Quote Originally Posted by SEVEN View Post
I have a number of friends that own 4788’s and the live them. This is just my opinion but they are not ocean going boats. Great for bay and delta. Hulls are thin. I’m some areas you can see light through the hull. However they are roomier that most body that size. Easy on and off through the transom.
I will admit to not being up to date on the Bayliner 4788. However, I would be very curious to know if the hulls are no longer chopper-gun laid up.

20 years ago I was in a Saugatuk, MI marina, where a 4700 series Bayliner was freshly in the slings of the lift with water running off the hull. One of the passengers from the Bayliner told me that they were coming in off Lk MI when their bilge pumps automatically kicked in. They were taking on water, but did not know how or where, at the time.

Later, around Labor Day later in that summer, I dropped that same marina and there sat that Bayliner on the hard. I found the Yard Manager and asked about the issue earlier in the year with water coming in. He replies, "funny you would ask that. We were just approved by the lawyers to work on the hull." I replied "well finally". He says, "Go look at the hull below the water line forward. You'll where the water came in."

So I wandered over to the Bayliner to take a look. There was a hole in the hull the size of my forearm. That size hole will tend to bring in water, esp. there while underway. It was a chopper gun boat and pretty much all that was there was gel-coat. Not much in the way of fiberglas.

I tell the story only on the basis that it was a first person observation and also remarks from the Yard Manager.