Four Winns Funship 224

You know the saying: less is more. Well, the Funship 224 is all about more being more. You get more beam, more seating, more swim ladders, more storage and, in short, more boat for your buck. Which, ultimately, means more fun in the summer sun, as the name suggests.

The 224 is the second smallest Funship in the four-model range from the big American, Four Winns, which is one of the leading brands of multinational Genmar Holdings. As such, it's a boat for the masses and, at 7.21 metres or almost 24 feet overall, it aims to please a crowd.

The 224's beam is the maximum trailerable (with permit in NSW). It measures 2.59m but it's the way the beam is carried so far forward that identifies this as more of a deckboat or pontoon-orientated craft than a point-and-shoot performer.

Need I tell you that in America, deckboats are popular platforms from which to stage watersports on big lakes. While we haven't the accommodating lakes of North America - more a dry outback dam - we have our share of flat-water estuaries, harbours, bays and rivers.

Pick your days, pack the family aboard, load lunch and the watertoys, and you're set for some fun running.

POWER UP
The base engine is a 260hp 5.0 MPI MerCruiser with Alpha One sterndrive, however, the Sydney Four Winns dealer did the right thing by upgrading to a MerCruiser 350 MPI pulling 300hp and a Bravo One drive with more bite in the bends. So add more bang for your buck to a list of attributes as well and some sprinkling of sporty spice, too.

Thanks to an optional electric engine room hatch lift, access to the V8 inboard was simple. All the servicing items fell to hand, you could also access the freshwater tank, the boat's dual batteries and, I noted, there was sound insulation.

Additionally, there were optional bow scuff plate, pop-up cleats, removable ski pylon, bow infill cushion and forward table, pump-out head instead of the chemical number, transom stereo remote, canvas and covers, and an upgraded saltwater-standard dual-axle braked trailer.

Together with what Four Winns calls its Extra Value Standard Features - things such as fore and aft freshwater showers, a big boarding platform and deep reach ladders - plus the standard inclusions like docking lights, the Funship 224 is a very complete boat. Mind you, that's reflected in the $87,856 price tag. But remember, this isn't a diminutive dayboat but, rather, a maxi platform that looks big on and off the water.

The Sure-Load trailer manufactured by Four Winns is tailored to suit the Funship 224 and its wide-beam hull. Made from closed box-section steel, the trailer was upgraded to include galvanising and Gatorhyde, an additional protective coating. The trailer also had an optional heavy-duty towing kit including electric brakes, bigger tyres, plus a spare wheel.

Meanwhile, Four Winns backs its hulls with a lifetime warranty for all structural components of the hull and deck, and two years for non-structural parts. Construction is plain old fibreglass, with fibreglass stringers, moulded fibreglass cockpit and engineroom liners. The rub rail has a stainless steel insert and, in fact, there is a good deal of stainless steel aboard this boat for saltwater and not just lake use.

Along with the aforesaid creature comforts, which extend to the enclosed head/change room, mum and the kiddies will appreciate the stability. During the course of our testing along a calm Pittwater and out around the ocean headlands, the boat didn't feel overwhelmed. As such, consider it necessarily seaworthy for traversing big bays and harbours. Freeboard is nice and high, and we didn't ship a drop.

DECK CARGO
With bow and stern ladders, the Funship 224 is a great off-the-beach boat. I came aboard via the big swim platform, noting the lift-off rubber mat on the platform for extra grip when pulling on your wakeboard, the wet well for storing the togs, the freshwater shower and the aft-facing lounge for hanging out at anchor.

A drinkbox is located near the entrance to the cockpit where, with an infill section, you can create a big C-shaped seating plan around a moulded lunch table. Swivel the helm bucket seats aft and there's room for six to sit and converse under the bimini top. With infill you can turn the lunch setting into one big sunpad or daybed.

Stainless steel drinkholders and grabrails are nearby, the supports for the windscreen are stainless steel, the carpet is a clip-in number, and you'll find a portable Igloo icebox under the seat base. There's dry storage in a hatch behind the helm, with room for stashing all the covers and tables when not in use, plus a massive underfloor ski and board locker, as well as sub-seat storage holds.

Ahead of the co-pilot is the generous moulded WC compartment with loo, sink and handheld shower, and portlight. Though obviously small, the compartment is big enough for an adult to change and use the head.

Back outside, the helm seats are deluxe models with flip-up bolsters and good supportive wrapround mid-sections. There's room at the helm to stash personal items, and a neat dash with trick stainless steel switches for things like the docking and courtesy lights. The Sony CD player keeps company with a full spread of Faria gauges in the low-glare dash that doesn't reflect in the windscreen. You also get a built-in depthsounder that will come in handy when moseying into the beach.

A gate can be swung across the companionway to the bow, creating a windbreak in winter. Left open, you get walkthrough access to the bow, which goes beyond what your average bowrider offers. Concealed are a garbage bin, icebox, sink with freshwater, an optional table to create a second lunch setting and, with infills, you can also create another sunpad. 

While kiddies can dive off the bow and climb the forward ladder, it will come into its own at the beach. Pull up the bow, step off and join the landing party without getting your feet wet. So there's great front and back access to and from the Funship 224.

SPORTY SPICE
The hull has an expectedly moderate vee to make the most of stability, however, with 17° of deadrise at the transom it's not entirely flat. But with a lot of the wide beam taken forward, the boat tends towards flightiness. To cross bumpy water you will need to glue the bow to the water by putting passengers in the bow - it mightn't be so comfortable for them - and using all of the available negative trim on the Bravo One leg.

While it isn't the charter of this boat, we took it offshore for a brief photo shoot. This revealed that the hull has a good amount of lift and freeboard and, as touched on, we didn't ship a drop.

Where the Funship 224 excels is cruising calm water, tracing the shore and arcing off the back of protected beaches. The boat is willing to plane at 2200rpm and 8.6kts, holding a level low-speed cruise of 20kts at 2800rpm with a touch on leg-in trim, and producing a cheerful cruise of 24 to 25kts at 3000rpm where the V8 is purring.

Plant the throttle while mid-range cruising and there's plenty in reserve. The 350 Mag produced 30.5kts at 3500rpm, 36kts at 4000rpm, a maximum continuous fast cruise of 39 to 40kts at 4600rpm, and a top speed of 46.4kts at 5100rpm.

Of course, the real test of a boat is whether it meets its design parameters. In this regard, the Four Winns is an especially accommodating boat with the lot. You can add a factory fitted deluxe wakeboard tower package with board racks, tower speakers, Clarion amplifier and subwoofer, but all you need for a fun time on the Funship as tested are friends and some fodder.

HIGHS

LOWS