Four Winns V Hull Design Question

[pred02]

Hi,
We are in the process of purchasing a 24-26 ft cabin cruiser to be used on the Adriatic Seas (both purchased in the US). The south Adriatic rarely has big waves (over 3-4ft) however there is a consistent light chop in the afternoons of approximately 1-2ft.

Four Winns advertises its V berth hull design as being more effective at plaining and generally being more stable then other boat makers such as Sea Ray, Chaparral, Crownline, and Regal. As we are purchasing the boat used we do not have the opportunity to test drive these boats so I am just curious as to opinion of different hulls when it comes to these power cruisers under the conditions described above.

Also - in terms of quality between the brands mentioned above are there any premium brands over others? We know SR charges more and holds its value more than other brands but just I though I get insight from the people on the forums.

Kind regards!

[marshmat]

Hi pred02, welcome aboard :)

Four Winns may claim its hull planes better and is more stable than its competitors. Of course, all the competitors make similar claims. As a general rule, there is little to no relationship between the marketing hype for a boat and the actual behaviour of that boat.

You really need to sea trial the boats you're considering in conditions similar to what you expect in your cruising grounds. It's the only way to figure out if a particular hull performs the way you need it to.

As to build quality- Each builder has their ups and downs (of course, some have more up than down, others vice-versa). If you're not comfortable with poking around the engine bay and bilges, studying wire harnesses, stringers and cleat backing plates, probing the hull with moisture meters, etc. to figure this out for yourself, a professional surveyor will be a worthwhile investment. For a few hundred bucks, a surveyor will bring the expertise that comes from studying hundreds of broken boats, and will produce a nice report detailing what, exactly, needs to be fixed up on the one you're considering.

[pred02]

For a few hundred bucks, a surveyor will bring the expertise that comes from studying hundreds of broken boats, and will produce a nice report detailing what, exactly, needs to be fixed up on the one you're considering.

Hi Matt,
Thanks for your feedback. We will definitely pay a boat surveyor before we purchase the boat but we are still in the research phases of looking at couple of boats. As far as type and size, we are most comfortable with the 24-26 ft cruiser that is trail able. As we will be shipping the boat to Europe, we would like to ensure the boat is high quality and will sustain the test of time (with of course appropriate care and maintenance). That being said we rather spend a little up front for a boat that will not fall apart and is of quality.

As far as the Sea trail goes, most dealers will let us do a sea trial prior to purchase, which makes it kind of difficult as its the end of the season to find dealer events. Someone suggested going to local marina and asking people with similar types to take us for a drive (us paying gas and lunch) but it might be difficult as we are in a seasonable boating area (New England), however I am open to suggestions for a sea trial.

In your experience do you have any preference or perception in terms of quality of the brands I mentioned above: Sea ray, Four Winns, Chaparral, and Crowline?

I appreciate your advice and help in advance.