So many pontoon questions.

[kenzum]

So many questions and decisions to make regarding a boat! My family is in the market for a pontoon. We want to be able to hold ten or twelve people comfortably, so would like potential of allotted amount being higher. I have been able to narrow my search down to 22-25ft pontoons. In Indiana, after looking at literally 50 boats, I have yet to see a tritoon. So a minimum motor of 90hp as everyone says that will allow for a fun tube ride. The kid in my husband requires that, not a putter around boat. Brands, well we have looked at everything from Suntracker, Bennington, Sweetwater and have not found anything that is just crazy different. If you had to pick, would you:
Would you sacrifice length of the boat for price? Brand? Would you rather have an older boat in X brand, than a newer boat in Y brand? Anyone have experience title changing across state lines? I am in Indiana but am looking at boats in Ohio and Kentucky.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Why don't I move this to the Pontoon section

Welcome to iboats!!

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Would you sacrifice length of the boat for price?
For twelve people, you will need at least a 22 but a 24 would be preferable. So, no, don't sacrifice length for price.

Brand?
Hard to beat a Bennington, but choose one that feels good to you.

Would you rather have an older boat in X brand, than a newer boat in Y brand?

No. Look for the best deal on a boat that you like.

Anyone have experience title changing across state lines? I am in Indiana but am looking at boats in Ohio and Kentucky.

No problems. Just get a valid bill-of-sale.

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

I have a 22' Bennington w/ a Yamaha 150 4 stroke and we have had up to 6 adults and 2 kids on-board and that's about all I would want. It is rated for more, but one of the many reasons I bought a pontoon was for the deck space to not have that typical cramped boat situation. I am more than happy with the quality of the Bennington's and would buy another one. For as many people as you are wanting I would go with a 24' or larger and at least a 115 preferably a 150 if your wanting to pull a tube with a full deck. Don't worry about state to state deals as long as you make sure the title is filled out properly and get a bill of sale with the boat, motor, and trailer information.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

I have a 22' Bennington w/ a Yamaha 150 4 stroke and we have had up to 6 adults and 2 kids on-board and that's about all I would want. It is rated for more, but one of the many reasons I bought a pontoon was for the deck space to not have that typical cramped boat situation. I am more than happy with the quality of the Bennington's and would buy another one. For as many people as you are wanting I would go with a 24' or larger and at least a 115 preferably a 150 if your wanting to pull a tube with a full deck. Don't worry about state to state deals as long as you make sure the title is filled out properly and get a bill of sale with the boat, motor, and trailer information.

I bought a 24 ft Starcraft with a 90 Hp two stroke last year this time. It's an 07 .It only had 20 hours on it so the dealer said. It came with a three year extended warranty on the motor. I got it with a tandom wheel trailer. Made by 5 starr. It holds 14 people seats every where. Canopy too.There no rear ladder but it has a pop up changing room with a poti poty in it. Three doors.It weighs around 2200 lbs. No problem so far I have towed a couple of 15 year olds in a raft with no problems .It can take heavy waves.I use it in the Chesapeake Bay.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Twelve people will not be very comfortable on a 22 foot pontoon. Beware length numbers. Some pontoons may be specified as 22 feet but thats for the pontoons, not the deck. Some pontoons, especially older ones have a couple feet of tube sticking out the front and back so the deck is more like 16 or 18 feet. Even a 25 footer will be cramped with 12 people. To test this theory, use a garden hose to mark off an area eight feet wide and about 20 feet long in your yard. This would simulate a 22 footer. Now gather a dozen of your friends and occupy that sample pontoon. I think you'll find it a little tight if anyone needs to get up and move around. And with a dozen folks on a pontoon you'll need more than 90 HP especially if you plan to tow water toys at anything other than a snails pace.

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

I bought a 24 ft Starcraft with a 90 Hp two stroke last year this time. It's an 07 .It only had 20 hours on it so the dealer said. It came with a three year extended warranty on the motor. I got it with a tandom wheel trailer. Made by 5 starr. It holds 14 people seats every where. Canopy too.There no rear ladder but it has a pop up changing room with a poti poty in it. Three doors.It weighs around 2200 lbs. No problem so far I have towed a couple of 15 year olds in a raft with no problems .It can take heavy waves.I use it in the Chesapeake Bay.

Don't get me wrong I could probably seat 10 comfortably, but it just gets a little chaotic with that many personalities taking up that much space. This is how we usually roll and it is very comfortable...

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Mr. Shamrock,
I see your from Greenville South Carolina. I just moved down from Scott AFB Illinois to Campobello South Carolina, retired military, US Air Force. Me and my family went out on our pontoon boat at Lake Joccassee and it was Great!!! just a little cloudy out, but still had a good time. Take care, Bob Sorry about hogging the thread but just saw Mr. Sharock's side of his pontoon boat had a SC decal on it and he is from Greenville, SC.

 

[kenzum]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Okay, I think I may have found one. But I am not sure. It is a 1995 Premier Alante 25 ft with a 1996 Mercury 90hp 2 cycle outboard. Do you think that is oil injected or carbed? It has the bimini, full cover, live well, stereo, says its in good condition. For $5,750. I had set a $13k budget but I liked the idea of a larger boat, cheaper price, then could afford to do more things like get a nice choice of tubes to pull. Am I going to regret that engine? The brand? Anything that raises an eye brow?

 

[EricJRW]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

I'm a relatively new pontoon boat owner too (about 1 year). This is the first boat I've ever owned, though I have driven boats before (but never docked or trailered any). I got what I think was a pretty good deal on a 1993 20' Lowe with a 1993 50HP 2-cycle Evinrude - $2000. Engine ran and except for a new prop, maintenance has been minimal.

I mention all this because I want to ask if this is your first boat? For me I'm very glad my first boat is one that's a little rough around the edges. It's a great learning boat that I won't feel too bad if I really mess something up. I'm still perfecting my docking technique, and don't even own a trailer (bought boat as part of a house purchase and it was already hanging in the dock slings). I'll use this boat as long as I can, but it's helping me form opinions on what features I'll want in my next boat (and trailer, which is important too... Depending on how far you drive... i.e. a tandem, scissors, etc.).

Good luck... I'm having a lot of fun.

Eric

 

[Silvertip]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

You are confusing "oil injection" and "carbed". Oil injection is related to the lubrication method for a two-stroke motor and has no bearing on whether it has carburetors or not. You are probably thinking "Fuel Injection" which may be either EFI (electronic fuel injection) or DFI (direct fuel injection). So the 1996 90 HP Mercury is an "oil injected", "carbureted" two-stroke. Oil injected engines meter lubricating oil with gasoline at the carburetors. It replaces the requirement for mixing oil and gasoline in the fuel tank. Oil Injection has been around for decades. EFI/DFI are more recent advances and on two strokes, it still requires an oil injection system. Four stroke engines are like the engine in your car in that they have a crankcase that contains the oil and as such it and the oil filter must be changed periodically -- just like your car.

 

[lncoop]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Okay, I think I may have found one. But I am not sure. It is a 1995 Premier Alante 25 ft with a 1996 Mercury 90hp 2 cycle outboard. Do you think that is oil injected or carbed? It has the bimini, full cover, live well, stereo, says its in good condition. For $5,750. I had set a $13k budget but I liked the idea of a larger boat, cheaper price, then could afford to do more things like get a nice choice of tubes to pull. Am I going to regret that engine? The brand? Anything that raises an eye brow?

Used boat values are so tough to gauge because there are so many variables, but it sounds like a nice rig at a decent price. Now, a few things:
1. Since it's a '95 the seat bases are likely plywood unless they've been replaced. You don't want that. Look for the rotocast (looks like heavy plastic) bases. They don't rot.
2. Oil injected and carbed are not mutually exclusive. I suspect you meant fuel injected. Given the age and price it's most likely a carbureted engine. It's also probably oil injected, which just means you don't have to mix the oil and gas. Mercs are like most other outboards. If they're well cared for they last a long time and perform well. If not, well........
3. Your tubers will be disappointed with the ride. 90 horseys will not push a 25footer very fast, especially with several folks on board and a tube dragging behind.
Given what you've said you want out of a rig it sounds like you need to keep looking.

 

[kenzum]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

I am SO confused. We looked at a 20ft 2002 Bennington 205L for $11,000, we wanted it, the lady did not have the title in hand. She had to apply for a correction as the HIN was wrong. So the max persons was 9 people on it. Even with my kids and a couple friend, that is the max. So we thought we wanted a bigger boat, saw the 25ft and were excited. The price is good too, would give us plenty of room for upgrades instead of buying a $10k+ boat then having to do work on it. So what we want to be able to do is have friends out on the boat, 12 with that being 6 adults, then the kids being half tweens and half toddlers. We want the adults to be able to still have fun and have a wild ride. So I need to stay with a shorter rig? But then will it give me the space or capacity? I swear, if home ownership were this challenging, a person would rent. After having three dirt bikes, two four wheelers, three crotch rockets, two Harley Davidson motorcyles, I swear, it was NEVER as stressful as looking for and thinking of purchasing a boat!

 

[kenzum]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

And as for the guy that got a boat for $2000, where are you looking? I look at Craigslist, every marina that has a website in the 90 mile range, check newspapers and boat stores yet have NEVER seen a boat for $2,000 that wasnt a 1970's model. Heck, I was looking at a Fisher 200LX that was a 98' with a 90hp that was a 20ft and everyone said it was a great deal at $6800.
Savor your deal! I have never seen one of those!

 

[lncoop]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Yeah, it can be very frustrating, especially when it comes to barges. They're just not as plentiful, and honestly, you've given yourself a pretty tough order to fill. Just curious; are you planning to keep it on a trailer, or in a slip somewhere?

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Mr. Shamrock,
I see your from Greenville South Carolina. I just moved down from Scott AFB Illinois to Campobello South Carolina, retired military, US Air Force. Me and my family went out on our pontoon boat at Lake Joccassee and it was Great!!! just a little cloudy out, but still had a good time. Take care, Bob Sorry about hogging the thread but just saw Mr. Sharock's side of his pontoon boat had a SC decal on it and he is from Greenville, SC.

Lake Joccassee is beautiful - A lot of waterfalls to check out. We have been on that lake a lot (as a matter of fact that picture was taken on Joccassee a few weeks ago), but we tend to be on Keowee the most. Let us know the next time your out we can meet up.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

Here's something to think about. I have a newer 20' model with 18' of seating area and 26" pontoons. Last weekend, for the first time we were LOADED. 10 people on board. We were on a small lake with no waves, really slow speed and just sitting watching a fireworks show. It felt very unsafe if I needed to go any faster or if it was choppy at all. A couple of passengers were heavy but most regular size. For that many passengers, consider a tritoon for more floatation and I would not consider anything under 24'. A 26' would be needed for comfortable cruising, and 115 hp would be a minimum to push it. Good luck with your search. The off season will be the best time to find a deal. When I was looking, I found the best prices were in the south . So plan on a trip to get a good deal.

 

[g4olfer]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

If I was in the market again I would buy another Bennington, also I wouldn't go with anything smaller than a 115, preferably 150 HP if you are going bigger and want to have fun tubing, otherwise you will be wanting something different right away.

 

[Engreps]

Re: So many pontoon questions.

I would highly remond a tritoon because it sits so much higher in the water.

If yoy are going to have that miny people on the boat. Please look at a tritoon. You won't be dsipointed if go with a 26'