www.iFourWinns.com

Just for the heck of it and winter boredom, I checked out FWs website to see what they are selling, and they have gone way up market. All bowriders and deck boats, no cuddies no more cruisers and very high prices. For my next boat I'm going with a Key West Dual Console 203 with a 150 hp outboard.

_________________
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

WOW! That's sucks. I guess they are following Bayliner and Sea Ray.
I guess no one wants a cruiser anymore. Everything seems to be a center console these days.

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

AS well as Campion & Chapparal. Boat shows are getting a little boring.

While I'm glad to see a number of outboard powered offerings from them, I would not buy a new boat with an I/O under any circumstances, because of the cost liability of cat converter exhaust and the extra trouble they cause with O2 sensor check engine lights etc. Boat ownership is troublesome enough without that added expense (try $5000-$6000 per engine) if you ever have to replace them. Here in salt water exhaust replacement is regular maintenance item every 5-7 years so for me its only outboards for any future boats.

_________________
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

Glad I got mine when I did. Everything is off the reservation now.,

As you probably know 2009 was the cut off date for non cat inboards. There was mention of cats on outboards a few times after that. Has anyone heard anything on this?

Yes I recall that being discussed but I guess the outboard manufacturers managed to convince the powers at be that adding such an abomination to outboards would kill their industry, I guess the builders of inboards didn't try hard enough. I fail to see just how some fool thought that a 700*F heat generator in the engine compartment of a fiberglass boat with water cooled exhaust was a good idea. We all know what happens to the rubber exhaust hoses if your impeller fails, now imagine adding all that heat to the equation.
That is why I will not ever have one. I would rather buy outboards, or buy an older I/O boat stick with a simple Carb engine and boat on. Cat converters are just a horrible potentially dangerous solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

_________________
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

I do agree that the "powers that be" don't seem to think.
Outboards are definitely the way to go for most runabouts but not for cruisers. You can't beach a cruiser so you need a dinghy most of the time. If you don't have a swim platform you have to put in on the bow which is not easy. Been doing it for years and it's a 2 person job. I finally made davits this year and it's like night and day.
They also started going pods on larger boats which is also why people want to get away from inboards. Dumbest thing since the catalytic converter. I have V drives and while slower they are easy to maintain. Just check the oil and go.

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

I just saw the replacement for the H-200 now called the H1. 20’1” long, nice look beautiful interior but starts at $57,000. No more reasonably priced boats. Not sure how this will affect sales.

_________________
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

YIKES... The other problem is maintenance and marina fees are getting crazy. Even doing most of the stuff myself I find parts are even more expensive than normal and waitlists at marinas are driving the price up at a very fast pace. Going to get interesting in the next few years.

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

The side effect of rising prices of new boats is that people will keep their old boat longer thereby keeping used boats out of circulation further driving up prices. Its easier to justify a re-power for 1/10th the cost of a new boat! That's right I could repower this boat with a brand new V8 + closed cooling if I wanted to, for 1/10th the cost of a new H-1. Easy decision eh? I already have a garage full of OMC Cobra drive system spares to keep me going for a long time.

_________________
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

Lou,

I just bought a new to me 2012 Key west 211DC and I just love it. Like four winns they build a great boat that holds up well over time.
Mine came with a Yamaha 250, but a 200 would work well.
Good luck in your search.

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2011 Bennington 2075 GLi
2012 Key West 211 DC
2005 Four winns 180 Horizon LE
1997 Horizon QXsold
2000 248 Vistasold
2002 Key West 2020WA sold

Congrats yes that style is going to my next boat if I don’t get into hot rods instead.

_________________
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