www.iFourWinns.com

Hello forum members,
My wife and I decided last fall that this will be the year we finally buy a boat. We are in Central KY and have decent lakes and rivers in all directions. Im semi new to boating, I grew up on the Lake, but Ive never owned my own and my Dad sold his in 2008. He highly recommended 4Winns and I hit the online marketplace running. Ive spent hours reading about transoms, bellows, ect. and my wife is fed up, she just wants a boat already. Im a firefighter and shes an educator so our budget for our starter boat is....used runabout. As many before me, I decided the Horizon series was perfect and started shopping. I narrowed my ideal used boat down to an 18ft Horizon, early 2000's, 4.3L of either flavor, freshwater, ect. I have been stunned by the asking prices in the midwest. $10k barely gets us in the ballgame. Im taking a ride later today on a 2002 170 4.3L that is $8000 non negotiable.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9755

I found the above post from 2012 and the guy was in the exact same position as me. Even then, 8 years ago, the consensus was that he was overpaying. In frustration I decided to do a search on the entire eastern seaboard and found that the early 2000's 4Winns Horizons were all hovering around $8-10k if they were decent. So am I crazy, are they holding their value for a decade, or is it a really bad time to shop? I should add 98% of the time it will be us and our small dog.

Welcome!
I can't say much about Horizons holding their value, but I will say that we paid $6,400 for our '99 H180 w/ 130 OB back in 2011. Based on your searches, did mine make money?
Normally, shopping for boats to buy in the Spring is a seller's market. Prices are usually higher because the season in N. America is about to begin right now. Better to buy during the late fall or winter (if things aren't completely frozen over - not sure how winters are in KY). We bought our boat in mid-April, btw.

With current conditions (COVID crap), that could give you an edge on pricing. Not much stuff selling if people can't go anywhere.

FWIW, don't rule out a FW with an outboard if you run across one. Maintenance is a lot easier than an I/O and they're pretty easy to work on yourself.

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1999 180 Horizon OB Fisherman Pkg
2013 Grand Cherokee 4x4 w/ 5.7 Hemi
San Antonio, TX

Thanks. I read an interesting article yesterday talking about the relationship of new boat prices and how they effect the used market. Last summer I spent the afternoon on a buddies cobalt runabout that he paid around $90k for a few years ago. I remember enjoying it and thinking it was nice but was shocked when I heard the price. It does make an $8k used boat seem like peanuts no matter if its a good deal or not.

I would hold out till you can afford at a minimum a 20' boat. As your first boat it will be safer and more versatile than a 17'. With any kind of breeze even on a small lake a '17 open bow will beat you up and one wave taken over the bow is dangerous. These boats have a small bilge and only a single 500 gph bilge pump which is inadequate for any kind of emergency. I have owned the 20' F/W H-200 for approx. 18 years and a few times have wished it were bigger, I NEVER wished it were smaller! I have an 1,100 gph pump with an emergency 2,000 gph pump.
Also, on smaller boats with I/O powertrains take a good look at engine access. If they have the style with the molded 'glass around the engine sides they are next to impossible to do work on. Horrible design. If you have the dog house and jump seats that can be removed, that is OK as well as the large bench seat as long as it can be removed. Otherwise you will be paying a marine mechanic to do every repair some of which are very simple but complicated by boat designers who really don't care about customers.

And if you can really save up you will be far better off, with a 20' boat and OUTBOARD 4 stroke power. I/Os as a market are dying, they have become as expensive as outboards to repair thanks to EFI and cat converter exhaust and still have all the inherent disadvantages of I/Os with few of the past advantages (simple engines, cheap engine repairs).

ultimate safe/versatile boat for beginner:
20' minimum, closed bow with flip up access cover to anchor, high freeboard, raised deck height to be truly self bailing and (2) 1500 GPH bilge pumps for safety. And 150-175 Hp OUTBOARD POWER.
Yes no one makes that all they sell are bowriders (dangerous in big water) or salt water based dual consoles (better but not ideal, at least they are self bailing)….but if I could custom order a boat for myself that's what I'd want....

BTW, F/W in the late 80s built, all on the same hull:
H-200 bowrider (my boat)
H-200 convertible (closed bow, with a flip up access panel for access to the anchor)
Sundowner 201 cuddy
all were available with both I/O and Johnson and Evinrude outboard power
they also built the 201 Liberator which was a cuddy I/O power only

if you get a bow rider be careful, make a support for that canvas bow cover and use it if its windy out or you are heading into big water.

The closest thing to what I want was built by Arima boats on the west coast. No one makes cuddies or even walk arounds any more. I don't get the love of center consoles here, you will freeze your butt off either early in the season or late in the season. While I'd prefer the newest possible boat for my next one if I find the right walk-around with outboard power that is close to what I want in a safe, smaller boat.

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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

Thanks for the advice. I was about to go meet a guy to possibly purchase the 170 but a small feeling in my gut was telling me to wait. This advice has helped me realize to be patient. The lake I am interested in visiting is about 60,000 acres so the smaller boat would prob not be great in that regard. And the shopping continues!

I agree, 17' is very small and you will quickly wish you purchased larger, don't be afraid of getting into "too much boat". As far as handling goes, a 17' will handle almost identical to a 20' or even a 22-23'. My first boat was a Horizon 200 and I had it for a year before I moved into a 268 Vista. Buy more boat than you think you want because it WILL save you money in the long run. Boating is an addiction and you always want something bigger haha.

Also, as someone else mentioned, don't be afraid of an outboard model. They do look a little strange on smaller bowriders but it's becoming more normal. If you leave the boat in the water all season then you are virtually taking all corrosion issues out of the equation with an outboard engine, never mind bellows, etc.

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2018 Four Winns H350 Outboard

Thanks. I am not against an outboard I just haven't really run across one this inland other than fishing boats. I have adjusted my search to 20ft and will keep you guys posted. Thanks for the advice.

If I was able to find a FW Coastal Runner that was for sale (semi) close to me, I'd sell my H180 OB in a heartbeat for it! But that layout would suit us better for our boat use as we do go fishing down in the Gulf a few times.

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1999 180 Horizon OB Fisherman Pkg
2013 Grand Cherokee 4x4 w/ 5.7 Hemi
San Antonio, TX

I picked up my 98 in 2012 for 5,000....I am thinking of putting a 7,000 asking price in the spring and dropping to 5 after our Lake George trip in July. From what I can tell surfing at least the listings is they have held their value if not increased slightly. Over the years I haven't done much more than maintenance on mine, had the floor done and part of the interior, found a trailer for $500 that will outlast the boat (original was a disaster waiting to happen) ... its weeping some power steering fluid that I am trying to track down now ... just put a 'diaper' around all the suspect pieces to see where its coming from.

But I guess my point was I feel like mine could sink tomorrow and I have gotten my monies worth...but the market appears to have held up....getting one in the sub 10k price point I think you have to assume something is wrong with it or its on the way to going wrong...I got extremely lucky with mine going on 8th season....surf my posts to see most of my problems but I have enjoyed most of them Good luck

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Jon Miller
1998 four Winns Horizon H200
Volvo Penta 4.3 GL
Newtown, CT

untitled-545 by millerjont, on Flickr

I agree on 20' min size and you will be happy with the difference. Many go smaller to fit in standard garage for storage, but that's a storage decision.

As far as I/O vs OB...mine is a 2008 and has no expensive cat exhaust and think those didnt come along til 2009 or so. While maintenance is less for the OB they do have their issues as well...I personally prefer the I/O as I want water access.

Hope ya find a good one and enjoy the search.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi