Recent Four Winns Thoughts?
 

My wife and I are considering a 2015 Four Winns 260H...does anyone have thoughts on this model or Four Winns in general? Appreciate any and all feedback.

Welcome to the Forum. Four Winns has a lot of supporters on Winnipesaukee. I don'tr know if/when they transitioned from plywood to fiberglass floors/decks. I'd be cautious about wood floor/decks. There are other threads on this, so l'd hit the search button.

We have a 2013 260H and it has been a team player. No mechanical issues. Many quality hours on the Lake without issues.

Four Winns in General
 

I cannot speak to the model you mentioned , however my first boat was a Four Winns purchased from Melvin Village Marina..... It ran for 19 years without an issue... just traded it in and upgraded to a Regal

Very nice boat style wise. I think the base engine is only 300hp though which I'm sure most on here would agree is leaving some to be desired for that size boat. Make sure you look at other boats in that size and class too. Most competitors like Sea Ray, Cobalt, Formula, Chaparral etc offer 26' bowriders built with more dry weight and steeper deadrise (21 degrees or higher) which can help cut through the Winni chop easier. Drive a few of them and see what you like. Overall the FW is a beautiful boat and just like with owning any boat as long as you take good care of her she will take good care of you and will last a lifetime.

One of our neighbors has a 2015 260 H with the 300 HP Volvo drive. I've driven it several times and it's the nicest riding boat I've driven in this size range. The engine seems well matched to the boat, very smooth and quiet and top end is just over 50 mph on GPS. The model number is a little deceiving, I believe it's closer to 24 feet long not the 26 feet the model number would indicate.

FW is over all a very good boat. I personally have a 2001 180 Horizon, which I love.... There boats tend to be heavier and wider then most, which translates into a good ride.

Having a older FW I also love the fact that I can still get many things from the dealership. I just got a brand new sundeck for my boat, directly from Four Winns.. and it was cheaper then going to a custom shop locally. In the past I have also gotten replacement canvas from them.

Now as with any boat FW have some draw backs too... One they tend to be heavier then other boats size for size. Some of the new designs waste to much space. And last in my experience seem to be prone to superficial gel coat cracking.

Last I will mention that Melvin Village does tend to be more expensive when it comes to service. No issues on the price of parts etc. as that is pretty much standard, but I find their storage costs, and hourly billing to be high repair for repair, then other shops in the area.

I have a new four winns h230. Really enjoying it. Solid. Well built. Moves and handles well.
Nothing flashy but very comfortable. Big fan.


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Fw 260 h
 

I own a '14 260 H and as one forum post already mentions the boat is closer to 24' and with the dive platform in the back reaches 26'. The dive platform makes the boat much safer as it completely covers the outdrive. That said, it is an excellent performing boat and extremely well engineered albeit with a slightly rougher ride than our previous 2002 260 H. If you keep the trim low in the water it's a much smoother ride. One aspect I'm not crazy about is that this boat has no trim tabs so occasionally I need to move people around to even out the ride. Of course, the service at Melvin Village Marina is second to none and I've been doing business with them for 20 years now. Got a very good deal on trade in and purchase of the '02 and '14. Overall, high marks.

Great point on the trim tabs. I added them this year to our boat- what a difference! Leveling is easy but, more importantly, being able to push the bow down in chop makes for a much better ride.

Most modern manufacturers try to strike a balance between creating an entertaining swim platform/sunpad experience and actual interior space with the aft seats being able to transform into a sun lounge and vice versa. In the process I think this design trend chokes off a little bit of the interior function and allows brands to market what would have been a 24' boat in 2001 as a 26' model in 2017. They basically get to charge more $$$ for less fiberglass.

i was educated that about sometime between 5-10 years ago manufacturers started to include swim platforms in the length of the boat, used to be normal practice that the boat itself would be the length then the swim platform was added on, but not included in actual production length

So my neighbor has a '07 FW 260 H and doesn't really have a swim platform per se as it is integrated in the boat but it is about 2' in length thereabouts. His boat is def longer than my '14 260 not considering my platform but maybe by about a foot or so if you measure from tip of bow to end of "usable" boat. I lost a capacity of one person (from 14 to 13) so you can make your own mind up. Gauging from performance , style and look, I'll take my '14 but certainly caveat emptor re length.
One last point, the difference if safety margin of my '14 to older models cannot be overemphasized. I was crazy careful with my five kids as they were in their formative ages when we had the '02. NOT a terribly safe design and now you'd have to go out of your way to have an accident with the outdrive NOT that I would council anything but extreme caution when operating these boats. We've all read the heartache and danger that accompanies anything but total vigilance.

i have a 96 four wins 240 horizon (bow rider) it is a 24ft obviously with an integrated swim platform as part of the transom it measures pretty close to 24ft, I have to measure specifically, but the rear end of the boat under water does sit out a little outside of the swim platform, so I would say it depends on the manufacture, but I wish there was a standard, because like you I see boats that are 26 ft per manufacturer spec and yet the there is far less room

Trim Tabs
 

I had them added at MVM where I bought the Boat. Great addition. For 35 years they have ALWAYS been there for service no matter when or what else was going on. Still there! kerk

We have a 2004 H230 (renamed H240 the year later :) )

We bought it around 2006 from the original owner and it has been great. Two or 3 times we have gone boat shopping to consider something new with a little deeper hull and/or maybe a tad longer, because the rough water ride can be a tad rough, but my wife has not found a layout that she prefers more than the current boat. Will also consider tri-toon next time. Need to rent one and check it out.

Thank You
 

Appreciate everyone's opinions and advice!

I have a 2000 230H which measures 23'6". Purchased from MVM and have nothing but good to say about the service that they afford their customers. Top notch.

BT