www.iFourWinns.com

Well it is that time of year again when the boat gets put up for the long winters nap. This is my 2nd year as a boat owner, and I have learned ALOT. Either from experience or on the forums. Other than sitting here on the forums wishing for some sunny weather, what do you guys do to pass the time while we count the days until slash time? I hunt most of the winter away, everything from squirrals to white tails. It was what I grew up doing in SW Ohio. I also think of what to buy next year for the boat and drive the Admiral crazy telling her. Well atleast I have somthing to do in the off season.

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1990 Four Winns Horizon 200
2005 GMC Sierra

Amen! Pulling ours put this Wednesday.

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

I think here in texas I can stay on the water until late Oct, after that I get my 70 Cuda out and drive that.

Regards

I keep the boat ready to go until late October unless it continues to stay warm. My off season is full of all the things I ignored through the season. Home repairs, garage cleaning, family trips, etc. We borrow a friends lake house at Lake of the Ozarks, so I also go down there and help him with home/dock repairs as repayment. I miss the boating season, but I also welcome the break from cleaning the boat every trip and also having to fill it up with gas! I've thought about buying a canoe or fishing boat which could keep me on the water fishing until the lake freezes over. My wife might have a fit over that idea though.

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Current Boats:
2012 FW H260, 8.2 B3X (DTS) "Ctrl-Alt-Delete"
Previous Boats:
1984 Century 5000, Merc 260 Alpha 1
2012 Yamaha VXR

Kansas City, MO

Yup it's over for me.
Had the drive serviced and engine winterized last week. Got the call Friday that is was done so there is no going back now even if the weather suddenly gets better. Next weekend is the final clean up before I put her in the barn. Only good thing is that now my bank account can finally recover from all the fuel and slip fees.

Was a pretty dissapointing summer weather wise here in Michigan. One of the coldest I can remember. We did a lot more cruising around then anchoring out because it was too cold to swim most of the time.

I also drive the admiral crazy talking about boat stuff for next year. I pass the time on line looking at boating sites and forums, or "boat porn" as the admiral calls it.

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2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

I stay in as long as they let me. Looks like early October haul out this year. With the crappy weather and me moving recently, I had a disappointing season. Because of the move and finding a marina that I liked locally, we didn't splash till July 9th. Things around the house kept me away from the boat so we hardly used her at all.

Between shooting tree rats and playing with the new 4x4 UTV, I should keep myself busy. Oh ya, ice fishing from my front door too.

On a side note, I found a nice Hydrostream for sale the other day to keep at the house. The wifey said "NO".

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07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

I go to boat shows and we can still fish here on the beach if you don't mine freezing your you know what off....

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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

Boating season is just about to START UP here in Florida! It is finally getting close to tolerable with lower humidity & temps... So happy I got out of NY for the winters!

The bad news is that I left my 20 foot jet boat back at the NY house over the summer, thinking I was going to buy a new cruiser in FL... No deals yet & wishing I had trailered the Sea-doo back down here now!!! GRRR.

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2007 Meridian 341
2008 SeaDoo Speedster 200 "Caliente"
1994 Larson Cabrio 280 "Liquid Asset"- Sold

I do the same thing...strippers are starting up so I attack from beach! Now, just need some insulated chest waders.

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

Lots of boats being pulled this weekend. My plan is to keep going until end of October. As long as the sun is shining and not too windy, nothing like going for a ride, and stopping for some lunch by boat. Planning to head one more time to Martha's Vineyard before the season is out, perhaps Columbus Day weekend. With the convertible top and side windows, the main part of the cockpit is kept wind-free. Water temp yesterday was still 68 in the bay, but the night time temps this week will knock it down quickly to the mid to low 60s...

In the winter I snow ski and dream about boating again. In grad school right now so homework is starting to get pretty thick again, so lots of that to do...

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

..grad school...yes I recall those days....for me...it was 30 years ago though getting my Ph.D. at Hofstra Univ here on Long Island...Then we had fun but no money....now we have money but not that much time to have fun...
I usually leave mine in till the end of Oct hoping for a few nice 70 degree days to go fishing. Last year I pulled it Oct 26th, because of the approach of Sandy and good thing I did...most of the boats left in here did OK but some sank...
I don't like winterizing when its 40 degrees out so I won't go past the end of Oct but lots of boats stay in till Dec here.

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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

This weekend will be the finale for us as well. We had a short season too. All of the local lakes are so low now I wouldn't dare launch unless I owned a prop shop. We haven't been on the water since Aug. 11th. Going to trailer to Bear Lake, about 90 miles, and run some stabilizer through, make sure there are no major issues that need attention, then service and winterize next week. The Admiral calls it Depression Day.
I guess we will have to depend on Deafwish and our other mates from down under for summer stories for a few months!!!

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1999 180 Horizon LS 4.3 L GL Volvo SX
1994 Powerstroke
2002 Jeep Wrangler
not@work.gon
Happiness is an Empty Boat Trailer!!!

I tucked her away this weekend, though I need to make one more trip to the lake to finish up some maintenance loose ends.

Between 2 kids getting ready to leave for college, woodworking, photography, ham radio, and all the house stuff, winters seem very busy these days.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

We'll be in until the 3rd weekend in October (or that's the plan anyway).. During the winter, like others, we spend time getting caught back up on house cleaning/maintenance that has been ignored since April, relaxing a bit on weekends not having to worry about packing for the lake, going to boat shows when that season hits, St. Louis every year, and Chicago some years, occasionally connecting with our boating friends for gatherings, and hanging out, and of course, looking at boat porn and getting ideas for the next season.. Usually stay pretty busy through the end of December, and then the time just seems to grind to a halt, where I start dreaming for the end of March (where we get her back out, start cleaning the boat, and prepping for a hopeful early April launch)...

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2004 Four Winns 328 Vista
1997 Larson Cabrio 290 - sold
1988 Rinker Fiesta Vee 248 - sold

Im in OH too. We dont winterize ours until the end of October or very beginning of November. Maybe I am living a little on the edge. I do make sure to keep her at the house during October, just in case of a freeze warning, that way I can drain everything in a moment's notice. It is beautiful around here when the leaves start to change! There is still a lot of good boating left this year.

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2006 Vista 278
First Boat:
2005 Sundowner 205
Columbus, OH