buying my first pontoon,lost and need to tap the brain trust

[hnicols]

Having reviewed some of the postings clear that the collective you know a lot so thought I would line up my questions and just say "help!"

Live in the Adirondacks (lake george and champlain) so a 4 -5 month boating season

I am new to boating (rented pontoons a couple of days each summer) and want a boat my son can ski from (occassionally) but that we will enjoy for easy fishing and fun. assume a tritoon makes most sense to get above 30 to 35 mph right?

hate noise, what is better I/O or 4 stroke outboard -- any particular disadvantage to one or the other besides sound? Really would like something that if I am cruising I could still talk and hear others talking

inclined toward something on the order of 25 foot -- so could host 8 to 10 adullts once in awhile -- big enough? or too big?

have seen bennington and like them (and the few I have been on) thoughts on the brand -- others I should prefer?

new or used?- could go either way (have been saving my pennies) but ussually prefer something that already has a few dents -- easier on my mind and cheaper that way -- or are pontoons sort of thing that where you buy used you just got someone elses headache?

if used, how do you assess price levels -- for example, saw an add for one close by, a 2002 Bennington 2575RL in good condtion FRESH WATER lake boat, Performance Package Tritoon Boat with Water Shield, has approx. 100 hours on the 220 HP Mercruiser I/O,Comes with a Dual Axle Hoosier Trailer with Surge Brakes, Full Canvas, Deluxe Console Package, Deluxe Gauge Package, 2 Pull Out Sun Beds, Center Table, and Depthfinder. Looks ok or better for a 2002 but has the world changed a lot since 2002 and is a price of around 21k or so high low or about right given age, grade and trailor etc?

if new, is there a better time of year to buy? do bost shows really get you deals etc.?

Also, what do you think of camper covers for pontoons -- might let me extend my season but are they enough of a hassle that folks don't use them (confess i haven't seen many on the lakes which makes me wonder

And are my questions nuts and am I missing the really big ones I should be asking?

thanks a million

Howard

[HandymanHerb]

Welcome and there no dumb questions, tri-toon would be best for skiing and don't count out 2 strokes for being quite too, the E-Tec is as quite as most 4 strokes plus lighter.

I let the other guys tell what size works, but most will tell you to get the most you can afford.

[ROLAND]

Hello Howard...I'm pretty new to boating so I'm not qualified to answer some of your questions but I can take a stab at one or two of them. If you want "quiet", normally a 4 stroke will be more quiet than a 2 stroke. You asked about bennington in your post. I can tell you that my son has the 2275 with a 115 4 stroke yamaha on it and he loves it. When I got ready to buy, I had narrowed my choices down to 3, a suntracker, a G3, and a Bennington ( all three were fishing models by the way ). As they say, to each his own, but personally I thought the construction of the Bennington ( and thier warranty ) was pretty good.. I actually went with one of Benningtons new models for 2010, it's the 20 SFi. Just got it back in November so I've only had it in the water twice. We had ours outfitted with 25" toons, a 75 hp yamaha 4 stroke, and vinyl decking as opposed to carpet ( since it's going to be used for fishing mainly ). There are so many nice boats out there, it can really be confusing.. good luck with your decision

Roland

[hnicols]

thanks both of your -- if go etec outboard how big amotor would I need to lift it out? and how I/O on sound versus out board?

[jafo9]

my current OB is so much quieter than my past Mercruiser 3.0L I/O. but that's why they call it the "iron maiden". that's alot of boat with pretty low hours for the year. don't know much about bennies, but, from a seat of the pants i'd say you should be able to get into that boat for less than 19K. i'd assume that the bennington's have better sound insulation than my old sun tracker, but for the "quietest", i don't think you can beat a good OB. however, good quality tritoons with a true performance package that aren't a million dollars aren't readily available so this may be a "bird in the hand" moment. the nice thing about this boat is that if you take care of it, someone down the road will always recognize the bennington brand/quality and will likely make it easier to sell.

i'd personally love a full enclosure, i just can't justify the cost.

good luck.

[badmoonrising]

The difference between outboard and inboard is maintenance. Inboards have to be winterized and are usually below deck and it's tight working on them, but they tend to outlast outboards. Inboards require very basic tools and mechanical knowledge to maintain but outboards tend to be more complex. I have both a cabin and rear sleeping enclosure on the Party Cruiser and we use both every weekend.

[dockholiday]

I would definitely get a tritoon with a 150hp or better. Bennington, Manatou and Premier are the flagships. Suntracker and Bentley offer more affordable prices. I you get new or fairly new the 2 stroke are pretty quiet. Actually have to watch the tach when I crank the 150 on mine. I am a 2 stroke guy although if I found a boat I like with a 4 stroke that wouldn't stop me from getting it. Should get a little more speed with the 2 stroke of a given hp. The three I mentioned first have their own performance packages which have lifting strakes more or less built in. On a regular 3 log other than these the lifting strakes are an option. They are well worth the money, think mine were 500 to 600 new. Just for ref I get an even 40 out of mine. Oh if you buy new try to work a ss prop in the deal it will help you on speed and should get a better deal at time of purchase rather than later. Afar as time of year to buy, find out which month they come out with the new model. A repo is a good idea although hard to find one with all the bells and whistles you may want. Good Luck.

[paulangelo]

ALL RIGHT!!! Another ADK tooner in the fold! We have a 20 foot Tahoe with a 90HP 2 stroke. I hit 26 last year on Lake George. fast enough to pull tubes and kneel board but skiing for a light kid would work. Someone like me, I would have my arms pulled out of the sockets before I would get up. 25 foot benni is on my next wish list. We have a full enclosure on ours now and next will also have one. If you got a triple tube, under skinning, 25 footer with a 200 Hp or bigger merc you would not be dissapointed. the 25 footer would be good for the LG and champlane areas also. We can get some pretty big rollers and white caps when the wind picks up. We are out of harris bay and have the toon and a carver there. carver is our "camp" on the water and the toon is what we take out most of the time. Welcome to ADK boating and the forum.

[walter]

Howard,
Welcome you've come to the right place, many of these guys helped me in my decision less than 2 years ago.

We picked ours up in July and feel we got a great deal, and very happy with our Bentley. These aren't top of the line toons (not sure about their high end models though) but I think you get a lot of boat and features for the price. For $20,500 we got a 24' tri-toon with lifting strakes and underskin (all of which I wouldn't buy without) a 115 4-stroke Merc, bimini top, playpen cover and doubl axle trailer. I have got it up to 32 MPH GPS with myself and light load. With a good load and 4 adults 3-5 small kids easily cruises at 27-28 at about 5500 RPMs. I've added a ski tow bar (not cheap anywhere) add it with the new boat. We plan to pull (or try, kids are little) the kids on a knee board this summer. Easily tows tubes. I'd like to have an enclosure, but have a hard time with the cost and lost space of storing and hauling overnight stuff.

Since purchased I've added (ski tow as mentioned), bar-b-q grill (required) and several full coolers of ice cold frothing beverages (mandatory).

Good luck, and whatever you get.....you will enjoy!!!

I sent you a PM of a toon 4 sale, check it out!

Damn, sorry about the big ass picture before (wifes ass wasn't even in it, didn't need to be that big), was in a big ass hurry and didnt have time to fix.

[paulangelo]

DAMN Walt, Thats a big ass photo you got there.. over compensating for something??

[paulangelo]

here is a shot of our toon at turtle island


Docked at harris bay



Me on the bow at red rock



My bride cooking with the mandatory grill



as i said, we have the enclosure and would never get another boat without one. It really does extend our season in the North east.

[hnicols]

great pics of camper cover -- I am sold -- did you buy that with boat or separate mfr -- who? makes sens and thanks for comments

[dockholiday]

Just thought I would throw this in. Pretty sure you will need a double bimini with the camper top. I added another bimini a few months ago, think it was in the 700 range. May be cheaper if added as an option to a new boat, not sure
doc

[JohnO]

I have a 175hp Yamaha VMAX HPDI 2 stroke. The biggest problem I have with it at idle is knowing it's running. I often find myself looking back at the motor to make sure if it's moving before I try to start it again. When moving the wind noise is louder than the motor. (I've had it 4 years this summer and it still amazes me!)