Selling My 2005 Sundowner 205

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

JeffLW wrote:

hutch9900 wrote:

I found this one. Go big or go home, my wife says!!

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/3610463041.html

Yikes!

I hope you not seriously considering that?

Is Rinker not a good boat? It looks nice by the pictures...

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:56 am

Uninformed boaters who listen to heresay, gossip and have no personal experience with the brand, often do not think Rinker makes a good boat. They are wrong. I have been on several Rinker cruisers. Wet Dogg owned a 250FV, my dock mates owned a 310FV and a friend in Grand Haven has a 270FV. Well maintained, and properly serviced, they are a good boat.

Our local Four Winns dealer added Rinker a year or two ago, they are out selling his Four Winns boats.

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

Uninformed boaters who listen to heresay, gossip and have no personal experience with the brand, often do not think Rinker makes a good boat. They are wrong. I have been on several Rinker cruisers. Wet Dogg owned a 250FV, my dock mates owned a 310FV and a friend in Grand Haven has a 270FV. Well maintained, and properly serviced, they are a good boat.

Our local Four Winns dealer added Rinker a year or two ago, they are out selling his Four Winns boats.

I had always heard you got a lot of value for what you pay. I dont like the counters and some of the interior.

JeffLW · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:10 am

I've been on a number of Rinkers over the last twenty or so years and none of them have impressed me. I think you will be very disappointed going from a FW to a Rinker.

That one is priced way to high as well.

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:42 am

JeffLW wrote:

I've been on a number of Rinkers over the last twenty or so years and none of them have impressed me. I think you will be very disappointed going from a FW to a Rinker.

That one is priced way to high as well.

+1. Although they have made some nice advancements in style in recent years they have always been a value/budget based boat.

JeffLW · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:52 am

Here is a 248 with similar hours and price and it's in OH.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2002- ... -101866618

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

JeffLW wrote:

Here is a 248 with similar hours and price and it's in OH.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2002- ... -101866618

Jeff, this one is very much on our radar. I think there are only a couple of gripes with that one, but the price is on point for us. The interior color of the cabin is......not good. My wife will have to learn to use the sowing machine if we get it. There was also a 248 in Port Clinton on craigslist that was a few thousand cheaper, but it did not include a trailer.

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

My wife has actually been pushing me to go with the 268!! I just dont want to lose that sport feel to the boat. My kids like to tube and one day will probably want to ski too. How does the 268 handle the water sports, Ben? I know we wouldnt be wakeboarding or anything.

JeffLW · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:15 am

hutch9900 wrote:

JeffLW wrote:

Here is a 248 with similar hours and price and it's in OH.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2002- ... -101866618

Jeff, this one is very much on our radar. I think there are only a couple of gripes with that one, but the price is on point for us. The interior color of the cabin is......not good. My wife will have to learn to use the sowing machine if we get it. There was also a 248 in Port Clinton on craigslist that was a few thousand cheaper, but it did not include a trailer.

Lol Yeah the interior colors/patterns got better in 2003 I think.

I was in the same spot as you last year at this time. Finding a 248/268 with a trailer was not easy.
Keep searching though. I was about to give up when I found mine.

hutch9900 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 456

Quote:

Lol Yeah the interior colors/patterns got better in 2003 I think.

I was in the same spot as you last year at this time. Finding a 248/268 with a trailer was not easy.
Keep searching though. I was about to give up when I found mine.

Since you were looking at both 248 and 268, do you ever regret not going for two more feet? Just curious, because I dont want to do this again in a couple of years.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:03 am

Stingray makes a nice cruiser

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:28 am

hutch9900 wrote:

My wife has actually been pushing me to go with the 268!! I just dont want to lose that sport feel to the boat. My kids like to tube and one day will probably want to ski too. How does the 268 handle the water sports, Ben? I know we wouldnt be wakeboarding or anything.

I have tubes, a wake board, knee board, and the tow harness for the 268 but have never used it for water sports. We plan to every year but usually end up just loafing at the beach instead with a cold drink in hand

Do you plan to tow a lot or are you planning on wet slipping your next boat? As far as 248 vs 268 I don't think you can go wrong with either but I will say that the 2ft difference is in all the right spots. The extra galley cabinet and the bigger rear storage does come in handy. With growing kids I would try to go for the extra 2 ft of the 268. As far as the blue interior...If you can swing a good enough deal I wouldn't let that stop you. We had our cushions redone($600) and added teak and holly floors all for under $800.

JeffLW · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:38 am

hutch9900 wrote:

Quote:

Lol Yeah the interior colors/patterns got better in 2003 I think.

I was in the same spot as you last year at this time. Finding a 248/268 with a trailer was not easy.
Keep searching though. I was about to give up when I found mine.

Since you were looking at both 248 and 268, do you ever regret not going for two more feet? Just curious, because I dont want to do this again in a couple of years.

No regrets

The 248 is perfect for just me and the wife. Big enough to spend a week on it cruising lake Michigan and small enough to trailer easily to some inland lakes if we want to.
The cockpit in both are pretty much the same. You get a little more storage space below in the 268.
I lucked out in that the 248 just barely fit into our pole barn. The 268 wouldn't have fit, so I saved some on storage/shrinkwrap.

My only regret is not being ready to spend $70k for a 278. :wink:

Capt. Hoss · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:56 am

ric wrote:

Stingray makes a nice cruiser

Is that why you run it down the road on every forum?

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 12:01 pm

Quote:

My only regret is not being ready to spend $70k for a 278. :wink:

Here's a 278 for the price of a 268 in Michigan!
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2006-Four-Winns-268-VISTA-340437

www.iFourWinns.com

Selling My 2005 Sundowner 205

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