Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

115 hp is about the minimum power that a boat with lifting strakes needs. The whole deal is to get the nosecones out of the water to minimize drag and increase speed and ultimately fuel mileage/efficiency.

A 2 toon boat with lifting strakes will be much faster in a straight line than a comparable boat without strakes. It'll also be faster than a tritoon due to the tritoon's heavier weight and more hydro drag. A tritoon with strakes will maybe 2 mph slower, which is minimal.

2 toon boats are not capable of carrying as many people as a tritoon, and they handle in tight turns like a pig. (I can say that as I have owned a 2 toon boat since 1985.)

Give me a tritoon any day as they handle better, ride better and they're just so much more seaworthy in large waves. Ask any tritoon owner, and he'll brag on his three hulls.

The dealer close to our lake is selling a comparable Premier Sunstation. Same layout as the Sylvan and Bennington. The Premier is approximately $2500 more than the others. However they are closer to the lake. This is not easy.

Buying a boat involves a lot of decisions and trust that you are making the right ones. There is no perfect boat out there, nor are there perfect answers to the decisions as to which direction to go. Whatever you buy you will see another boat or realize that you wished you would have done THAT on your when you bought it. Trust me it WILL happen.
Look, there are a lot of really nice boats out there. All have different points that they push and market. If you let yourself, you will drive yourself and everyone else crazy. Buy the one you feel speaks to you, that fits the way you intend to use it. Buy the biggest motor the boat will handle and you can afford regardless of whatever brand or model you buy. That is one thing that everyone will agree on. Two or three logs are a matter of intended usage. If you are going to go fast ,operate in rougher prone water, drag a tubes lot and want better performance go three logs. If you are gonna fish, float and cruise at lower speeds like most of us, two logs are fine.
Bottom line, it's your boat and your money. What the rest of the world thinks doesn't mean a damn. Good luck and have f in w whatever YOU choose.

Soonertoon wrote:Buying a boat involves a lot of decisions and trust that you are making the right ones. There is no perfect boat out there, nor are there perfect answers to the decisions as to which direction to go. Whatever you buy you will see another boat or realize that you wished you would have done THAT on your when you bought it. Trust me it WILL happen.
Look, there are a lot of really nice boats out there. All have different points that they push and market. If you let yourself, you will drive yourself and everyone else crazy. Buy the one you feel speaks to you, that fits the way you intend to use it. Buy the biggest motor the boat will handle and you can afford regardless of whatever brand or model you buy. That is one thing that everyone will agree on. Two or three logs are a matter of intended usage. If you are going to go fast ,operate in rougher prone water, drag a tubes lot and want better performance go three logs. If you are gonna fish, float and cruise at lower speeds like most of us, two logs are fine.
Bottom line, it's your boat and your money. What the rest of the world thinks doesn't mean a damn. Good luck and have f in w whatever YOU choose.

For me, this is my perfect pontoon. The 2016 Sylvan Mirage 8520 4 pt. Fish RPT.

http://www.sylvanmarine.com/showroom/po ... /8520-4-pt

I put the Yamaha Vmax VF115 on it. The dark blue fencing looked good with the Vmax color scheme. The dealer asked why I wanted to order "that bass boat motor," and after rigging it, he liked the look and will be getting more Vmax's for the new boats coming in. I'm wondering if he had an older F115 in stock and trying to get rid of it. I also opted for the RPT performance pontoons with the front to back shielding underneath. The RPT design planes out quick and has lift when trimming up. It has three livewells and upgraded seats up front (arm rests help).

Coming from a 1998, 16 1/2 foot Scout flats boat, this pontoon is amazing... The room on this pontoon makes me wonder why I didn't think of getting one sooner.

Was at the Philly boat show last weekend.
Looked at a Bennington 24SCWX with a Yammi 115. It was priced at $39880.
Looked at a Sylvan 8524 DLZ LER with a Yammi 250. It was priced at $49k

The Sylvan felt better. Knocking on the toons..the Sylvan sounded thicker.
The Sylvan's walls were beefier. And the cockpit of the Sylvan looked more baller.

Ended up buying a Tahoe...
But if the Tahoe wouldn't have been there...we might've come home with the Sylvan.

So many good choices. What's a captain to do?

Try laying down on the couches.

Which is more nap friendly for basking in the sunshine and fresh breeze?

There 'ya go.

zoom650 wrote:So many good choices. What's a captain to do?

Try laying down on the couches.

Which is more nap friendly for basking in the sunshine and fresh breeze?

There 'ya go.

That's some sound advice right there!!