www.iFourWinns.com

A general question for owners of all FW models....how effective is your self bailing cockpit? I have a 2001 Vista 298 and I seem to get a lot of water in the bilge (several inches) after a heavy rain or washing the boat. My previous boat, a Chaparral, did an excellent job at sending almost all of the water in the cockpit overboard. This boat just doesn't seem to do as good a job at self-bailing. I checked the scuppers (all the ones I could find) and they're clear so now I'm wondering if this is the norm. One difference I did notice between the two boats is that on the Chaparral the scuppers under the engine hatch were located on the far back of the opening while on the FW they are located at the front corners of the hatch...when I wash the cockpit it looks like the majority of the water runs toward the back of the boat and is bypassing the scuppers while on the Chap the water would run straight into those rear scuppers.

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'01 Vista 298

Winedown, I think you hit the nail on the head. On my 268, the scuppers for the engine hatch were on the front corners too (I think the 318 is like that too). They always seemed to be plugged whenever i took the engine hatch of. From what Im not sure sorta like fuz from the carpet or something that would just cought in the drain holes of the scupper and then dry. Never thought about having the scuppers to the rear, wonder if you could add 2 to the rear corners and "t" into lines going to the front.... just a thought.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

I think both of you are correct. I have the same issue on my 268. Boat naturally drains to the back, but the scuppers are in the front of the gutter. Water just overtops the gutters in the back and dribbles all over the engine compartment from what I can tell.

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Pac Winn

First Boat:
2000 Vista 268

I have the same problem on my '02 268. Might investigate adding the additional scuppers this off-season.

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Steve
2002 Vista 268
5.7 GXi Volvo
Havre de Grace, MD

Yeah, on my v298 I get quite a bit of water in the bilge. The scuppers forward aren't effective enough and are constantly clogged with crud (even though I threw away my lay-in carpet years ago there appears to be "lint"?). The gutter is "supposed to" route all excess water under the transom and out to the swim platform (notice the small 3 inch wide hole under the transom). I keep my full canvas enclosure on while I'm away from the boat and this helps a bit.

Today, I replaced my generator mounting brackets and pan because it was completely rusted to the point where the generator broke free (while getting beat up in unexpected 4 to 6 foot seas in the Gulf on the way to Key West... not good!!!). This was a huge job involving lifting the generator and extracting the old rusted hardware. I replaced the old pan with a stainless steel component. The problem is... water drips over the edge of the gutter and rains down directly onto the generator. The rusting generator pan has been on the "to-do" list since I bought the boat 4 years ago. Usually I'm anal about the details, but it was such a big job it never got done until it became critical.

I'm thinking of putting in large rubber weather stripping along the ledge to keep the water in the gutter, hoping the deck plates will seal down onto the rubber strip and keep the water on the OUTSIDE of the boat. I also like the idea of the 2nd set of scuppers aft.

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2002 Vista 298
Video of boating from The Florida Keys, to Miami, to Bimini/Bahamas