Upgrade to 320/ Watersports ?

F

flyguyzz1

New Member
Mar 4, 2013
16
Whitelhall, MI
Boat Info
2001 340 Sundancer
Engines
Mercruiser
Hey everyone new to the forum but at first glance looks like everyone is a wealth of knowledge. My family is looking at upgrading from a Four Winns 230 Horizon runabout to something larger like the 320 Sundancer. We have a house on a inlet lake in Western MI so we do a combination of boating on the lake and Lake Michigan and are really looking for something that can handle the big lake when there is a bit of chop. Currently it can be beautiful out but with a bit of wind we are restricted to only going in circles on the lake.

Two questions that I can think of right away:

1) My brother and I got our wives just about on board but it will be hard to sell the rest of the way if we cant do watersports at all. We dont plan do them often but when we have people up for the weekend there may be times someone wants to ski. Does anyone do this on a 32' boat? I know it would burn a ton of fuel...

2) My brother is sold on a Four Winns 328 and I am partial to the SR320. Anyone have any experience with both that can share? I believe the FW328 is IO which I think is a drawback. Thoughts?

Thanks for the help and I look forward to being an addition to the group.
 
I'm not sure a 320 would plane fast enough to ski behind. Maybe pull some tubes but as you stated it would burn ALOT of fuel.
 
flyguyzz1 said:
Hey everyone new to the forum but at first glance looks like everyone is a wealth of knowledge. My family is looking at upgrading from a Four Winns 230 Horizon runabout to something larger like the 320 Sundancer. We have a house on a inlet lake in Western MI so we do a combination of boating on the lake and Lake Michigan and are really looking for something that can handle the big lake when there is a bit of chop. Currently it can be beautiful out but with a bit of wind we are restricted to only going in circles on the lake.

Two questions that I can think of right away:

1) My brother and I got our wives just about on board but it will be hard to sell the rest of the way if we cant do watersports at all. We dont plan do them often but when we have people up for the weekend there may be times someone wants to ski. Does anyone do this on a 32' boat? I know it would burn a ton of fuel...

2) My brother is sold on a Four Winns 328 and I am partial to the SR320. Anyone have any experience with both that can share? I believe the FW328 is IO which I think is a drawback. Thoughts?

Thanks for the help and I look forward to being an addition to the group.
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Just a personal opinion, but you'd be hard pressed to ski behind a 320DA from my experience. You would drag the skier in the water for quite some time before getting up on plane, and most people dont have the physical strength to hold on long enough to make that happen. You may be able to drag a tube behind the boat, but you'll burn a ton of fuel as you said.

Maybe get the 320 and a used 3-seater wave runner! You can ski and tube behind one of those, they yank you right up out of the water.
 
susanandlance said:
Probably depends on what powerplants the 320 has.....
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Have you ever tried to ski behind a boat that takes 5-10 seconds to plane? It will either pull your arms out of socket or you'll drink half the lake.
 
I have a 320 inboards and I can tell you that it comes on plane much faster than boats that I have driven with I/O's. It doesn't go as fast as a boat with I/O's and it burns more fuel, but I am sure that I could tow a skier, but I wouldn't want to. Do you really want to jump up on plane and then make hard turns to turn around and pick up someone in the water with a 35 foot cabin cruiser with an 11.5 beam? Do you know what kind of a wake you will be turning around into? Everything in the cabin will end up on the floor and everyone on the lake would look at you like you are nuts. I use my boat as home base and use a PWC to tow tubes etc. After your wives spend some time on a 320, with a real bathroom, real galley, 2 fridges, AC/HEAT, beds, and a place to get out of the sun they won't want to go back to 230.
 
My kids ride on the tube all of the time, but in a straight line as we cruise to a destination. The wake I'd send them over if I was trying to do loops and turns would be enormous. Skiing behind the boat would be difficult. Hard to get up, and I'm sure skiing over the wake would be like dropping down a hole. You could do it, but I don't think it would be as fun as behind a small boat.
M
 
Thanks for the input. Just to clarify those skiing would be experienced and for the most part going in a straight line. I once skied behind a 60' yacht off of the crane used to lower his dingy. I was more looking to see if it is actually possible to attach a ski rope since I doubt it has a spot for one. We have a 2 person PWC but don't think we can swing that purchase this year so this would be a temporary thing. As for looking like a nut on the lake... I am all for that!

Anyone have anything to add about the Four Winns 328 vs 320?
 
Any 32' boat would not be suited to water sports. You will forget about that over time or buy a small boat for watersports. I have a 320 Sundancer a friend has a 330 Larson Cabrio - the wake is large compared to a 230. I think Four Winns versus Sea Ray is a personal decision, SR has a lot more experience in mid size cruisers. Look at a 2003 FW's versus a 2003 SR - I personally think the SR looks better over time.
 
I quickly learned a few things going thru three boats in three years. That experience taught me that a person needs the type of boat that suits THEIR needs. Some boaters are in it for water sports, some are fishermen, and some (like me) are recreational cruisers. I like the comforts, and generally speaking it is hard to get the “all in one” boat. The DA320 is a comfortable sport cruiser, not made for water sports. Even if you were able to ski behind her, hell one day of that and back to the gas pier to fill up two one hundred gallon tanks will kill that desire real quick. I did however satisfy the needs of the two kids by getting a pair of Jet Skis. The Sea Doo with a 215 HP supercharger will do 70 on the water, so they ski behind that, have at it, I’ll just watch from the comfort of the 320, with all the amenities that Vince mentioned in post 7.
 
flyguyzz1 said:
Thanks for the input. Just to clarify those skiing would be experienced and for the most part going in a straight line. I once skied behind a 60' yacht off of the crane used to lower his dingy. I was more looking to see if it is actually possible to attach a ski rope since I doubt it has a spot for one. We have a 2 person PWC but don't think we can swing that purchase this year so this would be a temporary thing. As for looking like a nut on the lake... I am all for that!

Anyone have anything to add about the Four Winns 328 vs 320?
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Your mechanic will love and hate you for a Four Winns cruiser. The ones I have seen have VERY small engine rooms. My friend has a V338 - and to change Kohler impeller they have to find the smallest guy on the harbour who is the only one who can reach in there. But he can't see what he is doing - so it is done by feeling only. So any repairs take a lot longer - which your mechanic will bill you for - and love the invoice but hate the access. :)

I looked at another Four Winns before I got my 310 - and that had the generator to starboard side - and to change impeller in that - you needed to take a manifold/riser of.

The 320 has a great engine room - my 310 has good engine room - both with plenty of space - and you can actually see the mechanic smile when they see it. The engines can more or less be lifted straight out if needed since the hatch covers almost all of the engine's. On most FW's engines are "tucked" underneath part of the permanent structure and are hard to get out if ever needed.

The above is just my opinion :) but now when I have to get both engines out - I am very happy i'm in a 310 and not in a V338.
 
My last boat was a 2004 230 too. I loved that boat. Here is your answer for your wives, "Yes you can ski behind it." Just keep in your mind that it is not realistic. The good thing about bigger boats is they attract friends with smaller boat. So chances are there will be a boat around to do some water sports.
 
kaz911 said:
The 320 has a great engine room - my 310 has good engine room - both with plenty of space - and you can actually see the mechanic smile when they see it. The engines can more or less be lifted straight out if needed since the hatch covers almost all of the engine's. On most FW's engines are "tucked" underneath part of the permanent structure and are hard to get out if ever needed.

The above is just my opinion :) but now when I have to get both engines out - I am very happy i'm in a 310 and not in a V338.
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Really, which DA320 engine room did you look at? I keep the first aid kit nearby every time I enter my engine room!
 
hack4alivin said:
Really, which DA320 engine room did you look at? I keep the first aid kit nearby every time I enter my engine room!
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Yes I'm clumsy too so I keep the first aid kit nearby too.... :smt043

But here is a 338 engine room....

V338 Engine Room.jpg

and just to show the space from engines to black water tank and generator.....

V338 Engine Room2.jpg


So the 2006 320DA I have seen - you could do a waltz in - compared to a 338....
 
My 320 is equipped with inboards (“V-Drive) option. This means the engines are turned around with the front of the engine at the rear of the boat, which by the way is the same place they put the generator. Now to work on the most important parts, cooling pumps for example you have to be a contortionist. Spend a few hours in there working on pumps and you will come out bleeding from somewhere, and “clumsy” has nothing to do with it. Maybe the one you saw had I/Os and no generator, which would make a big difference.
 
saopm said:
My last boat was a 2004 230 too. I loved that boat. Here is your answer for your wives, "Yes you can ski behind it." Just keep in your mind that it is not realistic. The good thing about bigger boats is they attract friends with smaller boat. So chances are there will be a boat around to do some water sports.
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Tim-
Love it! Did you have any problems moving up from the 230? I feel very comfortable in any situation in that boat and suspect I will have no problem with the 320 but just curious how you handled the change. Coming from the transportation industry the challenge of moving up to bigger vehicles is something I look forward to!
 
If you can swing it, buy the 320DA and keep the bow rider, problem solved. It would be a fine compliment to the mother ship, ask me how I know, LOL
 
xravenx said:
If you can swing it, buy the 320DA and keep the bow rider, problem solved. It would be a fine compliment to the mother ship, ask me how I know, LOL
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I second this approach. Oh, and congrats xravenx!
 
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