www.iFourWinns.com

I had the vuc-u-flush in my last boat. When it worked it worked GREAT. It just had too many problems. This new boat has the old pump system. The wife and I were spoiled a little, she found a convertion kit. It replaces the hand pump with a motor, it pumps water in and pump out at the same time. Noise, but works great, don't have to hold the pedel down on a pump out. Cost $225.00, 6 bolts and 2 hoses installes it. Plus in need 12V to power it. I know this maybe off the subject, but I thought I would throw this out

Manual pump to the tank? That'd be something to consider. Just as long as someone made sure the wastes got flushed all the way to the tank, not left sitting in the waste hose. But even with a vacuum setup that's still likely. I make it a habit to flush the toilet several times at the end of the trip in order to clear the line. And get it pumped out.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Hey everyone, sorry been out of town and just getting back to this forum. I have hired a captain 3 nights a week for a hour and a half to help me with docking. Its something I feel that is needed for me to be safe when I take just my family out in the boat. I know I wont need him very long, but I want to get the basics down and he is going to be with me in all conditions (wind, currrent etc.) I think having him for a couple weeks is going to make me feel more comfortable.

On another note, my genset is fixed. Clogged fuel filter. I knew it was a easy fix. I had them change the impellor too on it just to be safe. We only have about 3 more months of boating here and want to avoid as much problems as I can. Not sure about the water pump. I went there last night and didnt have the dock water hooked up, but it seemed to do the same thing. I didnt look at the filters yet, didnt get a chance to look at this board beore I went over there, but I will go over tonight and take a look.

One thing I did notice is that the fill indicator in the head and the fresh water was empty after I just filled the fresh water system. Now I pushed both buttons at the same time and then it showed that both the waste and the fresh water are full. Now I never checked the waste levels, but I am pretty sure that this wouldnt be full since we just took it out on Saturday and maybe it was used 5 times? Would the sink and head faucets being used make that full so quick? I guess I should just go to a pump out station and do it anyways to be safe, but I dont feel like it was full, just my opinion.

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2002 348 Vista

Run the sink and look outside to see if water gets pumped out. Head and cockpit sinks usually dump straight overboard, but galley sinks usually go through a sump box, which pumps overboard. That is unless your boat has a gray water tank setup. In that case everything goes into a gray water tank, some lakes require this.

Tank indicators are notoriously unreliable. The Xintex ones tend to get clogged up inside the tube. Other kinds tend to have gunk collect on them, or just stick for whatever reasons. The only real way to deal with them is keep mental tabs on their use. We pump out once a week unless I'm certain NOBODY has used the toilet. I refill the water tank every time I get to the boat.

If you haven't already, keep spare impellers on board. Both for the generator and the main engines. They're not hard to replace yourself, but even if you have someone else do it you'll at least have the parts ready. So you don't get stuck waiting for them. This helps avoid any interruptions to in-season boat use.

The faucets have screens in them. I had to pull apart my galley faucet to clean it. It had a fair bit of mineral deposits clogging the screens inside of it. It's a relatively easy to do, most screw off the end of the spigot itself. You'll typically see two flat edges suitable for a crescent wrench. Disassemble and clean them. Doing the same to the one on the water tank is a bit more work (at least on our 2005 348) as the filter is down at the tank itself, behind the drawer cabinet.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

The water and waste tank indicators on our 348 Vista do not work. I have heard the same with alomost all other owners. Just have to use your memory as to when you filled water, and how much did I use head. We get pumped out just about every weekend. This is good for the waste system. If you treat it good it will treat you good.

We use our genny all the time. Replace the plugs, filters, and impeller yearly and it serves us well. There is an in-line fuel filter in the generator that need to be replaced, that is often missed and can be problem. always monitor the flow of water out the side. If it decreases then your strainer is full of seaweed, etc. I clean my strainers out every two weeks. they are under rear berth. close seacocks before opening strainers!

As for docking, there is no substitute for stick time. Go down during middle of week and practice docking repeatedly. soon you will be one of the best in your marina because many other people do not do this. Like I said, I am in the Merrimack river, nasty current at times, and the 348 works very well for me. But only because I listened to the sage advice of the best capt.s at the marina and practiced,practiced, practiced. You are welcome to come up to newburyport anytime (Cove Marina Boat = Cruisin Home). Gonna be a great weekend. It is yankee Homecoming in Newburyport with fireworks in the river (right in front of our boat) Sat night. Biggest party on the dock all year. Hard to walk down the dock so many people. Good times.

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

Fresh water. key word = fresh. We use a water filter on our dock hose and only fill tank with filtered water. Begiining of season flush 3 times with cup of bleach. Later we put 2 oz. of water tank treatment in with every fill. Water is nice and tasty, drink it right out of the tap.

I have never seen a water filter in the boat but I will go looking for it this weekend. Maybe because we take such good care of our water it has never clogged?

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

Thanks guys, I will check that out and make sure my faucets are cleaned out. When I do run the cockpit faucet I do see it going out the side of the boat, so I assume the kitchen and head faucets do the same. I did not put bleach into the system yet. I think what I will do is turn the faucets on and let it drain the tank (not completely) and refill with some bleach.
Regarding the Xantex monitors, I understand what you are saying. I am going to pump out this weekend just to make sure and then monitor it from there. I can monitor the bathroom use, but hard to monitor the fresh water tank, I will have to see how to handle that.

Cruisin Home: i would love to come up to Newburryport, but this weekend I think I am going to stick around Hingham area and just get used to the boat. I want to be comfortable before I go too far out. I want to stay within a mile or two from the marina, just to make sure I am good with everything. I am getting more comfortable each day just learning about this boat and how it works, so in no time, I will be good to go!

On another note: The marina called and said that they replaced the fuel filter in the boat as well as the filter on the engine that the genset draws from just to be safe. He said there was a mixture of water and fuel in the filter. Does this have anything to do with me not shutting off my sealcock to the genset? I think I have all mine open on everything.

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2002 348 Vista

I have owned 3 boats with water and each one has had a filter at the pump. There were a basic screen type filters and I have seen them get clogged. Along with the screens at that the faucets.

http://www.easternmarineoutlet.com/Shur ... 3901-0216/ Please hit the "installation guide" link. This will give you a pic of of the type of filter you should find. I hope this helps.

As to the water in the fuel, I would say no. The seacock is for cooling. I would add "waterzob" (it can be found at defender.com) to the fuel. It will breakup the water, as the boat is running and get bruned off or trapped in the filter. The problem that I have noticed, at my club, is that these bigger boats are not truning there fuel over faster than the smaller boats. So they are have more water in their tanks. I would alway carry extra filters, just for this reason.

most likely the water was in your fuel tank from a prolonged and perhaps improper storage. The gas today with ethanol is terrible. It absorbs water like crazy. I use Startron fuel stabilizer whenever I fill gas (use a 2x normal dose).

keep tanks near full for winter storage.

I put new fuel filter at beginning of season. run tanks down and then replace filter again.

Would reccomend you run fuel down low and then replace all of your filters. Some people claim to put chemicals in to try and remove water (such as rubbing alcohol) but it can cause problems for engine. if you cant resolve you can call company that "polishes" fule. ther is one in Boston. may be expensive.

But make sure you get the water out.

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

Thank you, I will get some filters and some fuel stabilizer. I have a half a tank of gas now, I think I will put some in now and when I fill it up again add some more.

I dont know what I would do without you guys. Hope I will be able to return the favor at some point!
I am sure I will be back with more questions soon enough. I like to keep your minds sharp!

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2002 348 Vista

wish I had discovered this 3 years ago. would have saved me the pain of learning by experience! I just got on a few months ago and it's been great.

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

Bill you have great advice and I think with thinking ahead before a possible problem exist is something I will definitely think about. When I pulled in last Saturday for the first time by myself, I didn't even think about the current, in fact it was the farthest from my mind. I think if that thought did cross my mind, I would have had more preparation and possibly not have had as many problems. As soon as I pulled into the dock and making my approach, its then I noticed the current and then things went a little crazy. I would have adjusted quite a bit more if I had thought about tat before hand. Doesn't mean that I would have docked perfectly, but I could have avoided a little less problems than I did.
I am spending about 4-5 hours on Friday with the Captain that I hired and we are going to do nothing but docking this boat. I don't care if we do it 50 times and I blow through a tank of gas, I am going to get this down!

On another note a couple of issues:

I mentioned earlier that my genset fuel filter was replaced and they replaced the strbd engine fuel filter too. It looked as if the problem was fixed and it started right up. The problem is it runs for about 5 minutes and then shuts down. Now this is a Four Winns dealer that is doing this work for me and they said they cant figure it out. I told them that it might be three things: Inline Fuel Filter, the impellor since if it isnt working full capacity, it overheats and shuts down or it could be the line from the tank to the genset. Obviously I got that information from you guys on earlier posts, but we will see what it is. The Windlass is fixed, it was two fuses that blown that they just replaced. One thing that I wanted to ask you guys is, when I looked at the electrical panel in the cabin when the Windlass went out on Saturday, I couldnt find any fuses. I looked at the windlass switch and even turned that little black dial and there was nothing inside there to replace the fuse. Is there another fuse box somewhere else that I need to be looking at? I know there is a windlass switch or breaker below the stbd seat towards the stern, but even at that, I didn't see a place where I can replace a fuse.
So with that said, I need to carry fuses with me. I have no idea what to get and even where they go. Do you guys carry a bunch of fuses with you and what do you carry that you think I should? Where do they go? Those white button with the black dials that you turn in the electrical panel don't seem to have fuses in them, maybe I am looking at the wrong thing?

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2002 348 Vista

Those white buttons are breakers. dont turn the black knob around them. you would only need to possibly depress white button.

Near the door to swim platform there is a hatch on port side. That is where battery switches are. there is a breaker there for the windlass. Get friendly with that breaker. If you try and force anchor too hard with windlass it is this breaker that will pop and need to be reset. My wife and kids know this well.

We do have a fuse on the windlass footswitches. You find that by opening the round white access cover near windlass. On mine it is a automotive style blade fuse. For the longest time it kept blowing on us, (again when my crew was getting used to the drill of using winlass). As an eletrical engineer I didnt like this and studied circuit. I ended up increasing fuse from 3A to 4A and since have never blown fuse in 2 years. I do carry spares. but when fuse blew I could still operate windlass from rocker switch at helm.

Have them tell you where and what fuses they replaced.

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

As for the genset:

Filter(s) , impeller, oil, plugs are all things too check. also be advised that generators like to run with a bit of load so when running try and make sure to have some things turned on such as A/C.

If all this fails then it was probably the bad gas, prolonged storage that has possibly gunked the fuel delivery system. May have to be diassembled and cleaned.

Is there any white or black smoke coming out exhaust? Does there appear to be good water flow (mine is pulsatile)? Have you checked the raw water strainer under the rear berth? (shut off seacock, open strainer, pull out screen, clean, reassemble).

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

Cruisin,
I will check those things tonight and see if that is what it is. I know the oil has been changed, not sure about the impellor, there is water coming out on the side of the boat, didnt check for white or black smoke, so I will look at that tonight and also turn the ac on as well. I need to see how to check the raw water strainer, never did that before, i need to get familiar with that, so i will lift the engine hatch up and take a look where you told me.
Thanks for the info on the windlass breakers. My breaker for the windlass is on the starboard side along with the battery switches. I did check that when the windlass went out, but that wasnt the problem. I will check with the mechanic and see what fuses he replaced. I will report back later this evening once I check some things on the genset.

Question: The raw water strainer is underneath the genset or on the side of it? I dont think I would even know what it looks like, but I will check and see. This new to me boat and being a cruiser with all this electrical stuff is killing me in the beginning. Having a performance boat for the past 15 years i didnt have to deal with this, so bear with me, I love the boat and just need to get used to all the goodies this thing has. I would rather do this myself than have to pay someone 90.00 an hour plus materials for a easy fix of things I could easily do myself.

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2002 348 Vista