www.iFourWinns.com

Well! I'm throwing in the towel with the UK weather. It's rained almost every day since the beginning of July and I can't stand it any longer, so the For Sale sign as gone up on the boat.

We have had it for almost 4 years, and from the day we bought it we have had terrible weather and not had the use out of it I expected. We go down to the boat every two weeks for the weekend and although we manage to enjoy the time there with walks, restaurants, pubs etc. its just not boating.

I would love to keep it (and probably will have to do for a long time yet, with the current economic climate) but I feel it's time to make new plans.

I am considering buying another boat and keeping it in Spain were it's almost guaranteed sunshine (8 months of the year) and only a short flight away. We would be able to visit 5 or 6 times a year, it's not a lot I know, but at least we will get more use out of it than we are at present.

As we will be staying on it when we visit, we need to get the biggest cruiser we can with a single engine to keep the maintenance cost down (things are very expensive over here) any thoughts or advise anyone?

_________________
Regards
Beyond the Blue

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


Ex 1998 238 Vista 5.0Gi SX DP
Lexus RX300

Last year it was a summer for us like you are having. Rainy and Cold. Did not use the boat enough. We planned on selling the boat too, but we found the biggest boat we could afford and decided to go for it. We have been rewarded with the best weather this year in the last 10 years.
And are enjoying boating more than ever.

I like your idea of Spain, you are pretty much guaranteed of good boating weather there whenever you decide to go. As far as a used cruiser, it's hard to say what is available there, and the prices they get for a 26 foot boat are outrageous. Here are just a few that might be okay.
I assume you wanted to stay with an express cruiser.

http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2000/Dor ... 1662/Spain

http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/1996/Sea ... 6265/Spain

http://uk.yachtworld.com/boats/2005/Ebb ... 0959/Spain

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Neil,

I know how you feel; we got our first Sundowner in 2001, Summers up to and including 2006 had periods when it was very sunny, warm and with long periods of light winds. 40- 50 engine hours per year up to 2006. The sea temperature in 2006 even got up to 19 deg.C in Anglesey; this year, like all the years since it's barely got above 14 deg. C (that's 57 deg. F for our American friends!). Then in 2007 7 hours if I remember correctly, 14 in 2008 and barely 20 -25 per year since. It seems it can now either be sunny, warm or windy, but never any combination of the first two without the third. After saying that, last Sunday when the BBC once again said it was going to be cloudy and windy, it wasn't, we've learned to ignore the forecasts !! We are lucky that we don't have to stay on the boat; the one night we did in 2006, in a "good "year, it was a lovely evening, then at 05,00 it was blowing a F8 and raining!

8 months predictable weather has it's attractions!

Graham

Hey Cap'n
You think those prices are outrageous, I am asking £24,000 for a 238

_________________
Regards
Beyond the Blue

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


Ex 1998 238 Vista 5.0Gi SX DP
Lexus RX300

Neil,

There's a lot of "smoke and mirrors" as far a CE marking is concerned; on a FW, they'd have used the same parts for the US market as for the European one, apart fro the 110V/ 220V plugs etc, they are not stupid. Even for that, the 110V cables are overspecified for 220V, so inherently "fail safe". FW in Europe, NOT just the UK would have a "block certificate " indicating all the FW models approved for a certain year. I have a copy for 2004. I even read once an "expert" stating that boats need a EU state hull number; absolute b*ll*cks, mine has a US hull number and it was officially imported by a FW dealer.

Legally importing and using a much cheaper US boat is probably not as difficult as the entrenched dealers would like us to believe. What did one of our Australian members describe the UK as; " Treasure Island" or something similar !

Graham

_________________
Regards
Beyond the Blue

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


Ex 1998 238 Vista 5.0Gi SX DP
Lexus RX300

Man that must be a drag, that weather stinks, I have to say here the past summers the weather has been great, hot, but not over 90*F, humid, not too windy. Boating on the North Shore of Long Island NY is great for that reason. Deep water mostly everywhere, protected harbor and then Long Island Sound for calm days when you want a change of scenery.
I wonder if you might do better with a smaller (20-22') trailerable boat that you could trailer to different locations so you are not limited to one location for boating. Also a smaller boat can be trailered to lakes and taken out for day trips without too much trouble. I'd consider an outboard powered boat set up for salt water with a self bailing deck. More seaworthy and less work by far than a similar I/O powered bowrider.

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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

If you were ever going to do some serious boating in Ohio, this would be the year. We have had little or no rain on the weekends. The water was warm enough to get in on Memorial Day and has been great ever since. Boats have been selling very well at the local Marina. They have sold all of their Cruisers and can't keep a Pontoon Boat in Stock. With that said, I am going boating on Lake Erie for the first time next weekend. With my luck we will see 10' waives. I have been holding off until I got used to the boat and took a boating class. After a year I feel pretty confident now. We are meeting up with some folks that have boated on the Lake for over 30 years. Wish me good luck.

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2003 268 Four Winns Vista
F-350 King Ranch Diesel (Tow)
1990 Four Winns Fredom 180

Good Luck - here's an inspirational video for you to review before heading out:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfEo6E6n ... re=related

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi