www.iFourWinns.com

Hello,
This will be our first "full" boating season with our new to us 2002 268Vista....After giving all off the family and friends, (some I didnt know I had) rides of the the 3 Rivers of Pittsburgh last year, my wife and I are getting down to the planning of what goes where in the boat....Is there any secret space or hidden compartments??? Any ideas and hints of how you stock your Vista would be helpful...Pictures would be great....We spend just about every weekend on our boat from mid April until the snow falls....Any help would be greatly appreciated......Its just the wife and I and our dog "spookie"

Thanks, Daron

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2002 Four Winns 268 (sock monkey)
Enjoying the 3 Rivers of Pittsburgh.

Congrats on the boat, you will have fun this summer.

It just depends on how you boat. You spend every weekend on the boat, but will you sleep on the boat every weekend? Any kids? Most of the items we store and keep on the boat are "kid" related. Change of dvds, toys, clothes, toiletries, soap, food, paper plates and plasticware. The one thing that I always keep loaded on the boat is bottle water and gatorade. I try to keep beer, but that keeps disappearing.

For myself, I just bring a change of clothes for when we get back to dock and spend the night.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

Get yourself a BIG DOCK BOX to put all of those "essentials" you can't boat without but will weigh you down.....

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

Lots of great storage ideas to be found here. Try a search, or I can take some pics in a few weeks when we get our 268 all loaded up.

We have three small rubbermaid containers that fit perfectly on the port side V-berth storage shelf. We keep magazines, food and our dog things in there.

We keep plates in the microwave, as well as bags of chips/buns on top of those. We roll up towels and keep them above the hanging locker between the head and the aft cabin. Get some "Command Strips" storage containers, we keep one in the head for shampoo, etc. We keep another at the helm that holds both our cell phones perfectly.

And this for the toothbrushes we leave on board.

http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Toothbr ... 017&sr=8-5

Thanks to Bliss36, this year I'm going to save the bottom half of a 24 pack of pepsi and use the box to store cleaning products in it, under the trash can thats built into the step. Up until now we kept those and our dirt devil vac in the cubby hole across from the hanging locker. We have a paper towel roll holder that I installed under the cabinets next to the lights.

We keep sunglasses, playing cards, any small misc. item in a small rubbermaid crate (mini milk crate) in one of the galley cabinets. Helps keep it organized.

We are at the point where we have one of everything, house and boat. We try not to take anything back and forth besides food and a change of clothes. I am still in the process of how I'm going to wire up an inverter so I can use our new icemaker without firing up the genny.



Take a look here for some other ideas...

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5040&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=268+upgrades&start=15

I'm sure there is more. We got a lot of ideas from friends and others on the board. Do whatever you can to organize and keep more on board it really adds to the experience and takes some stress away from it.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Plastic totes or small storage containers work will holding remote controls, batteries, dvds, etc. I bought several different sizes at Target and seem to keep me organized.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

Even though it is just the two of you, it might be a good idea to get a nice sized cooler and put it on the swim platform. It doesn't take much to fill up the cabin refridgerator.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Good luck with that ice maker. Our neighbor bought one last year, and he spent more time cleaning it than useing it. It makes the
ice taste like old socks in no time, and ruined the drinks. He quit useing it for drinks, and only used it for cooler ice the rest of the
season. He sold it on craigslist in the off season. See what I mean ??
http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/app/2265620456.html

So my tip would be, don't buy a cheap ice maker. Get your ice at Arby's, it's only $1.00 a bag, and the ice is always fresh.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I would second the suggestion of Dock Box(s) at your boat well if they are permitted at your marina.

We have two large dock boxes and a 10' x 10' gazebo with picnic table directly behind our boat well. The dock boxes are great to hold your lawn chairs, extra boat fenders, BBQ and propane tank, external gas tank for inflatable, water toys, extra boat cleaning supplies etc. Basically for anything you don't want to carry on your boat all the time and that you don't want to drag back and forth from your home. Amazing how fast you can fill dock boxes up.

Mike.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

+ 1!!

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Michael Bova


"Swept Aweigh"
2003 Four Winns 328 Vista

Previous Boat
2003 Crownline 230CCR

We use Rubbermaid (religiously) on our boat. We throw dryer sheets in them to absorb any moisture, of course not in anything we use to eat with....

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

Thanks for the heads up Capn. I may do without. Some friends swear by another brand of ice maker, this Bellini unit was readily available locally. We'll see what happens.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

What we keep, the wife & I.

Extra clothes, jackets and rain gear!!! Condiments and water in the refrigerator. Coffee, sugar, paper goods. Nothing new that no one has touched upon. I really let my wife handel that stuff. Mask, fins and snorkel.

I do carry a portabale VHF, it works great when I drop her and the group off, and now I need to find them. In other word, they find a camp site and I am anchoring the boat. I do carry, engine & outdrive oil, tools, extra lines, 2 boat hooks, air horn, lub for us and the snaps, and I can't remember.

Depends what you are planning to do and how many people. We carry, 2 burners, 1 grill, 2 lanterns, 3 flashlights, pots, pans, spices, canned goods, dishes, lots of paper plates and bowls, foil (never go boat camping without the foil) lots of paper towels, toilet paper (see the foil statement). Keep a medium liquor cabinet stocked and a small wine cellar, mixers and cocktail glasses, tools, extra impeller. Ditch bag with PLB, flares, water, mirror, whistle, glo-sticks, VHF. 2 folding chairs, 1 roll up table, life jackets. DVD's, charts, cd's cloths, extra towels, fenders, fishing gear, anchor and people.

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

Darn, Ihad to look at this pic twice. I thought i was looking at my boat. Been trying to find a ice maker that fits where the cooler goes on an 07.

Hi! I am also a new Vista 248 owner this year. For those of you who sleep on the 268 or 248s, do you find that you sleep in the forward birth more often than the underberth?