowing rain. At least its not getting gallons in the bilge anymore after a big rain.

Thanks KP. Do you know if this is a design flaw or a construction flaw? I'm wondering what Four Winns would have to say about it. I am going to block it off at the back of the storage locker. AL

I was having the same problem with my 268 then I found the problem. I was in covered moorage but the transom hung out a little and the rain came off the roof onto the back of the boat. When it rains and water runs off the cover and down the transom it hits the cockpit drain trough just to the right of the transom door. Water runs in the tough to where the removable part of the engine hatch meets the back half. It then runs down the crack where the 2 meet and into the bilge. Check to see if you have water by the stringer on the Port side only and in the bilge. My solution to this was to put a plug in the trough so the water couldn't run in, this fixed the problem. I am now in covered moorage where no water hits the transom and the bilge stays dry. I can take some pictures if this doesn't make sense. the strange part is you would think that water would run out of the cockpit not in, I guess the boat sits just a little heavy at the bow.

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

Yup. That's what I'm going to do. I can't imagine they designed it that way. It must be just what you said; it sits heavy in the bow. I'll plug it this weekend. Thanks. AL

Its the design IMO, I think FW thought it was a good thing to drain the water from the locker/rear edge to the front scuppers sitting in the water. Except the problem is 1/2 the water makes it into bilge and not the drains lol.

Tilting the boat back on the lift stopped it 100%, had a huge rain and checked it today and the bilge/stringer area is dry. My slip is covered and I pull in bow first because of the lift and when the rain blows in the right direction the back of the boat gets soaked. Of course if it rains and I'm on the water the rainwater will still get in there.

The best investment I have made thus far for dock tools / supplies is a Rigid 4 gal. wet / dry vac. Sure makes getting water out of the bilge (or anything else) easy. And, you can vacuum the cabin and cockpit with the attachments. Fits in the dock box nicely.

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware ... ogId=10053

It's regularly $79.00. I went in after storm and because they had used it to clean up the leaks in the store, I got mine for $29.00.

Even if I had paid full price, it's worth every penny.

Craig C.

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2003 Vista 248, VP 5.0 GXi-C, DP