Tested By Capt. Bob Smith

It’s summer, it’s dealer meeting time and it’s Florida. What can I say? The weather is hot and this year, so are the boats! St. Petersburg, FL and Vinoy Hotel and Yacht Basin were the latest adventure for me. Four Winns had seven boats lined up for one other captain and me to put through the paces.

The V378 Cruiser is Four Winns Flagship, and as they told me, it was loaded with lots of features and options to make it a floating palace whether you’re entertaining friends and guests or just entertaining your special someone.

Helm Station

I stepped aboard from the stern platform and walked forward through several easy steps up to the helm station. The area was broad and left plenty of room for your guests to crowd around the wet bar, or belly up to the helm station to peer out the large windshield to see where you are headed. A large U-shaped seating area awaits your guests with sculpted seat backs for comfort. A double pedestal table provided lots of room to serve snacks and drinks. The area can be transformed into a huge sun bathing area with fill in cushions. Here in the floor, you can get to the engines through a day inspection hatch to check critical components before getting underway.

Cockpit Layout

Over on the port side is the wet bar. This one had a refrigerator and an ice maker to keep your snacks and drinks ready when you are. The helm seat is a large double wide so you and your companion can ride in comfort and only rub elbows when you want to.

The dash is laid out for easy viewing of all instruments and the Burlwood trim with gold bezels certainly added a classy look to the ensemble. When the helmsperson needs to see over the bow while motoring out of the hole, they can easily flip up a bolster for comfort and visibility. More storage is hidden below the helm seat for larger items. There is room to choose between two navigation packages to fit your particular cruising desires. This boat had the optional hard top with canvas enclosure. That came in very handy when the afternoon monsoons set in.

Up on the Bow

Heading forward and up the integrated steps you can access the foredeck. There is plenty of room for optional sun pads. Up in the pulpit, you have an integrated area with anchor and rode locker and a standard windlass.

Cabin

Coming back to the cockpit, you can step below through a handy companionway complete with screen door for those nights when it’s cool enough to not run the air conditioning, yet still warm enough for pesky bugs to fly about. A cherry finish is applied to the cabinetry to give a beautiful elegant look. The stern couch can be converted into additional berthing and the table can be adjusted for height. Two ottomans can be moved around the table or just pulled out for more seating or to prop up your tired feet after a long day on the beach. Storage is abundant below. You will not have trouble stocking this craft for a long weekend or a trip through the islands!

The electronic entertainment aboard includes a nifty flat screen TV/DVD built into the cabinets, but hinged so you can swing the screen for the best view regardless of where you are in the boat. A Clarion Marine AM/FM/CD with remote is also standard fare and includes a remote at the helm. A new feature is the Sirius satellite entertainment system. A twelve-month subscription is standard on this model.

The Galley

One of the great features in the galley was two large refrigerators, rather than the one compact miniature you typically find. The head was a large stand-up version with separate enclosure for the shower. The V-berth was spacious and lighting throughout could be adjusted to fit your particular mood for the evening. Other special features on this model included not only air conditioning, but a central vacuum system to keep the floors spotless.

Performance

We got the 378 out for testing after the storms passed through one afternoon. She handled like a tiny dancer. Moving away from the docks and maneuvering in the marina seemed effortless, even without a bow thruster. On the water she easily went through the paces and gave a smooth, comfortable ride that will keep your guests focused on each other and not on the path to where you are headed.

Our test platform had twin Caterpillar 3126Es, three guys and about a half tank of fuel on board. She could rev up to 30mph in just over 13 seconds and was on plane in about 8 seconds. Her size eliminates turning on a dime, but she did turn well without significant loss in speed within her turning radius.

There is a reason the 378 is Four Winns’ flagship and this one showed us with grace and elegance. She’s a comfortable boat for entertaining and cruising. She has the amenities to satisfy most every need along the way and Four Winns has taken the time to listen to their customers and added some nice features and offered some excellent options. If you’re looking for cruising in comfort and style, be sure and look into the V378 from Four Winns.

• Top speed for the Four Winns V378 is 36.9 MPH (59.4 KPH), burning 38.7 gallons per hour (GPH) or 146.48 liters per hour (LPH).


• Best cruise for the Four Winns V378 is 27.0 MPH (43.5 KPH), and the boat gets 1.15 miles per gallon (MPG) or 0.49 kilometers per liter (KPL), giving the boat a cruising range of 311 miles (500.51 kilometers).


• Tested power is 2 x 385-hp Cat 3126D diesels.

Four Winns V378 Standard and Optional Equipment

Marine Electronics
Autopilot
Fishfinder
GPS/Chart
Radar
VHF Radio
Systems
Air Cond./Heat
Battery Charger/Converter
CD Stereo	Sirius Satellite Radio
Head: Fixed
Power Steering
Shore Power
Trim Tabs
TV/DVD
Washdown: Fresh Water
Water Heater
Windlass
Galley
Coffeemaker
Microwave
Refrigerator
Stove
Exterior Features
Arch: Electronics
Carpet: Cockpit
Ice Chest
Outlet: 12-Volt Acc
Swim Ladder
Swim Platform
Transom Door
Transom Shower
Wet bar
Canvas
Cockpit Cover
Boats More Than 30 Feet
Generator
Vacuum

= Standard = Optional