www.iFourWinns.com

Hi all.
Just a quick post to say hello really as i've just bought a 238 Vista and stumbled across your site. Seems like a great place with lots of useful info - already got some answers so hopefully i won't need to ask too many silly questions!!
I'm a good way away from most of you guys, i live in a place called Jersey - not New Jersey US, but the 'Original' one (As i recounted to a few New Yorkers on a holiday last year ).
Jersey is a small island in the English Channel - which is the stretch of water between France and the UK.
We consider ourselves British, and are affiliated to the UK but to be fair are nearer to France - only 14 miles away.
I've had boats for the past 15 years or so, started with a 17' Sabre Speedboat which i repowered with a 4 stroke Honda 75hp Outboard, had that for a good few years. A few years ago i sold that and bought a Glastron GS209 Cuddy cabin which i couldn't refuse as it was hadn't been looked after and was also very cheap.
I've always loved boats and cars and do everything myself, from Engine servicing/maintenance to Compound/Antifouling and also Upholstery too - Quite hands on i suppose.
A couple of months ago i saw a 238 Vista over here that needed TLC, and eventually negotiated the price down to a level that i just couldn't say no! The deal was done and now i'm the owner.

It's a MY2001 and has been neglected for the last couple of years so needs new upholstery and cover(s), along with a damn good polish and new antifouling etc. Everything in the cabin seems good but most things on the outside need TLC!
I've spent the last couple of weeks sorting the engine, it's had a good service and everything rustyrepainted/replaced, but am still having an issue which i'm pretty sure is the HP fuel pump so hopefully when that comes down it'll be good to go.
It's getting lifted out the water in a couple of weeks so i can get the outside washed down and antifouled/polished and i hope to get her ready for next season, which for us here usually starts in March/April through to October ish.
Like i say France is only 14-20miles away dependant where you head and there are three or four other 'channel' islands that are within 2hrs away so i'm hopeful for a good season next year!
I'm sure i'll have some questions along the way, if you don't mind - you guys all seem knowlegeable and this seems like a great site for all things FW.

Cheers for now

Phil

Welcome to the family! Please post some pics. Love to see some of where you live as well, just google mapped it - looks amazing! Castles, beaches, you got everything.

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

Welcome, I thought my boating area, Anglesey, had severe tidal flows and ranges until I looked up the tides in Jersey and Guernsey !

Welcome,
I just joined not too long ago myself, you'll find the people here very helpful.

Collin

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Funtastik
Gatineau, Qc. Canada
2000 298 Vista
http://village.photos/members/Funtastik/Funtastik

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes Graham, we do have a bit of range here! 40-41ft on a very high spring tide. Makes for interesting flows for sure. In the Alderney Race (between Alderney and the coast of France) flow can be 5-7Kts at times, i'm told! Worth thinking about for the rag and stick people

Cheers Chris, will do mate. I do love it here, although it's very small so for us living here you do need to get away regularly, or Cabin fever sets in. I love boating here though and wouldn't be without a boat of some sort. Jersey is only around 45 square miles so is surrounded by beaches, cliffs and a couple of castles, as you say. Built to keep the French out a few hundred years ago!
Not been to Vegas yet but the Mrs and I have both said if we ever get married, then perhaps LV would be the place, so maybe sometime in the future!

I've been quite busy so not had the time, but will update this with a few pics in the next few days - of both home and the boat.
Got the engine going yesterday too so happy days.
Cheers

Welcome. This is a great place to get answers. Best wishes on getting the 238 shipshape. Enjoy.

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"One Moor Time" 2006 288 Vista
"Kalin II" 1995 258 Vista
"Kalin" 1985 Four Winns 215 Santara

Here we go, better late than never, but everyone likes pics i'm sure.
Here's the new boat:






Can't say i'm a fan of the wakeboard tower, that will be one of the first things to go i think. Just looks wrong.

And fans of pristine machinery, look away now, these are the seats that are due for recovering:





It's certainly had a tough life, but the engine is now running (have a receipt for a new block and full rebuild in 2008), i've given it a full service and tune up and bar one or two oil leaks to be sorted, it's all good:



She got lifted out today ready for compounding and antifouling, itching to get going and to make her look nice again!

And Chris, here's a few of Jersey:



This is Mont Orguiel Castle, on the east coast, with the coast of France just about visible in the background.


This is St Ouen's bay on the west coast, with Sark (One of the other Channel islands) in the background, around 16 miles away.



Looking towards Sark on an exceptional summers day in my old speedboat



Dolphins a couple of years ago off the east coast



Heading home in the summer last year on the Glastron.



That's it for now, i'll start a rebuild thread when i get around to the polishing and reupholstering if anyone's interested.

Cheers

FYI mate, The last year of production for the 238 Vista was 1999. So your vessel is likely not a 2001 model. The hull ID # on the transom should tell what year the hull was actually made. Best of luck with the restoration.

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2005 H200

Phil,

Thanks for all those pics! Must be wonderful living there. Looking forward to seeing a restore thread. One question about that pic of Mont Orguiel Castle, being that I have been landlocked all my life and only do lake boating. Are those boats in gorey bay all resting on the ground because the tide went out? Is that just normal?

Just looked on google maps at that bay...boats scattered about everywhere just sitting on the ground...I've never seen anything like that. Sometimes people must come back to find the boat didn't re-float with the tide right?

Cheers!

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

Yes post pics of the progress. As for the tower...before trashing you may consider cutting off the upper portion add on. That's what looks out of place. Its tall enough to put some lower profile downward mounted speaker cans and still have room to open the Bimini.

Especially if you will be doing any water sports. Welcome aboard and nice pics.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

Thanks Guys.
Afw200 - my mistake, it says year 2000 on the registration document that i have - makes no odds really i guess but thanks for the info. I guess it's trip from the US to here might have taken a while, ha ha

Chris, Yeah i do love it here, it's a very pretty place to live mate, for sure.
As for your question about the boats, yes - that's how it is, pretty much! Obviously we get two 'high' tides in a 24hr period, so yes - the picture must've been taken on a 'low' tide.
My Glastron is kept currently at a small, pretty harbour called 'St Aubin' on the south coast:



(Image found on google) and it's the same. You can get in or out around 2hrs each side of high tide. When the tide goes out the boats are left on the mud/sand until the water comes in again.
We use 'fore and aft' moorings, which means that there are rows of heavy ground chains, attached to markers that rise and fall with the tide.
The boat is secured at the front cleat by around 10-12' of rope to a mooring buoy which raises up and down in the same position with the tide (on the picture above you can see the lines of yellow buoys).
At the back the boats are anchored to the next ground chain (The one that anchors the yellow buoys in the next row) by around 25' of inch chain or so and 15' of rope each side (Port and Starboard). Meaning that they stay in the same place

I assume the system at Gorey must be the same. We do have a couple of marinas where the water is constantly in, but the mud moorings are far, far cheaper to rent. Slightly more inconvenient however, especially when the tide is out and you need to get to the boat, ha ha!

TX H21OSS - thanks mate, i will have a think. It's out the water now so have a couple of weeks to make a decision

Will start a rebuild thread soon. Cheers