www.iFourWinns.com

Jvalich,

I noticed on the boatUS forums there was a post asking about your having installed laminate flooring in your boat. Is that right? Do you have any pictures you can share? I'd be very curious to know what you did.

Thanks
Ben

I assembled enough pieces on my garage floor. Then traced the pattern using the dropin carpet. I cut it out with a sabre saw and reassembled the pieces in the boat. I did npot glue it down. I did use some of the sealer they sell for wet locatins (kitchens and baths) to caulk around the edged which seals and hold it in place.

So far it's been a year and it look the same as when I put it in. Total cost ~$55

_________________
Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Jvalich,

That looks great. I was having a very hard time picturing where you might have done somethign like that. Now I see that your boat has a spot almost calling for it. It's certainly a nice upgrade to the look of the boat.

Ben

Hi everyone!

I am in the similar situation now..... considering 348 or Searay DA 340.

Ben,

What year is your 340? I am looking at 2003-2005 models with 8.1 horizon inboards. You don't like your Searay? I know that new 348 looks really nice but......are there any other compelling reasons to change to a similar size/performance/character boat?

wkearney99,

Sounds like you have a very nice boat. 6.0 Crusader inboards would be my choice too since I am in salt water operating environment. How is the ride quality in rough water? Does it give you nice smooth ride? I just can't take hours of pounding in choppy water anymore.


Could anyone confirm that the 378 and 348 are designed by C. Raymond Hunt, (according to the FW website) and 328 is not?

Thank you!

I tested a 348 with I/Os and bought one with inboards. The ride was similar between the two and I only went with inboards because of past bad experiences with stern drives. Basicaly, less maintenance is the biggest reason. Faced with a choice I'd definitely take the 6.0/5.7 engines, certainly not anything less. Drove a 340DA with 8.1s and didn't really notice any big improvement. Given the fuel burn rate it's not like WOT makes much difference. They both cruise at about the same speed and burn rate (25mph @ 25gph, 1mpg more or less). I did notice the 348 with inboards was about 2mph faster at WOT (but not at cruise).

I've had the boat out in a variety of conditions and everyone marvels at how solid a ride it has. Nice, solid and dry in all but the choppiest of conditions. I found it very much equal to the ride on a 340DA I tested. We chose the 348 over the 340DA for several reasons. 340DA has three captain bucket seats, fixed facing forward. This ain't a go-fast boat so what's the point here? They don't swivel and there's not an easy way to make them do it either. The bathroom is old style, all fiberglas, while the 348 has a separate shower and MUCH nicer looking cabinets and countertop; a win in the 'impress the guests' category. Finally, the 340DA doesn't offer the option of a wall separating the forward berth; just one of those "voting booth" style curtains that doesn't even reach the floor. When having overnight guests it's nice to have the added privacy. Finally, the 340DA was $60k more expensive. More money for less style? NO THANKS, thus the 348 Vista won the contest.

Thanks for the great info, wkearney99! Yes, the pricing on a brand new 348 seems to be a much better value than a Sea Ray 340 DA, although right now I am looking at some used ones. There are many good used 340 DA (late model) available on the market, but not too many 348......

I actually went to look at a used 2003 378 with gas power engines. 378 had a great review in the Power Boat Reports magazine last year, but that boat is heavy!! and IMHO, a boat with that size should be diesel power.

Do the math on the diesels. Estimate your average numbers of hours in a season, the fuel costs and then the premium charged for diesel engines. It's tough to pay back diesels unless you're expecting to own the boat for more than five years (quite a few owners don't). But for anything larger than a 38' it's really more a matter of the torque needed to get up onto plane. But for the right deal I'd certainly look for diesels, just not at the usual $30k price premium.

Ask someone in boat financing about searay's games with jacking up their prices about three years ago. The resale value on 'em is quite a bit less than current owners might like. Could be two reasons for the lack of used 348s, one being owner satisfaction and the other being production numbers. I don't know the numbers but I'm guessing searay's cranking out a bit more than four winns and thus flooding the used market. They're great boats but not worth the price premium they gouge these days. Five or ten years ago, sure, but not in today's market.