www.iFourWinns.com

Well, after a little over a year of searching I finally got my next boat. I spent more than I wanted to, had to drive 7 hours (one way) with my sick kids and ended up settling on a boat that had some scuffs and scratches and was a little disappointed that they weren't visible in the pictures I used to make my decision.

I figure you only live once and I had the opportunity to buy this and took advantage.

Here it is:







We had it in the water for a short test run...I forgot to get pictures of it in the water. I'll get plenty of pictures this summer.

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Nice boat mate - was there a particular reason you wanted the outboard rather than the sterndrive which comes on the current model?

JB

_________________
2010 Crownline 180BR
3.0 litre Mercruiser
Onyx black Narrow hull and middle deck band
Bimini/Targa, Bow and Cockpit canvas
2000kg tandem Dunbier trailer

Tow vehicle - Nissan Pathfinder Ti

Great looking boat and thumbs up to your kids being troopers. Have fun this summer, maybe we will run across each others paths.

Nice find, glad to see patience paid off in getting what you were looking for. Where in WI did you have to drive to find it?

_________________
-Rob.


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

NICE...if I could get a 20' Sundowner with an OB like they sold years ago I'd get one in a heartbeat...the OB in a small boat just has so many advantages that the cost factor up front eventually saves you money down the road because the maintenance is so much less...and if it freezes where you live...well no worries...just put the engine all the way down...self drains...when the I/O owners are worrying about if it'll get to freezing you don't have to worry...plus you have 400 lbs LESS weight on the stern for the same HP...no fume worry in the bilge...more room in the boat...etc....
I can drain my I/O in about 15 min but I tell you at my age (54) crawling round in the bilge and fixing everything myself as I have for 35+ years is getting a little hard on the old joints...OBs are great if you want low maintenance and high performance...

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Thanks for the kind words.

My kids are quite amazing. Considering how sick they were, they actually did very well. I think there was just a trace of vomit on the back seat of the truck when we got home....man am I glad I grabbed the pink bucket before we left the house.

Why an Outboard?: Well, honestly, I guess I can't give a specific reason. I have long preferred the idea of an outboard over a sterndrive. I don't like having a big hole cut in the back of the boat and the potential leaks and rot that that can lead to. I also like the space inside the boat that having the motor outside the boat affords. I like that for a given performance level there is much less power needed and less weight to haul around. I like that to winterize the outboard and make it safe to store is sub-freezing weather, I basically have to do nothing. I like that I can pull the motor up out of the water all the way for shallow water mooring or beaching. I also like that I can get far less draft and still make headway within reason with an outboard tilted up. And maybe most important of all, I LIKE HOW THEY LOOK.

So, yeah, I guess I have my reasons....honestly, I didn't realize how many until I started typing this response

Where in Wisconsin?: I bought the boat from a dealer near Mauston. That is Castle Rock Lake in the background in the pictures by the boat launch. The people at the dealer were nice. Though, they didn't want to negotiate much. All I got out of them was a gallon of XD50 oil....and that gets to the only downside I can think of for an outboard...at least a 2-stroke outboard.

I plan to use the boat a lot this summer. I need to make up for the missed summer last year. I have my other boat in about a billion pieces still and I actually think having this boat to use will help motivate me to get the other one done finally.

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Congrats Rotary!

Where are you looking to play this season? Dorr = close to Gun Lake? Good boat for that water especially with outboard and the shallow water in Gun. If you're on the big water in Grand Haven, look me up. I'm going to in/out at Barrets in Spring Lake this year. WetDogg, are you going to get out with the twins this season? Learn to swim at the North YMCA just started last week. William loves it!

_________________
2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Gun Lake is home to me. I grew up on the lake and my dad still lives on the lake year round. I have boated on the lake since before I can remember. I know it like the back of my hand and for me there are only 1 or 2 places that the shallow water ever concerns me.

We'll be camping there the week after the 4th. We'll probably have several weekend day trips out there also.

I also plan to make some day trips to other lakes in the area. There are some smaller lakes that I have never been on that look sort of interesting. I have a grand plan to get on ever boatable lake within like a 20-30 mile radius of home this summer. I plan to start a blog about general boating activities and destinations in Michigan and I figure I will start close to home and work out from there.

We'll definitely go out to Holland, Saugatuck and probably Grand Haven also. This summer isn't really set it stone though. We may do a couple of long weekend trips to Ludington or Charlevoix as I have found those to be nice areas to roam around and explore.

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Well said. I look at things the same way. I'm glad you finally found what you really wanted.
It's a sharp looking boat, and should be alot of fun exploring different lakes in our beautiful state. If you ever get up to Muskegon, looks me up, beverages are on me.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I have seen a few of them on boattrader and iboats. I thought long and hard about trying to find one. I was, at one time, actually looking very hard for a 94-98 195 Sundowner with an OB. They made a 205 Sundowner with an OB around that same time frame also.

I decided that an open bow is more appropriate for the type of boating we have been doing as a family right now.

Long live the OB powered family boats.

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Congrats! I like the colors

What is that thing on the port side just in front of the windshield? Looks like a white HD radio antenna.

Post some interior pics. Love to see how it is different than my I/O.

_________________
2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

That is a Sirius satelite radio antenna. I don't intend to pay for a subsripction. I think it was an option first available in 2004. The head unit is a pretty nice Clarion. There are only 2 speakers that I can locate and they don't seem to be anything too special. I may upgrade some of that at some point.

I'll get some pics of the interior soon. It isn't the best seating layout that was available, but I think it will work pretty well for our use.

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

My head unit was a Sony with no iPod option and the two speakers. I bought the Sony marine unit http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158M60UI/S ... M60UI.html and some Polk db651 speakers. It was plug n play except for some new hole on the speakers. I am adding another set this month. Either bow or rear. Also mounted a remote control for the stereo o. The transom.

_________________
2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

I played with the radio a little bit tonight. With just the 2 speakers it actually sounds pretty good...better than I expected. I also figured out the aux. input so I can hook my iphone to it with a wire from the back. Not ideal, but it will work.

Here are couple pics of the interior:

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

That's a clean boat!

_________________


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