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Tested By Capt. Bob Smith

Deck boats in the marine industry are like SUVs in the automotive industry. Every company has one, everybody can use one and they do give you more ways to have fun on the water. Four Winns has packed the F204 with tons of standard features often found on the options list on other brands. Dealer interest at the St. Petersburg Vinoy Yacht Basin was hot and the weather matched it. The openness of this deck boat offered lots of comfort underway and delivered a few surprises as well.

The 204 leads their deckboat line with flare. Besides being their smallest, it is also the most affordable in this line of family boats. Checking it out from the waterline, it resembles more of a sportboat, giving way to the sportier ride demanded by today’s discriminating drivers.

Layout

You can board this boat from the water or from the docks at the bow or stern. At the stern, you board from the starboard side through a sandwich board transom walk-through. Don’t forget this is in place when you raise the hatch. It comes crashing down with a loud bang when it is finally set free by the rising hatch! The extended swim platform does have plenty of room for getting set up for skiing or wakeboarding or just lounging alongside and chatting with friends. Ski lockers are large enough to store long skis and wakeboards with ease.

Cockpit Seating

Underneath the generous stern U-shaped bench seat is storage spacious enough to tuck the boat cover away and still have room for some of the other items you are bound to want along for the ride. A handy 36-quart cooler resides under the seat over on the port side. There is plenty of room to move about this area at anchor without banging into everyone or having to step over seats to get to the stern.

At the Wheel

The helm and companion seats are bucket style seats that were pretty comfortable, even in the heavy chop we tested this boat in. These are full suspension seats with flip up bolsters, which have adjustments for sliding the seats forward or aft and swivel. Burlwood accents give a luxurious feel to the controls and fog resistant Faria gauges are arranged for easy checking underway. Switches are lighted to make them easier to locate in the dark. Hidden in the companion console is the Clarion Marine AM/FM/CD stereo. This one had a remote control for the stereo conveniently located at the transom so you could change the tunes while on the swim platform. This year, Four Winns has added a 12 month complementary subscription to Sirius’ 60 commercial free channels of satellite radio.

Bow Seating

The bow area is also a comfortable place to relax. Curved wrap-around seating is ample for several to comfortably sit together, or you can add optional cushions and covert this area into a large sun pad to soak up a few rays. Cup holders and safety grab bars are strategically located throughout the floor plan and the fiberglass cockpit liner has diamond shaped non-skid molded in. My unit had handy snap in carpet that is easier to clean and more comfortable on the feet while still giving you a safe grip while under way. Up in the peak is a smaller swim platform and boarding ladder making it just as convenient to board from the water at the bow as the stern.

Specs

The 204 measures 21’3” in length and a trailerable 8’6” in the beam. She weighs in at 3,600 lbs and has a fuel capacity of 50 gallons. With the drive down, she needs only 30” of water and carries 17 degrees of deadrise. You have a wide choice of power options on the F204. You can choose from seven Volvo Penta sterndrives starting with the 4.3L GL/SX 190-hp plant to the 5.0 GXi/DuoProp 270-hp engine. If you prefer MerCruiser, you can choose from five options starting with the 4.3L Alpha 190-hp engine on up to the 5.0 MPI/Bravo I 260-hp power plant.

Performance and Ride

We tested her in some pretty rough water. Not the kind I would expect you to be taking your family out in. She handled admirably as she launched from the crest of one wave and landed in the trough after the second wave. This one had the 270hp 5L Volvo Penta sterndrive hooked up and we were able to have her up on plane in about 3.9 seconds. We had her going past 30 mph in just over 12.1 seconds. She seems to be happy cruising in this weather around 3500rpms burning about 13.2 gph giving you a range of about 120 miles. She registered sound levels from 58 at idle on up to 88 dBa at top end, but in rough water with pounding waves.

Four Winns seems to have really thought about putting the fun in the deck boat they call the F204. If you are looking for a boat that bridges the sportboat line, the F204 from Four Winns is a good choice for family fun with a sporty ride.