FOUR WINNS F224

By Capt. Ron Svoboda

Attention Getting Fun

The Four Winns Funship. Kind of a funny name, except maybe for Disney. But after a perfect weather day of testing on the 224, the funny name worked for me. At 23 feet, 8 inches in overall length and 8 feet 6 inches at the beam, the Funship supplies spacious comfort for family and friends. She not a bad looker either with form following function.

What got my attention were the bow and the stern. Starting at the back the extended, bolt on swim platform is huge with two recessed lockers: one for the boarding ladder and the other for just wet stuff. An aft facing seat gives room for up to three people to watch the water play. Within easy reach of the seat is a transom shower and a stereo remote.

Jumping to the front, the bow has its own swim platform, and a larger than expected one too. Room enough for three; well maybe two comfortably. A hatch in the platform hides a telescoping ladder for beach goers. There is also a second shower here, to wash the sand off before getting on board.

Wraparound bow seating offers good padding for backs and bottoms while one cushion covers a built-in self draining cooler. The other cushions reveal carpet lined storage compartments. Capping off the bow’s refreshment options are a removable, side mount snack table, an on-demand fresh water sink and useful trash receptacle.

Cockpit Layout and Seating

The cockpit seating is a u-shaped lounge with a second snack table. A well designed transom walkthrough is integrated into the starboard side seating. On the port side, is a custom compartment for a removable, insulated cooler just under the side cushion. Forward, is a head compartment featuring a full fiberglass liner with port-side vent and overhead lighting. A porta-potti comes standard on the boat and a pump-out toilet option is available. To starboard, the Funship’s helm gets the same quality treatments as other Four Winns boats. Hand-stitched vinyl dash,elegant retro steering wheel with tilt adjust, and white faced analog gauges to name a few. There is even a small nook to accommodate and plug in your iPod or MP3 player into the Sony stereo system.

Plenty of Power to Choose From

Powering this ship is no less than 9 different engine and drive packages to choose from. So no matter how you plan on running the boat, you should be able to find the right combination. That why the Funship is just that, a family deck boat that delivers functionality, generous cockpit space, entertaining amenities and good performance. Not to mention attractive styling and the quality hardware.

• Top speed for the Four Winns F224 (2008-) is 46.5 MPH (74.8 KPH), burning 19.1 gallons per hour (GPH) or 72.29 liters per hour (LPH).


• Best cruise for the Four Winns F224 (2008-) is 33.8 MPH (54.4 KPH), and the boat gets 3.18 miles per gallon (MPG) or 1.35 kilometers per liter (KPL), giving the boat a cruising range of 143 miles (230.14 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 270-hp Volvo Penta 5.0GXi.

Four Winns F224 (2008-) Standard and Optional Equipment

Systems
CD Stereo
Power Steering
Trailer
Exterior Features
Arch: Electronics
Carpet: Cockpit
Ice Chest
Outlet: 12-Volt Acc
Swim Ladder
Swim Platform
Tower: Watersports
Canvas
Bimini Top
Camper Back
Cockpit Cover

= Standard = Optional