1. Superior Materials

The first step in building a great boat is using great materials. On the surface all boats look great when they're new; shiny and glistening in the dealer's showroom or on the dealer's lot. But how does that boat look five, six, seven years later? The difference is great materials.

Four Winns begins with a premium gel coat that brings shine and luster to fiberglass. That means you have a great looking boat with very low maintenance.

Another important difference that never meets the eye in the showroom is our use of a vinylester barrier in the hulls. You see, fiberglass, over time, can absorb water, causing it to blister. We apply a vinylester barrier when the fiberglass hull is being built to keep water from absorbing into your hull.

Does every boat builder do this? Absolutely not! But if you don't know to ask, you may not realize your boat fails to include this important feature … that is, until the bubbles begin to appear long before the monthly payments stop.

If you own a Sundowner™ cuddy cabin model or a Vista® cruiser, then you have bow rails made of one piece welded stainless steel. Look at a few other manufacturers, you'll see no stainless material, or you will see bolt-together assemblies held together by screws and sleeves that come loose and rattle after a few years of pounding. One piece stainless is the way motoryachts are built. You get it even on Four Winns smallest cuddy model.

When you board a new Four Winns boat look at the vinyl. Heck, touch it. Sit on it. Lie anywhere on it. Because what you're experiencing is the most advanced, most durable vinyl material in the recreational marine industry. It's called Aquaflex ™, but you might end up calling it heaven.

Aquaflex is manufactured exclusively for Four Winns boats. No other boat company can provide it for you… no matter how hard you plead or hold your breath. This is one of the many signature features (standards) Four Winns offers. Aquaflex marks a whole new generation of marine vinyl standards.

First of all, it's soft to the touch. You can feel that. And it's more pliable. So, it's more comfortable than the stiff stuff. It's not the heaviest vinyl on the market. Some boat builders will point that out to you. Theirs is good and heavy. But, heavy means stiff. Heavy means cracking over time. No, Aquaflex is not the heaviest, it's just the best.

Aquaflex is more resistant to scuffing and abrasion, making it easier to keep clean. It has a stronger backing, so it resists tearing and cracking. In fact, Aquaflex is as much as 50 percent stronger than other leading marine grade vinyls on the market. This is due to advanced manufacturing processes no other marine vinyl can match.

Aquaflex means more comfort. Less care. Great looks. Better durability. Aquaflex. Exclusively from Four Winns.

2. Advanced Stable Vee™ Running Surface

OK, for at least part of the time you're aboard your boat, you are behind the wheel. Driving a boat is easy. It's a lot like a car. And then again, it is totally different from driving a car. A great handling boat is the function of a well engineered running surface … the hull design.

Four Winns set the industry on its ear when it introduced the Stable-Vee running surface. Why? It was the first hull ever designed to maximize the lateral stability in smaller recreational craft. Along the way it changed the way all boat builders designed their hulls.

The idea all began when the Four Winns hull designer took his non-boating mother boating. Oh, she liked it okay. But not being much of a water person, she was uneasy when the boat rolled from side to side when idling and being hit by rolling waves along its side. She even felt uneasy just getting aboard. "Feels unsteady", she said. That was boating …for everyone. "Well if Mom is uneasy, maybe others are too!" thought our designer.

That's when the idea for Stable-Vee was born. Our design minimizes this lateral instability. That's the broad shoulder profile you'll notice in a Four Winns. It still seems wide at the point it breaks the water. Because it is.

And he engineered a variable dead rise to the hull's geometry. That's techno-talk for creating a hull that handles waves and rough water smoothly and yet has a soft ride in calm water. Variable dead rise. Sounds awful, but it's a good thing. A very good thing.

He also changed the hull so it gets up on plane at a lower speed. That's good. Saves fuel. Gets the bow down earlier during take offs. And when the hull is running on plane (on the surface of the water rather than beneath it) it has less surface in the water. Less drag. Makes it run a bit faster; a lot more efficient. That's due to the two pods you see at the stern.

Wheel fenders are bolted on and can be removed for repair as needed. Details in the design such as full step pads ahead of and behind the wheel wells, as well as a non-skid appliqué on the wheel fender, makes footing much more sure when climbing on or around the boat. And on painted tandem trailers you'll find a die cut Four Winns logo. Nice.

We're not done bragging yet, Stable-Vee provides even more. Our designer carved in special features in the hull, called reversed chines, the geometry of which make the boat handle very predictably. It turns when you want it to. Not sliding over the water like some hulls do. Four Winns' Stable-Vee digs in. Turns crisply and handles like a sports car. (There's that car comparison again, but this time it's true).

The best way to understand Stable-Vee is to drive a Four Winns. Then, jump into a non Stable-Vee boat. You'll feel and understand the difference immediately. And you'll get the Stable-Vee equipped boat and have more fun on the water because of it.

By the way, when you pass Mom in her Four Winns Stable-Vee tell her Thanks!

3. Widest Choice of Power

Everyone expects choices. And everyone has a different opinion of which engines and drives are the best. Four Winns knows this and offers you the widest choice of power in the industry.

Do you like Volvo-Penta® with its cone clutch design, smooth shifting and engineered design? No problem. You can have it in a Four Winns. Many models can be equipped with a Duo-prop® drive if you like.

Or maybe you're a MerCruiser® fan. It's the most popular brand of marine engine and drive system in the world. Still no problem. Four Winns offers Alpha, Bravo I or Bravo III depending on the model boat you choose.

All in all, Four Winns offer more choices of stern drive power than any other marine manufacturer. No one else offers you so much in popular propulsion choices.

4. All Fiberglass Construction

If boating is truly going to be a fun experience, then the entire boat has to be designed to be easy … easy to operate and easy to maintain. That's the reason you'll find every one of our boats has a fiberglass cockpit floor. In the manufacturing biz, we call it a liner, because it's more than just a floor. It's an integrated component that adds rigidity and strength to the entire hull.

But the real advantage is that the entire cockpit on any Four Winns boat is 100% fiberglass. That makes the cockpit very easy to clean. Simply remove the high-quality marine-grade carpeting. Hose down the floor and give it a quick sweep with a brush. You're done.

Compare that to what other boat builders force you to do. They still use carpeting glued to marine plywood as the flooring, especially in their lower cost models. Now it's time to vacuum, brush and scrub. Carpeting traps sand and dirt and can become stained and discolored. If you need to change it, you're into a major operation to rip it up and replace it.

With Four Winns you never have to worry. Even in our 180 Horizon, one of the most affordable boats on the water, you get 100% fiberglass every time. After all, this is a Four Winns!

5. Innovative Features

One of the more obvious ways to compare one boat to another is features. If you're new to boating the hardest part of shopping for features is understanding which ones will really make a difference in your enjoyment and which won't.

At Four Winns, we do a lot of homework and spend a lot of time researching boaters' needs. Sounds tough. But, in boating, research can be fun. It means we take our products on the water; use them ourselves, a lot. That's a start, because we see what works and what doesn't in real terms.

We talk to other boaters, Four Winns owners and owners of other brands as well. We want to understand what boaters want and what they truly value in their boats' features. That's why Four Winns leads the industry with so many advanced and innovative features.

Take Cross-Stream Architecture™, for example. This is an exciting trend in boat design we developed. It combines the best of deck boat features and sport boat features into one design. Four Winns invented it. Read more about this break through in space design. By going to the Home Page and hit the link for Cross Stream Architecture. See how Four Winns leads the way, again.

Our bucket seats are another example. Check out our bucket seat design in our 200 or larger Horizon, Funship and Sundowner lines features a suspension system dubbed ComfortRide. It uses a grid work of suspension to make it the most comfortable seat in the house. Coupled with the contours of the back and arms this makes for one comfortable ride. And while you're sitting, use the swivel adjust or fore and aft adjust. They're far easier to use.

Notice that all of our boats come equipped with AM/FM radios w/ CD-players. But Four Winns goes one step further. All stereos feature Sirius® satellite radio systems with over 100 channels of crystal clear audio enjoyment. So even in a 180 Horizon you get a CD player and satellite radio! Wow. That's Four Winns value.

Four Winns was one of the first to offer extended swim platforms on our products either as standard or, on some models, as an option. We found boaters really liked the room and convenience of a larger swim platform. They are found on all models as standard.

The entire line of Funships and the 215 and 255 Sundowners have large transom lockers. We are a leader in providing conveniently placed and appropriately sized storage. It is the result of spending a lot of summer Sunday afternoons on the water doing research, of course.

And if you've been aboard one of our Vista cruisers, you've probably been blown away by the DVD players and slim, flat screen TV's you'll find in the cabin. Depending on the model they are standard or a low cost option. Four Winns was one of the first to take TV watching on the water into the 21st century. By the way, if you're a DVD user (and most people are now-a-days) be sure to ask your dealer for a copy of the Four Winns Product DVD. We were the first to use DVD for customer education not only in boating, but in any industry.

6. Sure-Load™ Trailer

Most boat makers build a boat but forget that you need to get it to the water. Not Four Winns.

In fact, we're proud to be the first in recreational marine products to bring your GatorHyde a full coverage protective coating perfectly suited for salt water and other demanding environments. Read all about it below, or check out our press release for more details on the remarkable finish coat.

We build what we consider to be the best trailer on the market. And our customers agree.

Although not always considered by customers when selecting a boat brand, the trailer is an important aspect of the total boating experience; one you must deal with every time you load or launch your boat.

Four Winns has long built its own trailers. The differences compared to most third-party trailers are profound when you make a close inspection.

The key advantage of the Four Winns trailer design is that it is built to precisely match Four Winns hulls. The Sure-Load trailer design uses carpeted bunks positioned directly beneath the boat's stringers. Bunk trailers are the easiest to load and unload, especially in cross winds. The bunks help to align and straighten the boat as it loads onto the trailer. Try loading a Roller-Trailer in a crosswind and you will appreciate the advantage of a bunk design. And they're easier to maintain. This minimizes stress to the hull while stabilizing the boat for towing. Each Sure-Load trailer is color-matched to the color scheme of the boat it is built to carry. (Models with yellow gel received a black trailer.) The paint process itself is a sophisticated, multi-step procedure. The trailer is chemically etched prior to priming. The paint process is a two-part catalyzed material applied electrostatically.

The bunks themselves are made of wolmanized marine lumber and covered with highly durable marine-grade carpeting. They are through-bolted for maximum security. Some trailer models also include side guides. The availability of side guides is determined by state and federal regulations.

The Sure-Load trailer is built with 11-gauge, structural-grade tube steel. This is chosen for its lightweight yet superior strength over channel steel. The entire trailer frame is fully welded; no clamps or bolts are used in the frame construction itself. This eliminates the possibility of bolts working loose during use, affecting structural integrity, rigidity and ultimately, safety.

The result is a tough, durable paint system that not only looks great, but ranks among the industry's best protection against rust and corrosion. Although the application process is stringent, the paint itself was selected with serviceability in mind. It can be easily touched up if needed.

If you boat in salt water, you will be interested in our galvanized trailer covered in a protective coating called GATORHYDE. This stuff is tuff, like ... well like a Gator's hide. It covers 100% of the trailer’s surface. Think of it like the bed liner in your pick up ... only tougher.

Beneath the frame is a single or tandem axle, depending on boat model, with a sealed bearing featuring Accrulube. This is a special spring system within the bearing assembly that keeps water out and provides a means for pushing out old grease every time the bearings are lubricated. The axle assembly design also incorporates available integrated brakes.

Disc brakes are a standard on Four Winns Sure-Load trailers equipped with brakes.

The Four Winns trailer design lowers the gravity center of the boat load. This makes the trailer more predictable to handle when loaded and at highway speeds reduces drag caused by the height of the load.

From back to front, Sure-Load trailers offer more. Integrated, waterproof tail lights are mounted in recessed housings for protection.

Wheel fenders are bolted on and can be removed for repair as needed. Details in the design such as full step pads ahead of and behind the wheel wells, as well as a non-skid appliqué on the wheel fender, make footing much more sure when climbing on or around the boat. And on Tandem trailers you'll find a die cut Four Winns logo.

The trailer is complete with an easy-to-use swivel jack, forward winch and nylon security strap.

As we mentioned earlier, Sure-Load trailer also incorporates side guides. Coupled with the bunks, the side guides provide a self-straightening feature that helps correctly position the boat for the driver. This is an important advantage over generic roller trailers that can be hard for novice boaters when the approach to the trailer is askew.

Four Winns swing-away tongue is an innovative design feature to their custom trailers. The swing-away tongue offers a unique solution to trailer storage by shortening the overall trailer-boat package without the need to completely remove the tongue, allowing the two to be stored in more limited spaces, such as residential garages.

And a five-pin electrical connector disables the brakes when the trailer is backing down a launch.

The Four Winns Sure-Load trailer is of the same advanced thinking Four Winns has become famous for ... outstanding design and superior quality that leads to greater long-term satisfaction for the boat owner.

Although all trailers can seem very much alike, a close inspection and better understanding of trailer duties and requirements point to the superior performance of the Four Winns Sure-Load trailer. There's a world of difference.