Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

[kozanecki01]

OK, I own a 16 foot Silverline and love it but now I'm looking for something bigger. So the admiral and I go to the boat show last weekend in Columbus, OH. I'm looking at powerboats and she just keeps rolling her eyes. THis is a sure sign of disapproval in "my" house, so we continue just to walk around. Low and behold, we come up on some pontoon boats. Well, she says on the spot, you can get one of these, I love it. We have three kids, so she's always concerned how the kids fit in to the picture. Well, me, seeing the very infrequent opportunity to actually get something without an arguement, tell her sure, I just need to research it a bit. So here it goes. We looked at 18-20 footers(have to fit in the garage. With all type of engine set-ups. Brands we've looked at so far have been Fisher, SunCruiser? and Playbouy. I'm looking for ANY info. on these kinds of boats. Prices I saw fro example were a 20' Playbouy with a 50hp Merc 2 stroke for 13,795 "Boat Show Price" Whatever. So if you have any input, positive or negative to say, please send it my way. Thanks! By the way, I get to keep my little gem of a Silverline for me to play on!

 

[livebait]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Kozman:<br /> You are in the same position I was in about 20 years ago. I started out with an 18-foot pontoon and soon discovered it was getting smaller. Through the course of time I have been through several sizes from 16 foot to 28 foot and several manufactures (all pontoon boats). If the boat has to fit in the Garage that will determine the length of the boat you are looking for. Now as far as manufactures go most of them have good products and decent styling. I have just gotten through revaluating the pontoon manufactures prior to purchasing a new Pontoon boat. I would recommend you look at the Bennington Line. They have both quality construction and excellent styling along with a good warranty. By the way if you can keep the 16-foot do so. It will be hard to get one that will match the personal satisfaction you get from a day on the water with it. It is now just the Wife and me, we thought about our days with the 18 foot and how easy the loading/unloading cleaning and general up keep was so guess what. We bought a Bennington 165si, a 16-foot model that I can load and unload by myself; we are well pleased with the choice of manufactures.

 

[kozanecki01]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Thank you for the input. What size motor do you have on it? I see prices one on boat with a 9.9 hp motor all the way to a 50hp. I know they do this to keep the price point low, but I really don't want to be underpowered b/c I have small kids who will want to be pulled on something. Again, thanks for your advice. It all helps.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Definately get as much motor as you can afford, you'll hate yourself if you don't. What kind of Silverline do you have? Is it the older Minnesota Silverline, or the newer Canadian Silverline?

 

[kozanecki01]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

I'm trying to keep it at 50hp or above. I have a 1976 16' Silverline, the Minnesota built one. It is my first boat, but I don't think I ever want to get rid of it. It's in great shape and built like a TANK.

 

[kozanecki01]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

It's got a 69' Merc 800 on it. Your boat looks great by the way!!!

 

[neumanns]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

I LOVE my toon. My kids are of the younger version and so we spend a lot of time playing swiming and a little tubbing. Granted it's not a speed boat but it can pull a tube. I have been told by all towed that it is fun. Keep in mind I am sole acess to tubbing for these guests so they do not have anything faster to set there expectations by.<br /><br />As far as a cruising rig once again I am not the fastest rig on the lake but I do find the comfort level exceptional. <br /><br />Family is my top priority and find the toon the best choice as they are not hard core fisherpersons. However I also find it to be a reasonable fishing platform.<br /><br />I am very pleased with the power and feel I would have been disapointed with a minimally powered rig. The engine plays a big part of making it a enjoyable rig for me.<br /><br />As for putting it in the garage be sure to consider the width and height also. My garage is long enoufgh and with some minor boat modifications would be tall enoufgh. However the width would have created more problems...I have an inch or so of clearance on the sides but with the length I would have to keep it within those tolerances I opted for another storage solution.<br /><br />If you are going to tow it remember they have a lot more wind resistance. also I would highly recomend the bunk trailor over the scissor type as the wide wheelbase is much more stable.<br /><br />As you can tell I am more than willing to share my opinion on the subject so if you have questions just ask I will be more than glad to share my opinions and expierences.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

kozman<br /><br />Check out these sites and follow the advice of getting the MAX. HP that the boat will allow and also, the biggest logs available(23" Minimun).You can never have enough power or bouyancy on a toon. Playbouy definitly makes a good pontoon, with a proven track record. Not 1st hand familiar with the others. Try to get the 20'er if you can swing it. No real difference in towing and you will appreciate the extra room when you have others aboard. A 50 HP 20'er will get you about 20 MPH. Enough to pull tubes and cruise along fine. I would also consider going with a used boat, as you will be able to get more for your money on a 2 or 3 year old model. $13,795 still seems a little high for the 20' w/50 HP motor. I think you can beat that by a thousand or so. Shop around and look in the paper. Good time of year to buy. Most will come down on the price, as new ones will come out in the spring. <br /><br /> mypontoon.com/ <br /><br /> PontoonBoating

 

[BillP]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

I've owned a 20' MonArk with 50hp 4 stroke since Nov 96 and new cost then was $20.5k including a single axle trailer. Benningtons are a bit less quality if that matters to you. It lounges/cruises 6 people all day in comfort at 15 mph. Top speed is 20. This model has a pop up head and is one option you may want to consider if taking the ladies out. <br /><br />The major item I would look for on any of them would be to have plastic bases for the seating and a floor that is pressure treated or composite.<br /> <br />Other than that, if I had to change anything it would be better access (side) to the engine and also to have an aft boarding area off the stern for swimming and docking. A folding bow step is nice for beaching too as is boarding access from all sides. Some have only one side door and one bow door.<br /><br />Too bad your not local to me. I'm getting ready to sell. Mine is above avg with a mint low time (400 hrs) engine and will be listed at avg book of approx $7k.

 

[KCook]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Toons sit high on their trailers. Forget the garage requirement and get the size toon you really need. Personally I like the 20 - 22 foot range, roomy without feeling like a truck.<br /><br />Kelly Cook

 

[kozanecki01]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Thanks for all the info. As usual, this board comes through again. If I park the thing in the driveway, can they be completely covered like a fiberglass boat can? May sound like a dumb question, but if I can keep water off of it, I'll put it on the driveway. Might just **** off my idiot neighbor a little more, but she'll live.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Hopefully, if you buy new, it will come with a custom cover that snaps onto the frame of the boat. Otherwise, you can order covers for almost any boat. Ask for it as part of the deal if you wind up buying a new one.

 

[livebait]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Kozman:<br /> I agree with the advice of getting the maximum HP that the boat is rated for. I use mine primarily for fishing just to relax. The maximum HP the 165si was rated for was 50 HP so it has a Yamaha two/stroke 50 hp engine. For me it is hard to enjoy a Pontoon boat at WOT but it is nice if a thunderstorm blows up and you want to get off of the lake or your only launch point is several miles from your favorite fishing spot. Don’t get sucked into one of these “package” deals where the engine on the boat is the one the dealer pays the least for and it will still move the boat. Make the engine choice yourself both Brand and HP. Good Luck!

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Kozman, here is a link for ya. <br /><br /> http://www.silverlineboats.org/

 

[TPD211]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Kozman,<br />I was in the same position as you are recently.<br />The wife and I wanted a pontoon boat as we got tired of our jet skis (dont hang me plz.) <br />We came across a deckboat and decided to purchase it as it fits what we want to do with it. <br />You might consider a deckboat, a pontoon top and a V hull bottom.<br /><br />web page <br /><br />web page<br /><br />I also like pontoon boats but go with what you intend to use the boat for. Pontoon boats have fishing set ups that are neat. If you have enough motor you can pull tubers or even a skier. I refer to mine as a living room on water. Some even have a gas grill as a option, porta potties, changing rooms, wet bar, etc.<br /><br />Good luck in your decision.

 

[butlp]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Kozman,<br /><br />I bought my first pontoon boat 2 years ago after much research. I have three younger children and was looking for something that we could take out into the middle of the lake and use as a swim platform, entertain and have evening cruises with our adult friends. We have a ski boat which I wanted to keep so a deck boat would have been overkill.<br />I finally decided on a 22’ Smokercraft Paradise (the first year for this model) which has three lounger seats (no fighting from the kids) a rear entry with boarding ladder, porta potty, changing room and a very impressive interior and helm. I chose a 50 Mercury EFI Bigfoot 4 stroke that is really quite at cruising speeds and can push the pontoon at 19 mph at WOT which is plenty for our lake to outrun any bad weather.<br /><br />I am very impressed with the boat as it seems bigger than a 22’ due to the fact the bow seating goes right to the front of the deck, however this turned out to be a problem when the boat was loaded to the max. design of 14 people who all want to sit in the front section. As the boat is rated for 115 hp the little 50 hp does not provide enough weight in the stern and the boat felt uncomfortably bow heavy and at one point tried to do a nose dive. I also had a problem with one of the toons which had a bad weld and was taking on some water which did not help the situation. I contacted Smokercraft who bent over backwards to assist me and took the boat back to the factory over the winter and made a number of upgrades to the 2003 model, plus repaired the failed weld.<br />When the boat returned this last year it still felt a little nose heavy with a full load and after discussions with Smokercraft I added enough ballast in the engine pod to equal a 115 hp. The difference in the handling was incredible and it now performs as I had hoped.<br /><br />I have been very impressed with the level of service from both Smokercraft and my dealer who have addressed all of my concerns and have implemented modifications and upgrades.<br /><br />My family and many friends have had many hours of fun with the boat and I would highly recommend the 22’ as the perfect size.<br /><br />This last summer I built a four car garage at my lake home and thought I has designed it to accept the pontoon boat however I failed to take into account the thickness of the EPS form walls and that the overhead doors were mounted on the interior wall so it was with great embarrassment that the boat was squeezed in and the door would not close. (2 inches too long) I now have one bay that has a tarp strapped over the door opening where the pontoon sticks out.<br /><br />Next winter I think I will shrink wrap the boat and leave it over the winter in the yard.<br /><br />If you plan on trailering the boat I would not recommend the scissor style trailer as the wheel base is very narrow and the boat tends to list an awful lot when towing. In my case I only tow it a few miles to the ramp but its still pretty nerve racking even behind a Suburban. Since the boat does not fit the garage I wish I had bought a bunk style but I am now one of the most popular people on our lake as all the pontoon owners want to borrow it. Maybe a business opportunity when I retire.

 

[kozanecki01]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Thanks for all this info!!!! I'm heading to the Cleveland boat show this weekend armed with great information due to the great people on this board.

 

[kozanecki01]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

TPD211. I see you live in Tavares and are a LEO. My in-laws moved to Tavares a year or so ago. I'm a LEO in Ohio. In fact, all these questions I have regarding this pontoon boat relate to my inlaws as well since I'm in OH and I can only boat 5-6 months out of the year, I'm going to see if my father-in-law is interested in going in on a pontoon so he can have it the other half of the year. What's your background in LE? If you get a chance, email me at either kozanecm@sconet.state.oh.us or at cop_firearms@msn.com

 

[TPD211]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

Kozman,<br /><br />You have mail....

 

[catfish1]

Re: Pontoon boats. Looking for a little advice

kozman, i'm looking at the bass pro master catalog right now and they have a 2004 18ft suntracker party barge with a 50hp ELPTO for $9,995.