www.iFourWinns.com

Hi ,I have been looking for a 268 and just bought a 2001 ,gxt 5.7 225hrs,arch,new manifolds,risers,starter etc, 1 owner from new,Ive paid a deposit(refundable) and getting a full survey done on the boat before paying the balance ,pays to be safe and Im in New Zealand ,so a bit far to pop in for a look myself ,lol. if anyone knows the boat Id love to hear about it ,good or bad,but Im really pleased and its a great looking boat

Good on you .. Let me know how you get on with shipping it back home.

I'm thinking of waiting to the end of the Northern summer before buying .. hopefully some one will be keen on selling at a good price rather than having to winterize and store till the next season.

Hopefully the 268 was not part of Hurricane Charley in 2004. Punta Gorda was leveled by that storm, hundreds of damaged boats in that big blow.


Your surveyor will be able to tell, and hopefully the risers being replaced already is not an indication of how the boat was maintained.

Good Luck.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Thanks guys ,the boat was originally from massatusas(sorry about the poor spelling!) and was moved to punta gorda 4 years ago(2007) so luckily would have missed the big blow! I wondered why the manifolds and risers would be replaced with such low hours as well? are you thinking it may not have been flushed thoroughly or regularly,may neglected at times? also the starter has been replaced,why? water in the bilge at some stage perhaps? any help?? thanks guys ,keep it coming,cheers ,Mike

By the looks of it's bilge, I would say all of the above are possibilities.

In Florida you will find most boats with sterndrive power of that age, will have had engine and drive parts replaced. The longevity of the boat
will be largely determined by the diligence of the owner(s) in keeping it flushed and serviced properly. It's a crap shoot at best, buying from
overseas and not actually seeing the boat yourself.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Thanks ,I must say Im impressed ,how did you find the picture of the actual motor?like you say I guess the surveryer will find out if anything is in need of attention etc,I agree maintainance is really important ,my last boat was a 1 owner boat and well cared for ,it was a 2000 model ,I bought it in 2008 and it had 550 hours on it ,and still the original manifolds(volvo) I couldnt beleive itn especially being a saltwater boat,I replaced them and the risers,the 1st owner used salt away everytime without fail ,to me this speaks for itself and I would certainly suggest salt away to eveyone! when the boat arrives it will be getting a full service ,all fliuds replaced ,filters the lot! then I should know what ive got,hopefully as long as the survey reports a clean bill of health ,if there are a few small things that need attention it will provide me with a chance to either have it fixed or a price reduction,I guess time will tell,do you think its a good price? 225 hours isnt much at all really I thought(provided maintainance has been kept up) ,many thanks

Fourwinnskiwi

good luck! but if for some readon the deal falls through let me know, as we are ready to move up and wanting to sell our 268.

Jeff

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JPEloian
2000 268 Vista

Hours have nothing to do with the life of manifolds and risers. Time is everything. They should be changed every 5-7 years as preventative maintenance. I suspect the motor has been out of the boat for some reason and the starter was replaced then. If my motor ever has to come out, it will get a new starter as well, just to be safe.

Looks like the deal did not fall through. Congrats FWkiwi !!

26' Four Winns 268 Vista Cruiser
•Year: 2001
•Last Listed Price: US$ 27,900
•Located In Punta Gorda, FL
•Hull Material: Fiberglass
•Engine/Fuel Type: Single Gas/Petrol
•YW# 63109-2284400 •
Sold

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Thanks ,no the deal went through no problem ,the survey report came back pretty good really ,just a few minor issues I can sort out myself,trim guage not working,speedometer not working,bottom paint needs to be redone and the boat needs a good cut and polish ,thats it,no big deal really ,I enjoy sorting out that kind of thing anyway ,I also bought a 2009 all american trailer for the boat ,does anyone know much about them? $3k seemed like a good deal amd it has brakes on both axles and can handle the weight of the boat no problem ,I double checked! ,cheers ,Mike