www.iFourWinns.com

Just dropped my 1997 Vista 278 with 350 hours (bought it at 90 hours in 2012) off at the fiberglass repair place to have the entire forward deck (rotted and soft) replaced.

Any guesses how much I will be paying to bestow the honor of their labor and supplies? Go on, take a stab at it (and stab me in the meantime - that way I wont have to pay the bill, lol)

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

$5000?

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

$15,000.

Have you ever rebedded the hatches or resealed screw holes?

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

My guess is in the middle of the others around 10 boat bucks.

And sorry to hear.

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--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

That’s why I’ll never buy an older boat again, did that once on the ‘88, deck & stringers even with me doing almost half of it to really get it done right it cost 4500. It’s still solid 14 years later but any more boats for me have to be new or nearly new. Don’t want to chase obsolete parts either.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Lou, I purchased the boat in the winter of 2011, a survey showed an "area of flaccid" (gotta love the surveyors choice of words "flaccid"?! reminds me of a schlong ) anyways, its been getting worse every season but started out unnoticeable. Finally 3 seasons ago I had the snaps for the forward deck cushions - a four winns option that my boat was equipped with - sealed and painted over. THATS where the water intrusion was coming from.

Either way, in 2011, a 1997 boat didnt hit my indicator as "older". I did look at an 1987 Sundancer that I considered an older boat, but not a 97 (at that time at least).

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Did you rebed those screws at all? That's the first thing I've done on every FW I buy...remove those snaps, clean them and the holes up and rebed with LifeCalk. I redo every 3 seasons...too easy not to. But I agree, horrible choice! I've never used the bow sunpads - they are taking up space at home and causing more work on the boat.

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

There's a knowledgeable guy on the iboats forums who say that production boats (most of them) are designed for an average life span (in terms of the fiberglass/wood composite, and even full composite boats) of approx. 15 years. And that's just when rot in my boat became an issue. Now of course if I could have stored it inside all winter, and/or they used better construction (ie not used plywood cored decks, with a thin skim coat of 'glass and covered with carpet) maybe it would have made it to 20 or so.
Just like in vehicles, I buy used cars and suvs for myself but I define that as about 3 years old. Used but not used up. I had to learn that with cars many years ago as a youngster and I learned it with boats, on this one. Now its in pretty good shape but that took a lot of time work and money!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4nofq83p8n1fm ... g.JPG?dl=0

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II