www.iFourWinns.com

We're new to this forum but not to Four Winns. Currently, we are actively searching for a Vista to accommodate our family of two adults and two teenagers.

Any suggestions and guidance would be most appreciated.

We've narrowed the field to a V318 or V348. We started looking at some great V288 (2008) but felt, even with very low asking prices for fully loaded, that the extra space of the 318 or 348 would suit our family better (including a genset which is a must for us). Of course there is a jump in price - but not too much in the current market. Any thoughts or experience with these vessels would be very appreciated. We will be boating on Long Island Sound.

Any suggestions as to what would be a fair price for a 2005, 06, 07, 08 V348? And, a fair price for an 07 or 08 V318?

Also, might anyone know if a table can mounted in the mid-cabin berth area on the V348 - 2005? The V318 has this feature which is a nice option.

Finally, I thought there might be a forum specifically for the V348 on ifourwinns.com but cannot find it.

And, lastly, anyone have suggestions about pricing and contacts for hauling a 348 from Florida to New England? There is an abundance of all types of Four Winns in Florida.

Thanks so much for all the help. I'm going back outside to shovel snow and dream of summer.

Hey Cody - Glad you hopped on board. I think you will find a ton of info and lots of opinions here. For starters, there is a comprehensive thread dedicated to the 348/358 here.

There is a mid-cabin table for this boat which works very well and doubles as the base for the filler cushions when the mid-cabin is converted to a berth.



I'm sure others will sound off on shippers and pricing. And if you're anywhere near the Hartford area, there are several of us who bought our boats from G&R Marine and have nothing but good things to say about them. So check out the 348/358 thread and fire away with any specific questions.

Again, welcome!

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

Welcome Cody.

There is a 24 page thread on the V348/358 near the bottom of the Vista page on this forum and you will find references in quite a few others. The 2005 V348 became the V358 in 2006 and is the exact same boat. We are on our third season of a 318...Constant weekend and vacation destination for my wife, myself and our lab...many family day trip visitors...I think we've had as many as nine and still been comfortable. We're tradeing up to 358 this year to take advantage of what are some really good deals out there...the boat design is the same, it just has more space.

There is another thread that is comparing the 318, 338, and 358 also with much of the info you are looking for.

We boat on LI Sound also, out of Essex, CT...the 318 has handled these waters very well.

JB

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Joe B.
Ruff'N It 4
2011 Regal 42 SC

Previous
2008 FW V358
2006 FW V318
2004 FW V288

Welcome aboard! I'm in a 298 and believe you are on the right track looking bigger in this market. There are several 318 and 348 owners right here in the VISTA forum so I'm guessing by tonight you'll have many new friends and advisors. They all will have great input. Cougarcat just took delivery of a new 318 and has several good posts about it. The lucky guy is already in the water!

Are you sure your teenage kids want to come along boating? Many parents have made that assumption only to have to deal with petulant (more than usual) teens disliking the entire idea. Which may not be a problem If you're already boating with them and they like it. Because if they don't, and your wife ends up staying in town with them, then you won't get anywhere near as much enjoyment out of the boat.

Yes, you can add the table. Most tables use standard hardware. Garelick makes most of the hardware. To add one you'd need the pole, usually sold as a 3-piece kit comprised of the socket, pole and top bracket), the table surface and some adjustments made to the carpet. I'd go with a keyhole cut in the carpet so you can pull it up without taking the whole table out. This is how the main cabin carpet is cut as well. Any decent carpet shop should be able to do the job for you. The fiberglass area under the footwell has plenty of room to accommodate a flush fitting for the table pole. It's just a matter of cutting the appropriately sized hole.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Bill - I take it from your post that the mid-cabin table wasn't standard on the 348?

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

No, I don't think the second table was an available option in our model year (we got a year-end 2005).

Personally I'm not sure how useful a table would be back there. The space isn't exactly huge and you end up with yet another item to store when it's not in use. I saw pictures of the 338 and it's nice with having two spaces for table storage under the forward berth. The 348 doesn't have that added place. But I've never sat in a 358 with the table installed. I'd certainly want to do that before putting forth the time and money to add it.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I personally have found the table useful in the mid-cabin. I have spent many a morning there with my laptop comfortably plotting courses. In the 358, there is storage for it under the forward berth concurrent with the salon table.

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

Then I take it the fiberglass under the bed is different in the 358? From the FW website the pictures of the 358 don't show it. The pix for the 338 shows 2 separate areas to fit the tables underneath the forward berth. It's been too many weeks since I've been on the boat but I really don't recall their being enough space molded into that same area on the 348 to fit the 2nd table top. There is a bit of extra space there but it didn't seem 'designed' for anything in particular. Have they gone with a better setup in the 358?

Folks who've been here a while will know I usually complain a bit about the lack of well-designed storage in boats (not just the 348 or FW, it seems to be an industry-wide deficiency). But don't let that stand as a reason not to consider one, or to avoid adding the table.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Thanks for the comments everyone. I think we like the table if we go with a V318. On that score, we just looked at a 2008 V288 and a 2008 V318. Big jump in price but the 318 was much more appealing on the interior; not much difference in the cockpit area. We would like to see an older V348 (2005 or 2006) and compare to the 318.

Any thoughts or experience with the V348 - is it worth the jump in size and price?

Thanks again for being so helpful.

Welcome Cody. Where are you from and where will you be boating?

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

The 348 has been the same since 2005. The 2004 and earlier resemble more like the 378; which has not been updated in quite a while (save for making IPS available).

The cabin in the 348 is a fair bit larger than the 318. In length, width and height. The forward berth is diagonal and narrower. The head is much smaller. Can't speak for the mid-cabin but I'd have to imagine it's likewise smaller. The cockpit seating is smaller too.

When you're only talking two adults alone, or with one or two small kids it's probably sufficient. But having dealt with four adults below in a 348 I can't begin to imagine having any less room. This after having owned the 348 for several years now.

There's enough room in the 348 for multiple people down below and doing separate things (cooking, prep, using the head, changing). But as you get smaller it starts restricting how many people can be doing separate things. Sometimes it's helpful to think of it like camping. For two people there's not much need to have more than a pup tent. Start adding kids or other adults and often nothing short of a cabin will keep you from losing your sanity. When you're dealing with a smaller boat and you run into weather or multi-day trips it gets really cramped in a smaller boat, much like a tent. But if you know you're only going to be using the boat for day trips then it might not matter.

But it's still a fine boat and I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from considering it.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Dear St. Louis Dave. We are from Connecticut and we will be boating in Long Island Sound and to Block Island. Thanks for the welcome!

We just purchased a 2008 318. Our Vista investigations started with the 278 actually... decided it just wasn't quite big enough for what we wanted - so we started thinking 288. Then, when comparing the differences between the 288 and 318 it became an easy decision.

318 is a gorgeous boat - plenty big for a "family". Plenty big enough for 2 "couples" out for a long weekend. Room to move, room for beer... room for everything else.

Would a 338, 348/358 been even better... ABSOLUTELY! But, aside from the budget issue with purchasing the boat -- I found that in Seattle, moorage prices start to increase exponentially after about 30-33 feet. We're on the high side of 'reasonably' priced slips in Seattle. Any bigger and we'd be looking at 450/500 a month for a decent slip. OUCH.

As for handing the waterways -- any of the boats will perform beautifully.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Hi Bill: Thanks for taking the time to give all the tips. We have much to think about as we edge toward our decision.