www.iFourWinns.com

I am arranging to have a 2007 358 Vista inboard transported and may need to remove the radar arch. The FW spec sheet has a bridge clearance of 10'3" and a 40" draft. Total of 13' 7" and it still needs to sit on a trailer. I could not find any instructions on laying the arch down. How big of job is this? Can I do it myself or is this a two person job? Is it a job for the marina? Thanks for the help.

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2007 358 Vista

I was able to contact technical service at Four Winns about the arch removal. Sounds like a 2-3 person job because the arch weighs around 200 pounds. The arch can be removed by removing the padded covers beneath the arch. There is access to bolts behind the covers. Remove the nuts from the studs and lay the arch down. A cradle is needed to rest arch on. I am going to hire the marina to do the job. Thanks to all who reviewed the posting.

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2007 358 Vista

The process sounds about right. We are lucky that our 338 came with a hinged arch. Do you have a cradle? I can send you pictures of the one I got with the boat. Easy to make or are you local to Chicago?

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Jnizi

2007 Vista 338 "Better Yet"
Previously:
2007 Vista 258 " Just Right"
2005 Horizon 230

I'd love to see some pics of your hinge setup sometime if you get the chance.. My 328 rides just shy of 14' on the trailer, and that's with everything off the arch.. Looking to get a hinged mount for my radar setup that I can just flip it over for transport, but I'm concerned with how much cable they left me to do that with.. Sure would speed the process up for trailering her. Not that we trailer much, but once or twice a year, we like to haul her to a different place, and the radar setup adds at least 30 minutes to both ends of the trip..

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

I love my hinged arch. I have some pics at home I will post this evening of the access panels and the shipping cradle. Mine is a bit different than Jnizi's in how our locking bolts/nuts are set.

Its a VERY nice setup. You should be able to do something similar without to much difficulty. Bliss36 had to drop his arch (not-hinged) to get his into storage and it looked fairly easy.

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

I have had to do this twice, once for the move from US to Portugal and again for the move last month from Portugal to France.
It's not particular difficult main problem is the stainless windscreen top and realignment when putting back on.

1) You have to remove the side windscreen and stainless top. You need to drill out the front rivets from above the small opening window and than the opens at the back. You than lift the windscreen top off and remove the side glass. You then need to remove the rear curved lower channel two screws one into the arch the other into the base. This will then leave the arch free to lift up.
2) remove the fridge or ice maker and remove the 4 x 19mm nuts from the stubs that protrude down from the arch. Also unplug the main large black connector block (speakers lights). port side
3) You will need to remove the radar dome and feed the cable back down the arch, also the VHF antenna cable back from the radio (remove the cushion behind the throttles and than remove the small locker/box this revels two access holes) You will also need to discount the TV antenna cable it is joined just above the starboard fuel tank. The Sirius is disconnected from the port side. Also remove the two arch speakers for access.
4) Starboard side lift the side rear vertical cushion and the rear vertical cushion, they lift straight up. There are two holes to access the 4 x 19 MM nuts again the same as the other side.
5) you then need to break the silicon between the arch and boat. then lift straight up,
6) the best place to put it is over the front between the and two middle hatches. The arch sits done happy there with a couple of fenders under the front of the arch and carpet on the bottom.
7) Two people can fit without the radar down probably about 60 Kgs.

The problem is aligning the windscreen top on reassembly and also getting the Camper top to fit again.

Sorry forgot you have to also remove the front and rear Bimini supports and the covers ( they can be a real pain)

Hope this helps Have fun!!!!!

Sean

Hello and thanks for the info already provided on this topic! I'm new to my boat - 2008 358 and the arch and specs have me scratching my head a bit. By the specs, my year/model says it is standard to be hinged but I don't see any way possible that it is already hinged. I've seen how the hinging is done on Dorals which makes total sense but don't see anything remotely like that, it seems like would have to remove the side glass panels either way. So I guess what I'm asking, which was also above, is pics of what a hinged arch looks like as I will most certainly need/want to hinge it. Before I can do that and just to get her home, I'll need to drop the arch and would love to see what the cradle looks like as well. The instructions seem pretty clear and doable so really am just trying to deal with these 'side' issues...

Huge thanks for the topic and info and any additional help that anyone can provide.

From a quick search on YachtWorld, the '08 358 doesn't appear to have a hinged arch. Here are some pics of how it looks on my '08 318.

Hope this helps.

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

Huge thanks for the pics, pretty crazy they didn't create the 'break' on the non-hinged versions where it is for the hinged but that would just make too much sense. I swear the folks designing at least my model (2008 358) never stayed in their own boat, never considered what it takes to take the arch down on a non-hinged version (should not have been optional in reality), never intended for someone to actually be able to get to the generator, nor put in a generator capable of running everything... Sorry for the rant, just a tiny bit down on my boat as there's been too many things lately that are signs of cheaping out or simply bad design by Four Winns. The latest is unsealed, untreated plywood seat backs which even though it's been high and dry it's entire life, they are still rotting, same as those upholstered panels on the sides of the arch. Found all these things and only owned her a couple months now!

I understand your frustration and we all have gone through issues like this but when you are out for a great day with family and friends on the water, they become much smaller. Hang in there.

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Jnizi

2007 Vista 338 "Better Yet"
Previously:
2007 Vista 258 " Just Right"
2005 Horizon 230

I hear you, I've already spent a one long weekend on her and then a week over new years so I've seen the good side, it's just you hate to see things that with a tiny bit more thought and literally probably just a few more dollars, could have been non-issues. I just got back from taking one of the seats apart and seeing the damage/rot and the good part is I can still use the pieces for templates but the bad part is, well, I'm having to cut new frames for the cushions just because at very least they didn't use marine plywood. Then the real head scratcher is the cup holders don't drain anywhere except into the back of the cushions, hmmmmmm on that, I would probably recommend to everyone to just plug the drain holes and empty/dry them if/when necessary. I'm going to see if I can attach a drain hose to them somehow.

How long have you had the boat? I had an issue with the rear most seat, top part of the cushion breaking free and thankfully went into the boat instead of out of it. Happened on the last 100 miles of the trip up from Florida. Was a nice, quick fix I got to do before the Admiral saw the boat for the first time.

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

Just a couple months and only came to light with having to remove the seat backs for removing the arch. I hear you on loosing the top part, that's part of the bad design with having nothing but the plywood connecting the top and bottom.