www.iFourWinns.com

considering a 1997 v238 ( in fact have a deposit on it ) looking for input from other owners.
first off fresh water only with 400 hrs in very good shape. no marina package so it has an icebox instead of a ac/dc fridge. kinda bummed about that. full camper canvas, cockpit cover etc. 4winns trailer also. in good shape for age. on brokerage, they were asking 14000 I offered 11000 and the owner agreed. based on what ive seen online this seems like a good deal.

questions I have are as follows
are the water stains from the windows in the cabin common (as the dealer says) ?
are they more of a problem than just being ugly? i.e going to cause other problems?
HOW DOES THIS BOAT HANDLE? hard to find input on that on the web. dealer says great ( obviously it will be used in a large lake that can get a little rough.

any and all feedback greatly appreciated!

thanks

There are several owners here with newer 248 Vista's. I am not sure if yours is the same as those ones excepted rebadged. Most of those owners like their "pocket" cruiser as I call them...I recently purchased a 245 Vista and am looking forward to being able to stay overnight now and again. I don't think we will be doing any week long excursions in this size boat but it will make an excellent weekender.

Your pricing seems OK depending on the condition. No matter how good of condition it is in I would still bank on spending $2K the first year on miscellaneous maintenance, upgrades and custom touches. The most important thing is to remember that the boat needs to be 100% reliable versus looking pretty. There is nothing quicker than a boat mechanical failure to put a damper on the family's enthusiasm. My 1993 245 cost me less than $2K but needs a motor and trailer... I will have $7-9 K into it once I am done and she is up and running.

You won't have a problem in most types of water conditions with this boat.

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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

I have a 2000 248 Vista and I boat in "big water". I am in the great lakes and I am happy the way it handles the heavey chop.

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2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

the 238 was only made for 4 years. it is 23'4'' loa. i also don't anticipate spending more than a long weekend or two on it with my wife. in general im wondering if this is a small boat for more than two or three people, given that you loose so much deck space going to a cruiser in this size range.

The overall length of my 248 is 26', this is including the swim platform.. so the actual length to the aft is approx 24'. We have had 4 adults and 4 small children on board and it isn't too bad. I beleive the layout on the 238 is very similiar to the 248

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2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

The 238 is not the same hull as a 248. 238 is narrower and shorter, has a small swim deck molded into the hull, with optional bolt on swim deck.

To add a ac/dc fridge would not be that big a deal, but pricey.

I think the 238 handles great, I test drove and slalom ski'd behind a '96 with 5.8L duo prop. At the time we were considering trading our 245 sundowner for the 238 vista, since we were spending more and more weekends upto a week at the lake.

Really there would not be too much difference between the 238 and 248, we love our 248, great boat for 2-3 people.
We we take 6-7 people for a week of beach camping, tents on the beach and they have to ride the jet skis to the camp spot.

the 238 vista was made as early as '94 (if not '93) and discontinued in '99

I looked at many '99 238 when shopping for a small vista, yes it is common for water damage around the port windows, search the site, I know it has been covered a few times. Reseal window and clean carpet.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

A happy 238 owner here!! The boat handles very well for a small cruiser, mine is quickly up on the plane and tops about 32mph with only the 5.0gi engine. It can get a bit scary in anything over a 3ft swell particularly if caught side on.

There are some 248's in my marina and I can notice a bit more room on deck, but down below they look the same size as the 238. As powellcrazy says the swim platform on the 238 is quite a bit smaller but adequate. The water staining you mention will be caused by the window surounds that are angled back ( a very bad design fault that I don't think was ever rectified) and always holds water, its not a problem until you open them, when about half a cupful will flood in.

We spend every other weekend on our 238 (2 adults) I would only recommend 3-4 people on board for the occasional night and only then when conditions are good enough to spend a lot of time on deck.

Any more questions fire away!! Lots of photos if you want to pm me.

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Regards
Beyond the Blue

"If we improve with age I'm now excellent"


Ex 1998 238 Vista 5.0Gi SX DP
Lexus RX300

I've owned a 1997, 238 for six years now. It's a great boat and the right size for starting out in the cruiser line.The statements submitted above by "beyond the blue" pretty much nails the characteristics of this boat. I'm very pleased to say that our 238 glides across the water thanks to a 5.7 gli Volvo Duoprop. Yea, the boat has some engineering short falls, such as those water catching windows, but all in all a well built, enjoyable boat.

Hopefully the following info will help with the water stains.
The material on our headliner in the cabin is a textured(coarse),off white, foam backed material. Around the windows were brown and yellow water stains. Very ugly. (Before doing the following, please make sure you have good ventilation!) My wife sprayed Lysol Disinfectant Mildew Remover with Bleach(4 in 1), onto the stains and let sit for 1-2 minutes. She then takes an old clean, dry towel and rubs the area. Depending on the darkness of the stain, it maybe necessary to repeat this step a number of times noting that each time the stain will lighten. She then lets it dry several hours. Sometimes after it dries, she said a very light stain appears. Should that occur, she LIGHTLY dampens a clean towel with water and rubs the entire area. When dry, it looks brand new. She does this any time a stain appears and our headliner continues to look like new.
I hope this is of some help. If you have any other 238 questions or problems give me a shout. Have a GREAT summer filled with lotz of boating!


http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/929/ ... res058.jpg

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1997 23.8 Four Winns Vista
Bay Dream'n

We have a 248 and boat in “Big” water; this being Long Island Sound NY and Block Island Sound RI. The boat rides great, we have been caught in 8-10’ rollers and 4 foot chop. Not that we planned on it but up the weather, and the seas, can change in a moments notice. My wife and I along with my teenage son live aboard it nearly every weekend and it’s not the Ritz but it works. How much time do you spend in the cabin anyway?

We have also traveled for weekend trips with four adults and again it wasn’t bad as long as everyone knows what to expect before you go. It’s the destination not the transportation.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
[

2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

I own a '96 238 Vista w/ 5.7 Volvo DP--it handles beautifully in Long Island Sound where I live on the CT. shoreline. Me, wife & 2 young children have done several overnights on the boat, and it's a bit tight for that but doable for 1 night......I REALLY LOVE THIS BOAT! Four Winns makes a really nice boat, and after 14 easy/fresh water years the boat still looks great. I can't tell you how often I get compliments on it as I tow it to the marina! 400 hours is not too bad--fresh water or salt? Keep it in good repair and it should serve you quite well-- I paid 10.5k for mine in 8/08-- a good deal then......good luck!

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"For My 50th"
1996 238 Vista
5.7VolvoGL DP
Previous boats; 91 Cobia 19' Cuddy, 87 Starcraft 16' BR,
67 Winner BR, 65 Arrow 14'