Finally got the nerve to take my 98 up to Lake George NY for a long weekend of annual camping trip....what a beautiful lake!
Observations......that is one big lake with big lake waves and chop....don't know how much fun it would have been in a smaller boat but I felt like I was on the smallish side....
Boat worked harder in 2.5 days of use than it has in the last 6 years......25 mph pounding through chop for 40 minutes at a time full of passengers and picnic supplies.....lots of little things seem to have gotten loose(r) but all the big parts held together. Motor and all the mechanicals worked great, Lake George ramp and inspection attendants were all top notch, very helpful for a first timer and seemed genuinely there to help get on the lake quick and pain free while doing their job to keep the lake clean and pests free. (my boat lives on a grimy green lake most of the time so it had a defined ring and obvious growth which they took care of)
I am wondering about a different prop...and honestly don't know whats on the boat now but at WOT its only about 3300 rpm speed around 35-38 depending how much I can trim it. Any easy way to check if its a throttle rigging issue or simple as a prop? It works great around my lake for water sports just seemed like for long runs across a big lake maybe something different is in order.
Was an eye opener to compare our boat to our friends with us who had a 21 foot hurricane, their boat much more comfortable floor plan/storage wise, but in choppy water the Four Winns was much better cutting through where the hurricane would slap and jar along the top of the waves. It also took forever to get on plane and had a slight edge in top speed (V8 merc opposed to my 4.3 VP) I used 10 less gallons of gas and we stuck together most of the days.
All in all a good experience, not much I would change and will be doing it again next year.
Lake George 18-6 by
Jon Miller, on Flickr
Untitled by
Jon Miller, on Flickr
Untitled by
Jon Miller, on Flickr
Untitled by
Jon Miller, on Flickr
Untitled by
Jon Miller, on Flickr
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Jon Miller
1998 four Winns Horizon H200
Volvo Penta 4.3 GL
Newtown, CT
untitled-545 by
millerjont, on Flickr