Re: Help Deciding on First Boat?!?
I can relate to the conflicting information you get out there. I’ve grown up around boats, skiing, fishing and water sports and have owned a boat of one kind or another since I was 17 years old. It was about 8-10 years ago that I got into pontoon boats because the family (and now grand kids) don’t get a kick out of the 70mph bass fish & ski boat like I do
I didn’t know a thing about pontoon boats but was sure I could build a go-fast pontoon boat and I’m still learning.
I started out cheap because I had no clue what I wanted or if I even wanted one. It was a 24 foot deck with 27 foot 19” tubes and an 85hp motor. It also had a brand new trailer which I still use. As far as skiing goes; that DID NOT happen. It would barely pull a tuber and unless the person weighed 125 pounds or more you couldn’t turn sharp enough to get them out of the wake. Straight behind the boat was all for the little folks. After learning more I wasn’t willing to put any money on top of 19” tubes.
My next pontoon was a used 20 foot deck with 23 foot 23” tubes which was a much better boat worth re-furbishing. It came with a 40hp which I never put in the water. The boat came home and the motor came off and the 85 went on. It was better for tubing but still not there for skiing. I had a long heavy duty transom built at a local sheetmetal/welding shop for the previous boat so I used it and upgraded to a 140hp motor. Starting to get there… but still not satisfied with handling and turning for tubing and speed for skiing.
Next I added a “Pontoon Water Glide” and skinned the bottom side of the boat and instantly got to the level it took for turning, handling and the speed for tubing (without full throttle) but wide open for skiing. The product does what they claim! I searched out a four bladed “pontoon” prop from Power-Tech to get the max out of the boat. As far as what I wanted from a pontoon boat, I was now satisfied but at the minimum.
Trying to improve it, I took the water glide off and replaced it with a third pontoon with lifting strakes hoping it would speed up as well as improve flotation, improve storage space with an in-floor compartment and an in-board fuel tank. I like the storage, getting rid of the outboard fuel tanks, the handling, and the overall performance but no gain in speed compared to the water glide (but much better than the original two tubes). I later added lifting strakes to the outer tubes and now I’m replacing the old 140hp rated at the crankshaft with a 150hp rated at the prop that’s 18 years newer. In reality my 140hp is probably equivalent to a later model 125hp. The boat already has a hole shot that you wouldn’t believe but now I’m hoping to get to around 35mph with the 150hp and a new prop.
That’s a long story but my thoughts are that anything less than a 115-125 on a twin tube boat in the 22 foot range is not going to do what you want based on what you mentioned. Even with a motor this size, expect wide open throttle to ski and long turns with difficulty getting the little guys outside the wake on a tube. Going straight will be fine.
If you find a boat that you like in the 20-22 foot range with a 115-125 hp but find out that it doesn’t perform well enough for your liking, the first thing I would do is skin the underneath side with aluminum sheeting all the way down to the tubes. This will take the splash and convert much of it into lift instead of the drag you get when water hits the floor joist. If you’re getting close on performance then next I would buy a nice prop from someone that can help you select the right one for the application. The guys at Power-Tech are great. If, after the aluminum skin (and before the prop) you are not there yet and you want to spend a few bucks, then I would do the “Pontoon Water Glide” but expect to make a change in the prop. The water glide was no doubt the “biggest bang for the buck” of anything I did. I would tell you I have it for sale but I’m going to keep it in case I need it on another boat of mine, friends or family.
The next level up is the Tri-Toon boat with lifting strakes in the 22-24 foot range with a 150 hp and up motor. This boat will probably do what you want without messing with it but may be harder to find and have a higher price tag.
I would like to hear from anyone that has a 21-24 foot Twin-Tube or Tri-Toon with a 125-150 hp about the real GPS speed you’re getting. What does it take to hit 35mph? What does it take to hit 40mph?
Good luck.
