www.iFourWinns.com

Due to a health issue going on in the family, we're doing a first this year - not really "separate vacations," but I did a couple of days by myself, I'm taking the boys on a day trip or two, my wife is joining us for part of it, etc.

So where did I go for "my" portion of the week? Table Rock, of course. Being alone and staying somewhere I've never stayed (and since the trip was so short), I didn't mess with hauling the boat down there. Still, I couldn't go there and not get out on the lake. So, I rented. I took a SeaRay 205 out for the day on Monday. It was strange. I'm sitting on a rented boat while mine sits in storage, there's no one to talk to, etc. So, I made lemonade. I found a great, LONG, calm cove, and spent the day:

1. Driving to the mouth of the cove and shutting off the engine
2. Making sure the stereo was OFF
3. Jumping in and floating next to the boat, all the way to the end of the cove, listening to the birds, the water, and the silence
4. Repeating

After dropping off the boat at the end of the day, I headed in to Branson, did the Titanic museum (an absolute must-see if you ever make it to Branson IMO) Pizza World for the best cheap pizza you've ever had, then next door to Andy's Custard for an Ozark Turtle.

It wasn't the kind of vacation I thought I'd ever have, but it didn't suck.

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

Hey Mike
Glad to see that you had a great time just kicking back on the water. However I can't help think that hiring a boat when you own a perfectly good one in the driveway, is a bit like prostituting yourself (hehehe) boating wise.
Enjoy the Summer on that end of the planet

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

Hey sounds great to me! We did it that way on one of the trips there last year. Used points and stayed at the Hilton with two rooms, one for us, and one for the boy and his family. Stay three nights, rented a big pontoon found a cove.
It was best when we had our boats there though. Last year we had an 18 and a 21 footer so our kids would have something good to go out in.

So what type of place did you find to stay at?
I never did get a call back from that lady, ?????? kind of weird.

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1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

I'm sure that it doesn't diminish your desire to get YOUR boat out on the water, probably the opposite, but boating in a rented boat is a lot better than no boating at all.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

+1

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Exactly! Yeah it sux having to keep an eye on the watch, allow enough time to get back on time, etc. Normally we don't get back to dock until sometime after dark.

I only had one day's notice that I was going, so accomodations were a problem. Any of you TR'rs know that one of the problems with that lake is that you have to make plans way in advance. The first place my wife called was Kimberling Oaks, which was booked up like everyone else, but since it was just me they had a studio in the basement of the office LOL. It was fine for me - I just wanted a place to wash up and flop.

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

OK... got mine wet today. So... you guys can start now.

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

I don't see any pics there Mike. You know the rules, if there isn't pics then it never happened
(good to hear you cleared the driveway for a while)

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

230 Mike

Could you comment on the SeaRay that you rented? e The SeaRay Select was one of my choices before I went with the '06 H220. I looked at a few but never actually tested one on the water.

Thanks,
95FXDL

I wouldn't use my experience as much of a judge, since it was rented. It was a late '07 or early '08, SR205 with a 5.0L. It had about 320 hours on it .

It was ok but to me it was kind of a rattle trap. There didn't seem to be any sound dampening, I didn't care at all for the helm layout, styling was austere (partly - but not completely - because it was equipped as a rental), and two parts on the bimini (the support strap snaps, which were totally undersized for the application) both broke while I had it out. The rest of the bimini was similar quality to FW. Deck latches, etc., were all plastic or some kind of black synthetic material, not the nice chromed metal we're used to.

Power in that size boat was fine, the ride was "ok."

Again, I realize it's not a fair comparison, but when we headed out in ours yesterday, it was like, "Ahh, that's more like it."

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

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

Yeah....Ummm.....afriad I may have started early

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum

Washing does not count Mike!!!!

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

LOL.
Yea, where are the pics to prove it.

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Troy
2008 Centurion Avalanche
1994 Four Winns Horizon 180 SE 5.0L OMC Cobra (Sold)
2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition (http://www.nhtoc.com) 378 hp & 465 tq at rear wheels
2008 Honda Accord EX-L w/Nav

Tough crowd. OK, try these.

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