www.iFourWinns.com

I hope everyone is well. It has been a while since I have been on this site. I'm creating my pre-summer to do list, and looking for suggestions/direction on replacement parts or where I can find parts that are not available on the Four Winns parts site anymore. I haven't call them directly yet, but that would be the next step.

1. Spot Light - Looking to replace the original spotlight, but looking for one with the same footprint.
2. Horn - Same as the spot light, looking for the same footprint. I believe my original is the 18in dual trumpet. Several out there that look like the original, but I haven't researched enough or bought one to test.
3. My biggest challenge. My kids broke the hinges on one of my cabin hatches 2 summers ago. I did some research without much luck then, but needing to fix now. And just this past weekend, I was opening a second hatch, and the latches came off on that one also. Not sure what the best action is here. Should I replace all 3 hatches now? I believe they are Lewmar, that aren't made anymore??

Thanks again in advance,

Kent

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

If you have the Guest spot light, I believe they still sell them with the same footprint. This website list the base dimesions
http://www.boaterbarn.com/guest_503_spo ... 0_prd1.htm

I have the single horn and was unable to find the exact model to replace it. I ended up buying one from West marine that had different mounting brackets and just switched the old brackets to the new horn. Somewhere there is a thread on rebuilding the horns as well. There are some paper spacers in them that wear out over time and cause the horn to not work. Simple fix really. I wish I had seen it before buying a new one.

Can't help you on the hatches. I know some have replaced them with a newer style and had to cut the hole to fit.

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2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

Thanks Jeff. I actually think I found that spotlight after I posted. My current one looks like the 502-1.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

Kent,

I recently replaced our dual trumpet horns. The horn I purchased was a direct replacement for the factory one, using the same mounting holes. It sure is a loud horn. Only one concern I have is wondering if the factory wiring is on the light side for what the horn draws? Here is the horn I purchased from our marina.

Mike,
Your horn is made by Ongaro model 10028 Long

List 316.85
sell 255.00

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

Thanks Decision. I'm buying one today.

How is your 328 holding up! It's been a while.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

Our 328 is holding up well. We do our part in keeping up with the maintenance, updating items as it makes sense and looking after the ongoing chore of keeping gel coat, canvass, windows etc., clean.

We are still quite satisfied with our 328 purchase and at present we plan to enjoy the boat as it still fits the lifestyle we chose to enjoy during our 6 month boating season. It seems that with the continue escalating of new boat prices, that our 328 Vista models are holding their resale values pretty good.

About one month till spring launch for us. Hope you have a great boating season yourself.

Mike.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

I dont know about the hinge's but I had two of the latches come off and I reglued them on with some epoxe form the auto parts store that is for plastic they have held up for one year so far

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2005 vista 288

I think I can re-glue one, but the other one, the kids broke part of the hatch itself.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

If you change the horn, take the opportunity to move it.
I have moved mine on the arch.

Every time I sail, my feet thank me!!!!!!!

Mike,

I got the horn in the mail this week and will install this weekend. I'm just preparing for what I need to bring to the marina. Did you have to access the any wires from inside the cabin?

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

The wire length coming out of the deck and into the old horn was long enough on our 328, that I could just snip the current horn wiring and then have new connectors crimped on during new horn install. Good idea to reseal the opening in the deck that the horn wires go into while you're at it. The new horn is loud when compared to the old weathered horn. The outside of the old horn still looked like new, but the inside was a totally different story.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

So, I tried to install the horn today. As Mike stated, I had enough slack from the old wires. When everything is hooked up, I get a soft popping sound coming from the horn. I was doing some research, and there have been some complaints about the people receiving defective horns from Ongaro. So I grabbed a battery from the ship store and touched the terminals. The horn was went off and was plenty loud. Went back to boat and tried to rewire with the same result.

Question, this looks to be the same exactly horn that I had before. It looks like my old horn was wired with 16 gauge wire. We have all heard the problems with Four Winns not using a better gauge, but why would the old one work, and the new one not if they are the same horn. Would this be a wiring issue, or a type of gauge used? I did hold the horn switch down longer than normal one time, and it did pop my fuse.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

As I mentioned in my April 5th post above, I'm now really wondering if our 328's existing horn wiring is on the light side for that replacement horn? Even though the horn you and I both purchased was to be our factory replacement horn, I wonder if the new horn requires a slightly increased amount of power and the factory wiring is on the limits of delivering the power required. Our boat is still on blocks, so I have not tried the new horn this year, but our boat should be floating in about a week and I'll see then how my almost one year old new horn works.

Are you going to try going with larger gauge wire, or look at a different new horn? I have not looked to see how difficult it would be to run larger gauge horn wires. Just when something should be a simply job.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

I can second that the wires may be too small. I replaced our horn and some days it works, others it remains very quiet - but it never seems very loud as I would expect. You can access the wiring for the horn by removing the florescent light on the starboard side. Luckily the air horn I keep under the helm always works!

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1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

Thanks weather, that's good to know the horns wiring could be accessed through the starboard florescent light. I just commented to my wife about that this past weekend wondering if you could gain access that way.

Last Friday was our first short cruise with our 328, as our marina lifted our boat back into the water for the start of the season. I did give our new horn a try and without hesitation it worked as I would expect it should. My son was quite taken back with how loud the horn was as he was on the deck of the boat and I too was actually surprised at how loud it is from standing at the helm without our camper top on yet.

The horn that txvista and I purchased and installed has specs that say a maximum draw of 8 amps. If my horn becomes intermittent in working, I think my first step will be to call the horn manufacture and see what they say and confirm what the proper gauge of horn wires that should be used. I understand some horns can be adjusted to help with them working and I have read that some horns benefit from a relay wired in to help with the horn working.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation