www.iFourWinns.com

In 2003 we purchased a Four Winns Horizon 230. Never had problems with the boat over three years, but we did have issues with the bimini and the dealer, Phil Dill. Anyone recall the huge bimini and problems lowering the frame? It also rested in such a way that it was causing damage. Phil Dill's fix? They went to Lowes and purchased PVC pipe and elbows and made a support frame. Not chrome pipe and connectors. PVC. Seriously. That's when we started to worry about them.

Fast forward to this year. We'd sold the 230 in '07 whem my son was born premature and we knew we'd go the whole year without boating because his health was fragile, then. So, we get the bug to buy another boat this year and we go to Phil Dill and discover they no longer are Four Winns dealers. We were told Four Winns quality fell waaaaay off and they dropped FW. So, we checked out Yamaha, and liked it.

Didn't buy from Phil Dill, but still purchased a less than 1 year old SX230 High Output Yamaha. I started adding mods, including Thrust Vectors, which are low speed stabilizers for the jets to provide steering at nowake speeds (I do miss my Volvo Penta duoprops!).

The boat was overdue for its initial service (which Yamaha reomends at 10 hours), so I took it to Phil Dill for service. What has transpired tells me that maybe it wasn't Phil Dill thatdropped FW. Maybe it was the other way around. Check out my thread on Yamaha Jet Boaters Forum:

http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39062

I'm still waiting for an explanation.

Here is a previous discussion about Phil Dill....
http://www.smwebhead.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6743&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=PHIL+DILL

A friend of mine just picked up a Yamaha 21ft twin engine jet boat (not exactly sure what model)with the added stabilizers and that thing is sweet!

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Our Boating Blog: http://ben-dana.blogspot.com/

2005 268 Vista "Sea Pickle II"
1979 AMF Alcort Puffer
Previous:
2003 FW190 Horizon
1973 Startcraft 18ft "Sea Pickle"

Are you sure that's oil and not damaged gel coat? I'd be checking your HIN to see if it's even YOUR boat.

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07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

Did you get it back yet? At least you took pictures, and that's good they decided to fix it.

I don't know about that dealership but my local one used to carry FourWinns, but a few years ago Fourwinns said the need to carry more of their boats to show off and they didn't have the room to carry the boats or the room to expand at their location. So the don't carry Fourwinns anymore but they still service everything and have been very good to me over the years.

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2008 F450 TOW VEHICLE
2001 Four Winns 215 Sundowner

I had a pump issue on my 200 ss and the hooked me up and found that I still had three years of extended warranty, pump still works great, I have nothing bad to say about their sevice department.

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Mike
2007 Horizon 200 SS
5.0 GXi SX drive.

that's why I buy used and fix my own junk, and seek out the best local mechanics for what I can't fix myself...
It's worked out pretty well, the last time I had the boat in the shop was 2005, for some seals on the drive, a bellows, gimble and trim lines. Since then just maintenance, rebuilt carb, water pump, manifolds. I took the Q-Jet to the shop because they are complex to rebuild, but I am going to buy a spare rebuilt just in case....got a spare starter too....ready for the typical old boat issues...

I can't imagine dropping that much coin on a new boat, and then having that crappy service....

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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