pontoon boat veterans
 

i am close to buying a new pontoon boat, i know there have been other posts on this subject but i am hoping to be specific. i have test driven the excursion from sheps and the berkely from irwin ( kind of prefer the berkely so far) i am staying in the 20'-23' range ,60-115hp. have yet to try premier or bennington. besides price what else should i be concernered about? i am a deep vee veteran of the big lake and understand the nastiness our beautiful lake can visit upon us at times

thanks

I can't recommend three pontoons enough. You didn't say in your post but hopefully that is what you are getting. My recommendation is always three toons and as much horsepower as you can afford. If you boat in the early spring or late fall a full canvas transom enclosure sure comes in handy also!

Good Luck!

Dan

We just purchased a Harris pontoon boat from Melvin Village Marina. The length is 24' 8". I have a 150 HP Honda on it. It has a Piii Package (3rd Tube, Full Skin Kit, Lifting Strakes, 16" Crossmembers). We were out in the broads on Sunday and it handled all the boat waves smoothly. Matt Young (the owner of
Melvin Village Marina) is great to work with. We are getting a new dock built. Until it is done he is letting us use one of his marina boat slips free of charge. When we were looking we also liked the Bennington's. Channel Marine sells that pontoon brand. We also looked at 3 other brands, but we decided on the Harris. We couldn't be happier.

I have to agree 100%

Get 3 logs you wont regret it, we started with a 2 logger and then traded up to the 3 logger its a wrld of difference.
Enclosure for spring/fall to stretch the season as much as possible. Also added this when we traded up.
and as much HP as its rated for/you can afford, I have never heard any one say "I wish i had a smaller motor" but have heard plenty say they wish they had more. our 2 logger had a 90, we now have 150 on the 3 logger, and at times (water sports) wish we had the 200 it was rated for max.


and Finally definately give the Premiers a test run. The 3 log PTX package is absolutely incredible!!!

2 vs. 3 Pontoons:
For watersports, you definately want the three pontoons. For just cruising two pontoons will suffice. You want 25" pontoons and 16" crossmembers for both uses.

HP:
For watersports, go with the higher end HP rating. For cruising you can go middle of the road.

Comfort and Layout:
Layout is personal taste. Make sure the seats are deep and comfortable. Pay attention to overall quality of workmanship.

Brand and Dealer:
Like Green Basin Girl, I thought the Harris and Bennington were the best. I chose a 20' Harris Sunliner with 2 pontoons. It meet our needs and budget.
The other deciding factor is working with a quality dealer. We have delt with Melvin Village Marina for over a decade and have always had great support from everyone on their staff.

i met with matt at melvin today and i was impressed. still wanna check out bennington but right now they are in the heart of the party. liked the bershire hathaway not so much the excursion

Thumbs up for Berkshires
 

We (us and our members) are extremely please with our Berkshires, so much so that we are looking at another one (3rd one).

Kevin at Irwin was great to deal with.

3 logs and 200ish HP, please! :)

The 2 Berkshire pontoons, 22' and 24' are my first pontoon experience, having owned fiberglass hulled boats for 15 years. We would keep our boat in the slip on Saturdays and Sundays to avoid the rough ride and banging. I can't believe how well the pontoons handle the rough water. To the ABC, thanks for giving me weekend boating back again.

Definitely stay with 3 pontoons if it is to be your primary boat. I have owned many pontoons as my boat tastes change as fast as new England weather. I have been on the lake for 7 years and have owned over 35 different boats and jet skis...My friends think I am hilarious, or simply off my rocker- not sure which.

I have owned 2 Suntrackers (1 now), 1 Lowe, 2 Manitou's and 1 Premier (just sold). The Manitou's and Premier were my favorites, the others were older beater baots used as island wheel barrows.

Go big on HP, dont look at anything less than a 115hp in my opinion, especially if you want a boat in the 22'-24' range and tritoon. Anything less will be a dog, and I think 20' is too small. Ishoot308 and I had have great luck with the the Manitous. I think boat to boat they are faster than the Premier, but the fit and finish of the Premier is better. Keep in mind that my last Manitou was an 2007 and my Premier was a 2011 so its not a fair comparison. Manitou does not have a presence in the lakes region but Rochester Sports Center is great and not far. Premier has a great dealer, Winnisquam Marine.

I really like the factory canvas options on the Premier.

Go 4 stroke, all of mine have been 2 stroke. My latest, a Optimax Pro-XS 250 was a bit loud with the bimini top up, but quiet when it was stowed. I think the 4 stroke may be a bit quieter.

Used to have a pontoon boat for cruising and a ski boat for sports........now we have both in one boat.A Bennington 22' with a 250 Yamaha.So quiet when cruising you think the motor is not running.45 mph top end and tracks like a deep V. Doesn't slap in choppy water and pulls skiiers out without any drag.
Awesome boat and awesome service from Channel Marine.

If you find a couple boats you like I would go with the dealer that is most convenient for you. I like buying on the lake I reside on. If you are trailering it around then it probably won't matter where you get it. I have owned many boats (have been on the lake my entire life) and I find the relationship between myself and my dealer very helpful. Also when I was quoted prices for the pontoon boats the Bershire's were much higher in price. Yes- In case anyone wonders I was comparing apples to apples. If you want to go for a ride in my Harris merely PM me and I will take you out. Buying a boat is a very expensive purchase so you want to get the boat that is the best fit for you. Be sure to test drive all of the boats you are interested in.

san pan
 

Before you buy go check out the san pan over at meredith marina, Ask for Jake. I have checked out every pontoon available to us here on the east coast and I can tell you the fe 2500 triple toon with a 150 hp is great (looks, handling, ride, noise level, etc..) . They make a 2200 also which I am sure is every bit as nice, as I previously had an Aqua patio 2200 (same manufacturer) and that toon was awesome. I just wanted a little more gitty up and I could not put any more horses on the transome. The 115 hp motor is great for cruising around 22mph. If your looking for more, the 150 is ideal for 30 or so mph. Trust me its worth the look and check out the through deck bolting fasteners and the sweetest looking helm on any pontoon I have ever seen. We were out in the chop a few days ago and our san pan handle it with ease. Oh ya the stereo system is kicking. Take a peek!

I heard their boats are extremely backordered.

tried the berkshire this morning. nice boat. but those who have said get more hp are right. this was a 60 rated for 115. definately going to ask for and pay more for the NEEDED hp

?????
 

Is the center "log" set deeper then the outer pontoons?

It depends on the manufacturer, and if it is just a tripple log or a "performance" tripple log.
Manitou runs their center log deeper on their SHP performance toon. Premier runs a special flat bottom wider center log on their PTX performance toon, and Bennington runs an oval center log on their ESP performance toon. I am not sure about the other manufacturers performance designs