2005 Four Winns 234 Funship -- Draft Question - need help!

[JPBoulderJ]

Hi there-
I'm a first time boat purchaser and need some help. I found a 2005 Four Winns 234 Funship. I want a ski/bowrider but also something spacious enough to host a few families. We spend most of our time lounging, cruising, swimming, etc. Maybe 15% of the time tubing and skiing. I love this boat because it has tons of room and a porta potty (we all have small kids). Cottage is on 400 acre lake. Average depth 13ft. It's a 23' boat, but with the swim platform its 25'. Its heavy too. Main issue is the draft. Says it has a 17' draft with the drive up and 33" draft with drive down. Is this a huge draft?? A few people have balked when I told them the specs and size. I know its a big boat for the northwoods area/inland lakes but is it really going to be a problem having this size boat?

 

[rallyart]

33" is not that much. Many are 36" draft. Remember it's more when loaded and it is lower when you are coming out of the hole on acceleration.
It's a big boat but people use bigger pontoons on small lakes.

 

[Boydski]

I agree, 33" is not that deep. I've seen larger boats on smaller lakes and you can always trim the outdrive up when approaching shallow water.
You might check and see what condition the boat ramp is in. I used to tow 26' and 28' deep vee boats and it was generally the condition and depth of the boat ramp that determined where I could launch rather than the depth of the water.

Good Luck!

 

[tpenfield]

That amount of draft is fine . . .

 

[Scott Danforth]

when you say "north woods and inland lakes" you could be anywhere north of key west

growing up, we fished in some northern Wisconsin / Upper michigan lakes where anything bigger than a 14' boat with a 20hp on back wasnt going to get launched. so its all relative to the water

the 960 acre lake that I spent a lot of time on was too shallow near the ramps for me to get my 24' boat in the water, however my last SeaRay 21' was perfect.

it will come down to the condition of the shore in your particular area of boating.

 

[JPBoulderJ]

Thank you, this is really helpful. The lake is in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. The launch is in good shape. Looks like I'll just have to trim the outdrive coming into my pier/lift.

 

[southkogs]

My family still has a place on a 271 acre lake up in North Michigan. Max depth is 50ft, but the 100yd run from our dock to the body of the lake is as shallow as 2'. The Bayliner that I have here in TN now could make it up and back on that run with the drive tilted way up. There's a dude on the lake with what looks to be a 22 or 24' wake boat. There are a few places he just plain can't go.

The other thing on smaller lakes like that is - 2 or 3 big boats, and it just gets cramped and choppy.

At the same time ... there was a guy who managed (dunno' how) to launch a 26' cabin boat on that lake one weekend.

It's gonna' be a little different lake to lake.

 

[jkust]

That draft isn't anything out of the ordinary. The deadrise is likely shallow however because it is a deck boat (if i recall that model correctly) but a 400 acre lake is pretty small so the waves won't get very large anyway.