Going to get my first Pontoon

[jpayne]

First let me explain I am a total newbie so if a dumb question can be asked I will probably ask it. I have decided a toon is the way to go. This is for Lake Anna in Va. We have a Boathouse with a 26’ slip/lift…but now boat. Anyway I wanted the option of pulling a tube or ski/wakeboard as well as the cruise aspect and the ability to fish. I know the biggest part of selecting the boat is what you are going to do with it-so I would say (70% cruise/play on water- 10% pull tubes/ski - 20% fish). We have a young son so want to be able to give him the ability to ski..etc as he gets older. We would like to keep this boat for a long time so we want to get quality but don’t have 70K to spring for the top of the line Bennington. So if I can get any advice from you old pros out there I would really appreciate it. Also we are planning on going to the Fredricksberg Va. Boat show…can you really get good deals at the show and if so what % off might I expect.
Thanks so much

[Ron Burgundy]

(60% cruise/play on water- 10% pull tubes/ski - 20% fish)

What about the other 10% of the time...


Welcome. Boat shows are a great place to shop. I don't know what % discount to expect, but my father in-law bought his boat at a show and saved a bunch of money. I would recommend vinyl instead of carpet especially if you plan to fish because it cleans up much easier,and buy the most powerfull motor you can afford.

Remember, 'You buy the motor, the boat is free'.

[Bamaman]

Welcome to the pontoon forum. Pontoons are very good values, and they're very long lasting if you keep'em out of the weather. A pontoon could easily last 25-35 years if kept dry and out of the sun.

The boat show is a place to compare apples and oranges. Anytime you get competitors under the same roof, the prices should come down. I think you'll wish your home furniture is as plush as the upholstery in a high line pontoon boat; But they come at a high price. There are also medium priced boats in the market that will also do the job.

If you're going to be into water sports, you might consider a high performance tritoon--one with lifting strakes on the toons. With adequate horsepower, you can trim the engines up and get the nose of the boat out of the water. See Manitou's web site for a video showing the positives of high performance tritoons. They are not to be powered with marginal horsepower, however. You might get away with a 115 hp on a 22' boat, and a 150 hp on a 24' boat.

I have an older 24' pontoon with a 115 hp 2 stroke Yamaha. It's strong accelerating and will pull hard up until it hits a wall around 30 mph--and won't go any faster. The two tube pontoons pulling skiers and tubes are just very poor handling boats in tight turns. My next boat will be a high performance tritoon. After 26 years, I'm about due a new boat.

Good luck on your boat purchasing odyssey. Keep it objective, and enjoy the process. Remember, you, the buyer, is in the driver's seat in this very down retail market.

[Leisure Kraft]

Anyway I wanted the option of pulling a tube or ski/wakeboard as well as the cruise aspect and the ability to fish.

Welcome to the forums! I think I'd suggest trying our Build a Pontoon feature on our website and look at the motor size suggestions when you get to that page.

http://www.leisurekraft.com/index.php?r ... ld_pontoon

I just selected the following options:
24' Deluxe Leisure Kraft; 150HP Suzuki 4-stroke engine; 24' Tandem Trailer;
Rigging/controls/battery/prop; Tri-toon option; Changing room with sundeck; Vinyl floor; 3 High Performance Lifting Strakes; 2 Fishing Seats; Ski Tow; Safety & Bumper Kit; Surge Brakes for Trailer

Total: $35,280.26 So, you can save a lot by buying direct from the factory versus paying some broker a sales commission for that Bennington. I'd say that the 150HP engine on a tri-toon will be enough for skiing but you can go up to a 250HP on that same rig (for a total of $42,053.26).

[Ray Jr.]

Check these guys out, the premier PTX will do everything you want it to with ease.
They have a few used/brokerage and they have the 1 season old rentals for a very good price.

http://www.winnisquammarine.com/Used%20boats.htm


2011 23ft. PREMIER 235 S-Series RE, PTX triple log pontoon boat. 2011 Mercury 200hp Opti-Max Pro XS, 3 star EPA rated 2 stroke direct fuel injected outboard. This engine is really about 225hp with it’s carbon fiber reeds and tuned exhaust. No trailer (new PTX triple log tandem axle trailer with brakes available for $3995). Moonrock/sapphire blue. Rates a near perfect 9.9 cosmetically. Used this season and traded in for an even bigger more luxurious Premier PTX pontoon boat. Full factory engine warranty till 05-05-2016. This was a custom ordered boat with lots of options- berber carpet, day enclosure with clear vinyl and screens, flag pole kit, toe kick light strips, full instrumentation, Humminbird 385ci Fishfinder/GPS Map Plotter, pop-up privacy enclosure, dual console with windshields and snap-in walk thru clear vinyl curtain, dual adjustable height 7-Star Flex-Steel captains seats and more… This is a 40mph+ boat. Excellent out of the hole acceleration. Planes in less than 50 feet of water. Skis, boards, tubes, cruises well. Take a look !!!!!! $41,995.00



2011 23ft. PREMIER S-Series RE, PTX (triple log) pontoon boat. 2011 Mercury 150hp Opti-Max EPA rated 2 stroke direct fuel injected outboard. No trailer (available for $3795 with PTX kit). Black fences with contrasting S-Series decal and black epoxy hammered rails. Grey pearls and black upholstery. Rates a 9 cosmetically. This boat has many standard features and several options- day enclosure with evolution bimini top and mooring cover. The day enclosure allows this boat to be enclosed for rainy of cool weather. This boat also has an upgraded 36 inch PTX triple log package in lieu of the standard 30 inch PTX package. This planes the boat off instantly and allows the boat to ski, tube and wakeboard. 36mph with the 150hp Opti-Max. Ski locker, ski tow bar, hydraulic steering, inner lifting strakes, 53 gallon fuel tank and under deck aluminum performance sheeting. The helm station on this boat is very nice with full instrumentation, Humminbird 285ci GPS map plotter, Sony Splash Proof stereo with directional speakers, docking lights and storage. This boat also features dual glass windshields and helm stands. Your spouse/passenger has their own windshield and “Flexsteel 7 Star chair”. Great in cooler weather or to keep one’s hair in order… Pop-up privacy enclosure and sundeck too! Much More… Well maintained with full 3 year warranty. Rental #16. MSRP $62,845. Sale Price $39,995. 10%/$3999 down. 7.99% APR $344/month

[ROLAND]

I would say based on what you want to do with your boat, bare minimum specs would be nothing smaller than a 22 footer and at least a 150 hp 4 stroke... you might get by with a 115... my son has a 115 on his 22 footer and to be honest with you it dosn't appear to be that much stronger than the 75 hanging off the back end of my 20 footer... that's why I would go with the 150 minimum if you're going to be pulling skiers....the rest is bells and whistles and what ever your budget can afford.... tri-toon would also be nice, but again, if you're on a tight budget ( like I was ) a two log boat will be fine, but it wont handle quite as well as a tri toon.... hope this helps.

[Leisure Kraft]

You can put a 150HP or so on a two-toon pontoon boat, certainly. And it will be okay for pulling ski tubes. By the time you're thinking of waterskiing though, you need that third pontoon and think of bumping the HP up a bit more.

[curtiscapk]

MIke,

If I had the money I would be all over your toons. Maybe one day when truck paid off...

[oldcoot]

Heya JP...welcome to the forum....we had the same thoughts about 2yrs ago...we love to fish and love to just cruise and enjoy time with the family....we got a 2003 Suntracker 24ft party barge....big enough to hold the family and has fishing seats on the front porch...90hp Merc....does good for us!!!

[Leisure Kraft]

MIke,

If I had the money I would be all over your toons. Maybe one day when truck paid off...

I have to say that it's pretty cool to work here and to see them being made. It's on my wishlist, too. ha

[playcat]

Mike, you need to get promoted, so I can have your job there!!!!!
Happy friday, y'all!

[jpayne]

Ended up ordering a Premier Sunsation 240RE 30" PTX with a Evenrude E-Tec 150HO. The boat will not be ready until late March/April time frame which is fine since can't use it before then anyway.

[stickman]

Ended up ordering a Premier Sunsation 240RE 30" PTX with a Evenrude E-Tec 150HO. The boat will not be ready until late March/April time frame which is fine since can't use it before then anyway.

You're gonna love the Premier! Congrats.

Oh, yeah. Post pix as soon as you can. Some folks on here get real antsy if you don't!

[Ray Jr.]

Congrats , and yeah, you will love the Premier!

[ROLAND]

Congratulations on the new toon.... don't forget to post some pics when you finally get her!!!! btw, what colors did you ( or your wife ) go with.