BOAT BUYERS GUIDE 2018 | 23 | BOATINGMAG.COMSPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.34 5.00 2.40 1.81 2.08 261 300 0 57
1500 5.74 6.60 4.50 1.27 1.47 184 211 0 65
2000 7.47 8.60 6.40 1.17 1.34 168 194 1 68
2500 7.91 9.10 10.30 0.77 0.88 111 127 3 72
3000 8.95 10.30 15.80 0.57 0.65 82 94 4 71
3500 10.78 12.40 21.00 0.51 0.59 74 85 5 73
4000 13.99 16.10 25.80 0.54 0.62 78 90 7 76
4500 28.59 32.90 25.40 1.13 1.30 162 187 3 79
5000 33.02 38.00 31.00 1.07 1.23 153 177 2 81
5500 35.70 42.00 35.80 1.00 1.17 144 169 1 83
6000 40.15 46.20 44.20 0.91 1.05 131 151 1 85
6450 42.67 49.10 58.60 0.73 0.84 105 121 0 86
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEEDHigh Points
XVersatile layout is good for social-
izing, coving and light cruising.
XOutboard power is easy to
maintain, smooth and so quiet.
XLuxurious appointments include
premium upholstery and beautiful
wood trim in the cockpit and cabin.
XRight size for open-water
adventures.Specs
· LOA: 35'0" · BEAM: 10'10" · DRY
WEIGHT: 13,300 lb. · SEATING/
WEIGHT CAPACITY: Yacht Certifi ed
· FUEL CAPACITY: 170 gal.How We Tested
ENGINE: Twin Mercury Verado 350
outboards
DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/14.625" x 17"
Mercury Revolution 4 stainless steel
GEAR RATIO: 1.75:1
FUEL LOAD: 150 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 760 lb.
Price
$319,231FOUR WINNS
Horizon 350 OB
by the walk-through to the bow, but the
berth will do for an overnight away from
home port. Our test boat was rigged with
Joystick Piloting, Active Trim, and the full
suite of Mercury SmartCraft features that
make the most of Verado outboards. This
boat returns almost identical perform-
ance and economy to the 760 hp stern-
drive Horizon 350 we tested, but it is much
quieter: just 79 dBA at 4,500 rpm cruising
speed compared to 90 dBA for the stern-
drive boat at 3,500 rpm. The perform ance
of these sophisticated outboards is felt but
not heard.Strapping two outboards to the transom of
a boat like the Four Winns Horizon 350 OB
proves advantageous in a number of ways.
Corrosion resistance is increased versus
a sterndrive-powered boat, since the out-
boards can be tilted completely clear of
the water while at the dock. Servicing the
engines is easier and can be done in broad
daylight while standing upright. Out-
boards are also really quiet and virtually
vibration-free, facts we noted during our
test. We also couldn’t help but notice the
cavernous stowage space where the stern-
drive engine would normally be. Yes, the
transom platform isn’t as wide-open as
that of a sterndrive-powered boat.
Fou r W i n n s off ers the boat both ways.
In fact, from the transom forward, the
OB is identical to the sterndrive-powered
Horizon 350. It features an expansive bow
lounging area with a direct walk-through
from the hardtop-covered cockpit and an
aft lounge at the transom. The result is a
boat with three distinct areas for social-
izing (teenagers to the bow, for example).
Despite the outboards, the Horizon350 off ers an expansive transom platform
that wraps around the aft corners of the
hull to ease dockside boarding. An elec-
tric ram raises the aft seat section to reach
“the basement” where inboard engines
would have fi t — that’s 1 foot 6 inches deep
to a fl at fl oor, which has two hatches to
reach 2 feet 6 inches deep to the fi nished
bilge. There’s a lot of room here for stuff
day-boating requires: dive tanks, fl oating
toys, or big coolers. There’s another stow-
age bay below the cockpit deck that will
hold a pair of 36-quart coolers.
The entry to the cabin and head com-
partment is in the port console. The head
is expansive and private because it’s be-
lowdecks. Cabin headroom is compromisedPHOTOS: COURTESY FOUR WINNS BOATS
FOUR WINNS BOATS
Cadillac, Michigan; 231-775-1351; fourwinns.comC
BOAT BUYERS GUIDE RUNABOUT
CERTIFIED
TEST
RESULTSPHOTO: