Pontoon boats

[Hillcountry]

We have a new to us 07 Four Winns H190 and it's a great boat and we are enjoying it immensely but, we are considering a pontoon boat (and a Winni slip or valet) for retirement (trailering getting old like us )
I know "you get what you pay for" but what are the main differences in the pon/tritoons as far as quality? We are probably going to start out with something in the 20-22 foot range.
What does everyone own and why do you think it is a great boat?

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

We have a new to us 07 Four Winns H190 and it's a great boat and we are enjoying it immensely but, we are considering a pontoon boat (and a Winni slip or valet) for retirement (trailering getting old like us )
I know "you get what you pay for" but what are the main differences in the pon/tritoons as far as quality? We are probably going to start out with something in the 20-22 foot range.
What does everyone own and why do you think it is a great boat?

Hello Hillcountry,

Having owned three tritoons on Winni, I'll make the following recommendations for you...

#1. Get a tri-toon, they are way more stable and give a much better ride. Trade in and resale will be better if you ever decide to trade up.

#2. Don't go smaller than 22' and 24' would be better.

#3. Get as much horsepower as you can afford but do not go any less than 115 HP. I never heard anyone complain about having too much power but have heard plenty wish after the fact that they had spent the money on the extra horsepower.

#4. Don't be pressured into buying "what's on the lot". Take your time and build your boat the way you want it with options and a layout that fits your needs. Almost every boat manufacturer's website has a "build your boat" feature which I highly recommend using.

As far as brands and quality difference, I think you will hear differing opinions from everyone...whatever they bought they like and that is understandable. What you should do is go out to the marinas and see the difference for yourself. I personally have owned a Manitou, Premier and currently have a Bennington. Each one of these brands had their strengths.

I will recommend Winnisquam marine as a place you should check out. I have bought three boats from them in the past couple years and can't say enough good about my experience there as well as their service after the sale.

Good luck!

Dan

[Hillcountry]

Thank you! We bought our Horizon 190 from Winnisquam and we like them too.
Those Benningtons look awesome, especially the "performance" models...
we will be checking them all out over time as we will not be buying until my wife retires fully, next year.

By the way, I enjoy your posts and I also shoot .308!
Just picked up a beautiful BAR limited edition lightweight, 18" fluted barrel in this caliber and haven't even sighted her in yet...can't wait!

Thanks again for the "toon" advice!

[RUGMAN]

I had asked a lot of questions about two vs tritoon, We bought a tritoon from Thurstons, We had rented both last summer and found the tritoon handled the lake better, we Have a 150 on our 24 foot tritoon and love it. It is a starcraft with HMS performance package, this is our first boat and really like the way it handles, some old pros on the lake may have more comments.we were also told before we bought that min 23-24 foot is what you should strive for on Winni.

[T.H.E. Binz]

Got my 24-ft, 150 hp triton from Meredith Marina - good deal and even better service!

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Hello Hillcountry,

Having owned three tritoons on Winni, I'll make the following recommendations for you...

#1. Get a tri-toon, they are way more stable and give a much better ride. Trade in and resale will be better if you ever decide to trade up.

#2. Don't go smaller than 22' and 24' would be better.

#3. Get as much horsepower as you can afford but do not go any less than 115 HP. I never heard anyone complain about having too much power but have heard plenty wish after the fact that they had spent the money on the extra horsepower.

#4. Don't be pressured into buying "what's on the lot". Take your time and build your boat the way you want it with options and a layout that fits your needs. Almost every boat manufacturer's website has a "build your boat" feature which I highly recommend using.

As far as brands and quality difference, I think you will hear differing opinions from everyone...whatever they bought they like and that is understandable. What you should do is go out to the marinas and see the difference for yourself. I personally have owned a Manitou, Premier and currently have a Bennington. Each one of these brands had their strengths.

I will recommend Winnisquam marine as a place you should check out. I have bought three boats from them in the past couple years and can't say enough good about my experience there as well as their service after the sale.

Good luck!

Dan

I agree with everything ishoot308 stated, but I would also recommend looking at the Harris tritoon. We absolutely love our Harris. They sell them at Melvin Marina. We had our boat built exactly the way we wanted. We also had Ship Shape make us individual seat covers so we we do not have to totally cover it all the time.

[noreast]

I would also echo what has been said. For me, finding the perfect layout / floor plan, Is a big factor, Even subtle differences between brands could be very Important for the way YOU use the boat. Board as many as you can or rent them, you'll quickly find out why or why not you like each setup.For ex; some people hate wasting space outside the play pen, while others will want that space for fishing. Also, most brands will have entry level to extravagant, So I wouldn't rule any out based on what you've seen so far, as they undoubtedly have better versions. Some higher ends will reach around 60g's while others could triple that. Most of the more popular brands are available around the lake. Most Important, Tri-toon, Layout & power. you'll love it. It's a good size investment, get what you want the 1st time, It's worth it to custom order than to buy what they have in stock to save some money, You will regret not getting exactly what you want and do it all again in a year or 2 at a loss.

[ApS]

Very short as pontoons go, my neighbor had a pontoon. It seemed very unstable—never got a ride in it—but while moving at less than headway speed, I heard that a slight change of movement had a guest fall off!

Yesterday, I got my first ride (with Brewster Academy classmates ) in their Tri-toon—just two seasons old. I appreciate the Lake Winnipesaukee trend towards Tri-toons and pontoons; especially, as they leave very little wake.

Although it was overpowered by lake-boat standards, I was impressed with the smooth and quiet ride—and that we could converse without raising our voices.

To balance the Tri-toon, I seated myself forward, about five feet from the helmsman and passenger. (Not the best arrangement with only three or four aboard). We anchored about an hour for lunch, and had some fun playing the "TV-Trivia" of our generation—long past...

("What was the name of Dale Evan's horse?")

The moderate wind seemed to force the Tri-toon to "kite" back and forth. The short scope of anchor line didn't help.

Speaking of balance, when it came time to leave our spot, we couldn't raise the anchor! Standing at the bow with the skipper, I suggested that the anchor line get pulled hard, and secured, and I would move quickly to the stern. That single change in balance pulled the anchor right up!



.

[Descant]

Bullet (German Shepard) and Buttercup ( a palomino)
What kind of boat did Roy Rogers own? So we don't start a new non Winni thread, it was a Yellow Jacket, molded plywood, made in TX. Irwin Marine was the local dealer in the 50's.

[marcucci]

So I too am looking at a tritoon. All the same reasons as the usual, smooth ride, easy maintenance, more room onboard. The one question I have is how do I figure out how much to pay? My previous boats have been private sales or boat show deals (where I actually knew exactly what model/price I wanted). When I buy cars I can get invoice prices, dealer incentive information, and even what others paid for the same car across the country and locally. I can't find any of that, especially for pontoons which are just now gaining popularity.

Any Ideas? How do I know I'm getting a good price?

On another note, my research on the various brands tells me that (A) you are paying for various styles or layout variations between brands or (B) there are different pontoon styles (oblong with a 30 degree blah blah blah vs. round with an extra .001 mm of aluminum). Its my opinion that these differences are very subjective as some people swear by a certain layout or pontoon design and others swear by an opposite choice. As for quality, each brand has a series in each quality level and as long as you are comparing across adjacent levels there isn't much difference.

[noreast]

I would go on Boat Trader to get a good idea what new and used are going for. You'll quickly learn what is MSRP compared to retail when comparing similar models. Also NADA does give values on boats, Maybe KBB as well, Banks use em', but they seem to be lacking when it comes to options. Read the manufacturers web pages to see variation in builds, Some are structurally superior. Seating material has come along way, Don't buy inferior vinyl, Upgrade the furniture if possible. Don't want to start a hull fight with anyone but round tubes are really the industry standard now, I feel there's a reason for that.

[thinkxingu]

Just throwing this out there, but in my experience I had the best success identifying the dealers I wanted to work with and working within that system. I have found tons of value--quicker repair time, more flexibility, etc.--that makes up for the cost.

Case in point: when I bought my new tritoon from Melvin Village, they swapped my GPS system over from my old boat. At the end of last season I suspected my transducer was on the fritz and a couple weeks ago it appeared I was right. MVM ordered me new cables and a transducer and will swap it out for me while I wait late this week.

Having zero down time and a dealer willing to go the extra mile for me is worth money.

As for buying, I agree with everything above but the length--we have a 20' because of my association's requirements, but bigger would be less fun since most of the time we're nowhere near the 11 person capacity and the 20' with a 150 on the back is a goddam rocket ship! The price difference between the 20 and 22/24 isn't huge, though, and if I were on the south side of the lake (I.e. washing machine), I might look bigger.

Godspeed!

Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk

[Taz]

While some of the pontoon/tritoons look very nice, comfortable etc. I will never own another boat without a pumpout head or a windlas. I don't think these options are available in pontoons/tritoons or are they?

[Taz]

I did find a Premier that was beautiful with second deck, slide, enclosed changing room (not the pull up canvas type) with porta pot but no pump out head or windlas. there was no build option so not sure of price but for this I'm sure its outrageous, will stick with traditional v hull, fiberglass, cabin with all the options for now. Maybe in the future they will figure it out.

[Winnisquamer]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Just throwing this out there, but in my experience I had the best success identifying the dealers I wanted to work with and working within that system. I have found tons of value--quicker repair time, more flexibility, etc.--that makes up for the cost.

Case in point: when I bought my new tritoon from Melvin Village, they swapped my GPS system over from my old boat. At the end of last season I suspected my transducer was on the fritz and a couple weeks ago it appeared I was right. MVM ordered me new cables and a transducer and will swap it out for me while I wait late this week.

Having zero down time and a dealer willing to go the extra mile for me is worth money.


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Yes, if we lived in Arizona it wouldn't be a big deal, but here we have limited # good weeks of boating so having the boat back on the water in a hurry is my biggest priority.

[Rattletrap]

Make sure you get a changing station. We have a porta potty in ours it's a nice convenience for the ladies.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Taz

I did find a Premier that was beautiful with second deck, slide, enclosed changing room (not the pull up canvas type) with porta pot but no pump out head or windlas. there was no build option so not sure of price but for this I'm sure its outrageous, will stick with traditional v hull, fiberglass, cabin with all the options for now. Maybe in the future they will figure it out.

Premier makes one with a cuddy cabin, I think its called the "enforcer" or something like that...not sure about a head however...

Dan

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Rattletrap

Make sure you get a changing station.

Meh. What happens on the 'toon stays on the 'toon.

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[Dad sold the C * C]

Hillcountry,
There were several good threads on 'Toons the past two years if you haven't seen them yet.

I copied this from one of my post last year explaining the difference between a "performance" and a "base" Tri-Toon.

There is a difference between tri-toons and how they handle. I'll use Premier as an example because I have rented at least 6 different 2 and 3 toon boats and just bought one. The "performance" ( PTX ) tri- toons have Lifting strakes and a "faceted" bottom on the center toon; this allows for quick planning and banked turns. These performance toons behave similar to a fiberglass hull and often have 150 to 250 HP engines, or higher.

They also make what I would call a base tri-toon, these have 3 round toons. The center toon on mine stops a few feet from the stern and does not connect with the motor well. These still ride the chop nicely and are very stable. The turns are flatter without much lean, the dogs like this much better. We have a 23' with a 150 four stroke and it moves OK, it works for water sports, but minimal wake of course.

So yes, there are significant differences. Also the motor makes a difference, I liked the performance of a 2 stroke, but the four strokes really seem quieter. You can have a conversation that includes people from one end of the boat to another at "touring speed". And if you don't want to listen to someone, just "go faster"

As others have said, layout is an important factor, I gave up an extra lounger because I wanted 4 doors, one on the helm side makes docking easier for me. Also we liked a straight path down the center so we can carry a kayak.

Happy shopping and hope you have a great summer on "this years" new boat.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Dad sold the C * C

Hillcountry,
There were several good threads on 'Toons the past two years if you haven't seen them yet.

I copied this from one of my post last year explaining the difference between a "performance" and a "base" Tri-Toon.

There is a difference between tri-toons and how they handle. I'll use Premier as an example because I have rented at least 6 different 2 and 3 toon boats and just bought one. The "performance" ( PTX ) tri- toons have Lifting strakes and a "faceted" bottom on the center toon; this allows for quick planning and banked turns. These performance toons behave similar to a fiberglass hull and often have 150 to 250 HP engines, or higher.

They also make what I would call a base tri-toon, these have 3 round toons. The center toon on mine stops a few feet from the stern and does not connect with the motor well. These still ride the chop nicely and are very stable. The turns are flatter without much lean, the dogs like this much better. We have a 23' with a 150 four stroke and it moves OK, it works for water sports, but minimal wake of course.

So yes, there are significant differences. Also the motor makes a difference, I liked the performance of a 2 stroke, but the four strokes really seem quieter. You can have a conversation that includes people from one end of the boat to another at "touring speed". And if you don't want to listen to someone, just "go faster"

As others have said, layout is an important factor, I gave up an extra lounger because I wanted 4 doors, one on the helm side makes docking easier for me. Also we liked a straight path down the center so we can carry a kayak.

Happy shopping and hope you have a great summer on "this years" new boat.

Great info! Thanks!

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by Taz

I did find a Premier that was beautiful with second deck, slide, enclosed changing room (not the pull up canvas type) with porta pot but no pump out head or windlas. there was no build option so not sure of price but for this I'm sure its outrageous, will stick with traditional v hull, fiberglass, cabin with all the options for now. Maybe in the future they will figure it out.

There are some aftermarket windlass options for pontoons, but they are not popular and I have heard mixed reviews.

Depending on placement of a porta pottie in the boat you could install a pumpout fitting.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

As for buying, I agree with everything above but the length--we have a 20' because of my association's requirements, but bigger would be less fun since most of the time we're nowhere near the 11 person capacity and the 20' with a 150 on the back is a goddam rocket ship! The price difference between the 20 and 22/24 isn't huge, though, and if I were on the south side of the lake (I.e. washing machine), I might look bigger.

Godspeed!

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I am glad someone throw this out there.... Length really plays into when you want to use the boat, and where you are located.

I know where ishoots camp is and he is right, having a 24' is a necessity in that area of your lake, especially if you use it to get people back and forth to your island property.

I know many people on the northern side of the lake that have 20' pontoons and are quite happy with them, and they just don't try and go the the Weirs on the weekends.

I myself am thinking about adding a new boat to my fleet... I thought about getting a bigger sport boat, but I have also thought about keeping my 18' sport boat, and just getting a toon.... Now for me there is no arguing about tri-toon vs. pontoon... It would be Tri-toon all the way, because I want to bring more passengers.... Now what I have learned is that not all tri-toons are the same.... Well some offer significant increase in allowable weight others do not.... And wieght is what it is all about... most face plates on most 22' toons will tell you 11 passengers if not more..... well lets say those 11 passangers where teenage boys at 160#... well that is 1760# and will work with most toons (tri or regular) but once you throw in some bigger line men from the football team... your 11 passengers start to make an issue with the max weight.... Step in the tri-toon.... I have found the extra toon on some models adds as much as 1000# additional person, gear allowance....

Just more food for thought.....

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

I know many people on the northern side of the lake that have 20' pontoons and are quite happy with them, and they just don't try and go the the Weirs on the weekends.

One more note about this: last Saturday, we went to the Weirs on what was an incredibly busy day. I have footage from my GoPro that was mounted on the front gate that, if you watch it, is really pretty smooth for all the chop. My friend, who was alongside us in his 22 or 23 foot bowrider (and is currently waffling on trading it in for a tritoon) said we looked like we were barely moving while he was getting rocked around.

That was a busy day chop, though--not sure what stormy chop would be like (or if you'd even be out there for it).

Cheers!

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[ishoot308]

I think one of the biggest differences in size / regular tri or performance tri, is not just weight capacity and ride but how wet do you want to get.

A 24' or larger performance tri-toon with lifting strakes and a good captain at the helm will keep you dry even on the roughest of days and the ride will be fairly smooth. Anything smaller than 24', performance or not, you will get wet when rough.

Lifting strakes are a must to get up on plane and not just push through the water. In my opinion your wasting your money on a tri-toon unless it has lifting strakes or your in a very secluded area of the lake and do not plan on leaving it.

Just my opinion and your mileage may vary...

Dan

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I think one of the biggest differences in size / regular tri or performance tri, is not just weight capacity and ride but how wet do you want to get.

A 24' or larger performance tri-toon with lifting strakes and a good captain at the helm will keep you dry even on the roughest of days and the ride will be fairly smooth. Anything smaller than 24', performance or not, you will get wet when rough.

Lifting strakes are a must to get up on plane and not just push through the water. In my opinion your wasting your money on a tri-toon unless it has lifting strakes or your in a very secluded area of the lake and do not plan on leaving it.

Just my opinion and your mileage may vary...

Dan

Interesting comment on the lifting strakes. I'm taking a premier 220 sunsation out for a test ride on Saturday and was thinking about buying it but maybe I'll try to take one with stakes on it.

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Great info! Thanks!

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[noreast]

Originally Posted by marcucci

Interesting comment on the lifting strakes. I'm taking a premier 220 sunsation out for a test ride on Saturday and was thinking about buying it but maybe I'll try to take one with stakes on it.



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If anyone tries to sell you Tri-toon with out strakes, They either have no idea what there doing or they have zero interest in your satisfaction after the purchase. They shouldn't be offered with out them. Now if they give you an honest assessment up front, at least they tried. May sound a little harsh, but when you're paying that much anyway, It should be part of the deal.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by marcucci

Interesting comment on the lifting strakes. I'm taking a premier 220 sunsation out for a test ride on Saturday and was thinking about buying it but maybe I'll try to take one with stakes on it.



Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

A tri-toon without strakes is OK if you have a small motor and are using it on a small lake or pond in my opinion.

Dan

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

A tri-toon without strakes is OK if you have a small motor and are using it on a small lake or pond in my opinion.

Dan

Well, it have a 150 on it and I'm on the west side of winni. It actually looks like that model doesn't even have stakes as an option.

http://www.pontoons.com/boats/level-...ion.php?type=2

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by marcucci

Well, it have a 150 on it and I'm on the west side of winni. It actually looks like that model doesn't even have stakes as an option.

http://www.pontoons.com/boats/level-...ion.php?type=2

Sure it does as it offers the PTX package which is the performance package which has strakes....

[Hillcountry]

Boy, those Premiers are beautiful...I'll have to win megabucks to get into a level 5...

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Sure it does as it offers the PTX package which is the performance package which has strakes....

Look at that! I thought that package was just a larger center pontoon dropped down a bit. I think I'm getting my manufacturers mixed up.

[Orion]

Originally Posted by noreast

If anyone tries to sell you Tri-toon with out strakes, They either have no idea what there doing or they have zero interest in your satisfaction after the purchase. They shouldn't be offered with out them. Now if they give you an honest assessment up front, at least they tried. May sound a little harsh, but when you're paying that much anyway, It should be part of the deal.

Seems to be one's opinion. While lifting strakes will get you on plane at a lower speed, they can contribute to a harsher ride than without. I have a 25' tri-toon without strakes and 130hp and it planes out fine and slices nicely through the chop with no pounding. I really don't see them as a deal breaker.

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by Orion

Seems to be one's opinion. While lifting strakes will get you on plane at a lower speed, they can contribute to a harsher ride than without. I have a 25' tri-toon without strakes and 130hp and it planes out fine and slices nicely through the chop with no pounding. I really don't see them as a deal breaker.

I agree. I did a lot of research since my post, trying to understand the physics involved better and all the various scenarios, and I came to the same conclusion. While in some situations they would help and in others they would hinder.

I decided after a fairly long test drive Saturday to buy the boat even though it didn't have strakes. Time will tell if it was the right decision.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by marcucci

I decided after a fairly long test drive Saturday to buy the boat even though it didn't have strakes. Time will tell if it was the right decision.

As I've found out, EVERY manufacturer has the "right" design philosophy--the perfect boat is the one you have.

Congrats, enjoy, and keep an eye out for the Pontoon Parade!

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[Hillcountry]

Anyone ever buy a marina rental tritoon at season's end?
Been looking around and this is a option being offered by a couple of marinas.
The warranty begins when the toon sells so full warranty is included...your thoughts?

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Anyone ever buy a marina rental tritoon at season's end?
Been looking around and this is a option being offered by a couple of marinas.
The warranty begins when the toon sells so full warranty is included...your thoughts?

Our first boat was a rental and it was great! Just get a readout of usage hours on the motor and go through it like a fine toothed comb--we discovered a little hole in the carpet a week later, which could've been seen with a close look. Good luck!

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[DesertDweller]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Anyone ever buy a marina rental tritoon at season's end?
Been looking around and this is a option being offered by a couple of marinas.
The warranty begins when the toon sells so full warranty is included...your thoughts?

My thoughts would be you better get a fairly nice discount to make it worth your while. Just my opinion, but a lot of people who rent boats have little to no experience operating boats and obviously won't treat them as well as if they owned it themselves. Depending on the outboard (with an Evinrude ETEC being the exception), all of the manufacturers have specific break in procedures. Did the dealer break it in before renting it out? As others have said, I would go through it with a fine tooth comb (including the underside of the boat). Not trying to be Johnny Rain Cloud, but look real close and get a real nice discount. The dealer got a season worth of rental fees on it so they should be able to make you a good deal. Kind of surprised they can sell it as new with full warranties.

[noreast]

^^^^I agree with that. You can get a good deal but you better check that thing out. Thurstons had some beautiful Starcraft MX lines last year for a good price. I didn't get a close up look but they had a 200hp rude on the back as well.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Our first boat was a rental and it was great! Just get a readout of usage hours on the motor and go through it like a fine toothed comb--we discovered a little hole in the carpet a week later, which could've been seen with a close look. Good luck!

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One dealer says they keep the new carpeting in storage (not letting the renters use it) so that would be a plus...a far as renters damaging anything on the boat, they hoist them up and inspect them after each use.
I rented a deck boat a couple years ago and watched as the techs/yard hands inspected the entire hull for damage before they gave the okay to the office.
The boat is literally lifted overhead when you return it...
I would imagine they'd love to charge that $1000 damage retainer for the slightest, damage (which is what you agree to in the rental paperwork.)

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by noreast

^^^^I agree with that. You can get a good deal but you better check that thing out. Thurstons had some beautiful Starcraft MX lines last year for a good price. I didn't get a close up look but they had a 200hp rude on the back as well.

That's one of the dealers I went to...nice toons!

[Hillcountry]

I did some math (hypothetical) and if they rented a toon for only half of the days from May through Oct. they would make over $40,000!

I'm sure they don't but one sales guy said they come in at around 200 hours which would be 25 full day rentals, earning them over $11k per toon...

[noreast]

Wow, good job, Now you can use that against them. Those might be the nicest pontoons I've seen for under 60 G's, With a 150 you might get under 50.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by noreast

Wow, good job, Now you can use that against them. Those might be the nicest pontoons I've seen for under 60 G's, With a 150 you might get under 50.

One can try!

[SAMIAM]

There's really not much that can go wrong with a "toon"
You know that the motor was serviced by the marina, so if the deal is right and you have a warranty, I'd do it in a minute.

[radioman]

Have really enjoyed all the comments, thanks to all. Roy Rogers had great taste! Back in the 50's I owned a Yellow Jacket and I loved every inch of it! The problem was the transmission which was a v-belt drive made of cast iron. The upper arm had the tendency to crack and once that happened, game over as it could not be welded. I found a Yellow Jacket in great shape, at Asquam Marine ( they have a museum there) Very Sporty Boat and lots of fond memories. If you have never seen one, it would be a great treat on a rainy day.

[Descant]

This may be a first boat, but probably not your last. The dealer knows that and he wants to sell you the next three boats too. With this in mind, and the good reputation that the dealers all seem to have on this Forum, I wouldn't worry too much about buying a used rental. It's probably in better shape than a boat that was just traded in.
As you make your deal, I wouldn't dicker the little stuff to save $100. Look at what costs you a lot, but costs the dealer little: Winter storage, shrink wrap, winterize, dewinterize, spring launch, maybe some extra canvas work to be done over the winter. There's lots of stuff in this life besides the purchase price.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Descant

This may be a first boat, but probably not your last. The dealer knows that and he wants to sell you the next three boats too. With this in mind, and the good reputation that the dealers all seem to have on this Forum, I wouldn't worry too much about buying a used rental. It's probably in better shape than a boat that was just traded in.
As you make your deal, I wouldn't dicker the little stuff to save $100. Look at what costs you a lot, but costs the dealer little: Winter storage, shrink wrap, winterize, dewinterize, spring launch, maybe some extra canvas work to be done over the winter. There's lots of stuff in this life besides the purchase price.

I would also add that when I bought my rental, it came with a full tank, valet service for the remainder of the year (since I didn't have a place to keep it yet), winter removal and storage, and spring service and launch. Those, along with the fact that it was a *fair* deal and a positive experience, started me in the right direction.

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[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Descant

This may be a first boat, but probably not your last. The dealer knows that and he wants to sell you the next three boats too. With this in mind, and the good reputation that the dealers all seem to have on this Forum, I wouldn't worry too much about buying a used rental. It's probably in better shape than a boat that was just traded in.
As you make your deal, I wouldn't dicker the little stuff to save $100. Look at what costs you a lot, but costs the dealer little: Winter storage, shrink wrap, winterize, dewinterize, spring launch, maybe some extra canvas work to be done over the winter. There's lots of stuff in this life besides the purchase price.

At age 67, I hope it's my last boat!
One and done for me...

[Descant]

67!? In 3.5 years you may be forced to make periodic withdrawals from your IRA. What to do with those funds? I started investing in fiberglass for my retirement many years ago. You should at least consider going to the boat show and investing in a little more fiberglass, or aluminum. The grandchildren will love you for it, especially if it is "just theirs". You don't have to drive a jetski to own one.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Descant

67!? In 3.5 years you may be forced to make periodic withdrawals from your IRA. What to do with those funds? I started investing in fiberglass for my retirement many years ago. You should at least consider going to the boat show and investing in a little more fiberglass, or aluminum. The grandchildren will love you for it, especially if it is "just theirs". You don't have to drive a jetski to own one.

Great point!

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Great point!

I chuckled thinking about a boat as a financial "investment"


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[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by marcucci

I chuckled thinking about a boat as a financial "investment"


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Given that I bought my first 'toon, used it for two seasons, and traded it in for what I paid for it, that's not too much of a stretch!

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[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by marcucci

I chuckled thinking about a boat as a financial "investment"


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Lol..more like B O A T (Bust Out Another Thousand)

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by marcucci

I chuckled thinking about a boat as a financial "investment"


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Investment in my sanity!!

[Hillcountry]

Okay, I'll add another dimension to the "toon" discussion...
Anyone have any real life experience with the Sun Tracker line of tri-toons?

I know...Bass Pro Shops line and all but they do build tri-toons (XP3 model)
And they have an amazing 10 year warranty.

Just looking at all options and would love real world experience from anyone out there.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Okay, I'll add another dimension to the "toon" discussion...
Anyone have any real life experience with the Sun Tracker line of tri-toons?

I know...Bass Pro Shops line and all but they do build tri-toons (XP3 model)
And they have an amazing 10 year warranty.

Just looking at all options and would love real world experience from anyone out there.

Having owned a few in the past I found that parts availability was tough when items were needed. Granted these were certainly older boats, and this was years ago....

[noreast]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Okay, I'll add another dimension to the "toon" discussion...
Anyone have any real life experience with the Sun Tracker line of tri-toons?

I know...Bass Pro Shops line and all but they do build tri-toons (XP3 model)
And they have an amazing 10 year warranty.

Just looking at all options and would love real world experience from anyone out there.

Just an opinion here, don't attack me. Though I have never owned one, I have looked at all brands closely. I feel they are a little slow to catch up with the industry. They don't offer a lot of floor plans or options compared to others, I don't feel their furniture quality is up to standard. Though pontoons are generally problem free, They seem to have more problems than other brands. They do offer a high end brand (Regency) I believe above criticism applies to it as well. They are nice, but for the high end price they don't compare, since there 1 price marketing applies you can't bargain with them.even if you're looking for a small fishing pontoon, there are so many other brands to choose from now, I wouldn't buy that either.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Okay, I'll add another dimension to the "toon" discussion...
Anyone have any real life experience with the Sun Tracker line of tri-toons?

I know...Bass Pro Shops line and all but they do build tri-toons (XP3 model)
And they have an amazing 10 year warranty.

Just looking at all options and would love real world experience from anyone out there.

I think there's a reason Sun Tracker is sold through Bass and that no/few marinas do.

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[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

I think there's a reason Sun Tracker is sold through Bass and that no/few marinas do.

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There are a few marinas in New England that do carry them (besides Bass Pro)
but just hearing from a few of you is enough for me to stay away and keep looking for a solid manufacturer with a great reputation...
I was hoping someone would chime in who owns one of the newer ST models...

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

There are a few marinas in New England that do carry them (besides Bass Pro)
but just hearing from a few of you is enough for me to stay away and keep looking for a solid manufacturer with a great reputation...
I was hoping someone would chime in who owns one of the newer ST models...

I, and many of my friends have had great luck going the other way--find the marina/independent business most convenient and responsive and choose from the brands they offer/can take care of. For example, I work with Melvin Village because it takes me fifteen minutes to get my boat there and, because they deal in my brand (Harris) they either stock or can get parts same or next day and, as a result, there's practically no down time.

I've heard great things about marinas on the other side of the lake, but it doesn't matter how great they are if it's a pain to get there or it takes a while to get taken care of.

Just my thoughts.

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[ApS]

Two-story?

Saw this yesterday, towing a tube.

Greatly enlarged...

[Winnisquamer]

Originally Posted by ApS

Two-story?

Saw this yesterday, towing a tube.

Greatly enlarged...

I see a bunch of these on Winnisquam. Some even have railings and bucket seats, I've always wondered if your allowed to be up there while underway. (My assumption is no)

[Tomt]

I own a rack at Harilla Landing and also have been thinking about a pontoon boat. We rode in a 22' with a 115hp and liked it very much even with 2 toons. We are used to an 18' bowrider that gets tossed around quite a bit. We put a deposit on a 20' (we felt the 22 was a little to big). The disappointment came when we found out that the older fork truck at Harilla won't handle that style pontoon (Crest I) because the forks are to wide apart. Harilla considers these non conforming boats. Does anyone know if different brands come with more room between the pontoons?

Tom T

[Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by Tomt

I own a rack at Harilla Landing and also have been thinking about a pontoon boat. We rode in a 22' with a 115hp and liked it very much even with 2 toons. We are used to an 18' bowrider that gets tossed around quite a bit. We put a deposit on a 20' (we felt the 22 was a little to big). The disappointment came when we found out that the older fork truck at Harilla won't handle that style pontoon (Crest I) because the forks are to wide apart. Harilla considers these non conforming boats. Does anyone know if different brands come with more room between the pontoons?

Tom T

You may want to inquire again, perhaps with a more senior member of the club.

The forks on these fork trucks slide in/out (to meet your needs). I find it hard to believe they can not slide these forks in to accommodate your boat.

[Rattletrap]

Originally Posted by Outdoorsman

You may want to inquire again, perhaps with a more senior member of the club.

The forks on these fork trucks slide in/out (to meet your needs). I find it hard to believe they can not slide these forks in to accommodate your boat.

Most brands come with a 8'6" beam...Some have a 8' beam I would highly recommend the 8'6" you wont regret it.

[Hillcountry]

Well, I just sold my Four Winns bowrider...now the toon hunt begins in earnest!
Wish me luck!

[noreast]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Well, I just sold my Four Winns bowrider...now the toon hunt begins in earnest!
Wish me luck!

I think you have good timing, If you can find one on the lot you'll get a good deal, If you stretch it out you can see all they have to offer at the shows this winter. go get em, Good luck!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by marcucci

I agree. I did a lot of research since my post, trying to understand the physics involved better and all the various scenarios, and I came to the same conclusion. While in some situations they would help and in others they would hinder. I decided after a fairly long test drive Saturday to buy the boat even though it didn't have strakes. Time will tell if it was the right decision.

Not knowing what "pontoon strakes" would look like, a Google search turned up this very clear view:



A discussion follows:

http://club.benningtonmarine.com/ind...fting-strakes/


.

[noreast]

That's one of the nice things about pontoon boats,. They float either way.

[Orion]

Originally Posted by noreast

That's one of the nice things about pontoon boats,. They float either way.

Ha ha.....good point. They really are unsinkable.......unless you double-puncture all 9 chambers on a 25' Bennington Tritoon.

[Hillcountry]

Got an impromptu chance to try a tritoon today...it was a Berkshire 23 with a 150 merc fro Irwin. It was our first time on a tritoon or any pontoon for that matter.
Seemed like a nice boat and was visually, pleasing.
They fork lifted it into the water and the salesman took us out into paugus Bay.

First impressions were it was very quiet and smooth and as we got past the NWZ the salesguy opened it up a bit. I have to say the area was literally, inundated with boats of every kind going seemingly every which way, causing quite a chop. He slowed down and offered me the helm whereupon I throttled up to a slow cruising speed (didn't think to look at the tach or speedo) but we were probably doing 10 mph. Heading towards the channel he said "we don't go past that little island over there" so i made a sweeping turn back in the southerly direction.
The chop was getting quite heavy and I decided to test the toon by throttling up a bit but not full throttle. A huge wake appeared in front of me and as I approached it at a diagonal headway. As we hit the wake waves the boat rose up and slammed down a few times (didn't expect this from a tritoon)
I guess that's called porpoising? I guess I expected the toon to cut through without slamming. It was probably my fault for not operating correctly as I was somewhat timid with it and unfamiliar with the trim and whatnot.
I headed back to the docks and handed the helm back to the salesguy thinking about what we had just experienced.
No doubt it was a nice platform and VERY different from our 19 ft bowrider.
Bottom line was the salesguy wanted to know our thoughts and we went inside to see what kind of deal was possible but that ended quite soon when Mr Irwin (in another room) said that all they could do on this boat was about $250 off of the $45k price tag. we looked at a bottom line Premier (Palm Beach) and weren't too impressed by that.
We have another demo on Wed. morning to try a Sweetwater at Meredith.
Quite a process ahead of us!

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Got an impromptu chance to try a tritoon today...it was a Berkshire 23 with a 150 merc fro Irwin. It was our first time on a tritoon or any pontoon for that matter.

Seemed like a nice boat and was visually, pleasing.

They fork lifted it into the water and the salesman took us out into paugus Bay.



First impressions were it was very quiet and smooth and as we got past the NWZ the salesguy opened it up a bit. I have to say the area was literally, inundated with boats of every kind going seemingly every which way, causing quite a chop. He slowed down and offered me the helm whereupon I throttled up to a slow cruising speed (didn't think to look at the tach or speedo) but we were probably doing 10 mph. Heading towards the channel he said "we don't go past that little island over there" so i made a sweeping turn back in the southerly direction.

The chop was getting quite heavy and I decided to test the toon by throttling up a bit but not full throttle. A huge wake appeared in front of me and as I approached it at a diagonal headway. As we hit the wake waves the boat rose up and slammed down a few times (didn't expect this from a tritoon)

I guess that's called porpoising? I guess I expected the toon to cut through without slamming. It was probably my fault for not operating correctly as I was somewhat timid with it and unfamiliar with the trim and whatnot.

I headed back to the docks and handed the helm back to the salesguy thinking about what we had just experienced.

No doubt it was a nice platform and VERY different from our 19 ft bowrider.

Bottom line was the salesguy wanted to know our thoughts and we went inside to see what kind of deal was possible but that ended quite when Mr Irwin (in another room) that all they could do on this boat was about $250 off of the $45k price tag. we looked at a bottom line Premier (Palm Beach) and weren't too impressed by that.

We have another demo on Wed. morning to try a Sweetwater at Meredith.

Quite a process ahead of us!

I just bought a Premier 220 Sunsation with a 150 4 stroke Merc at Irwin this month. PM me and I'll share all the details. What I learned, tritoons are the way to go and if you have lifting strikes you get the pounding but you get a faster (maybe more efficient) toon. Without them you get a strictly displacement hull that cuts through the waves very nicely but tops out at a lower speed. I've already taken it across the broads and in all kinds of waves and we are very happy.


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[Lakeboater]

Originally Posted by marcucci

I just bought a Premier 220 Sunsation with a 150 4 stroke Merc at Irwin this month. PM me and I'll share all the details. What I learned, tritoons are the way to go and if you have lifting strikes you get the pounding but you get a faster (maybe more efficient) toon. Without them you get a strictly displacement hull that cuts through the waves very nicely but tops out at a lower speed. I've already taken it across the broads and in all kinds of waves and we are very happy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So what happened to the Italian Shamrock? Is the toon the IS2?

[noreast]

When you get the wakes from all directions like that, you're not going to like the ride in a tri-toon either. when it sucks it still sucks. As far as strakes causing pounding, That's a new one to me. If you're doing 40mph, you'll ride higher so I guess you have further to fall. you'll find the little things to make it better but there's not much you can do when it's heavy traffic. Keep doing what you're doing, Take the boats out from all marina's, Learn to separate the BS from fact and DON"T RUSH unless you get a great deal. When you get real prices go on boat trader to compare exact boats, and call the marinas even if there in Kansas to get real comps, unless money's no object.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by noreast

When you get the wakes from all directions like that, you're not going to like the ride in a tri-toon either. when it sucks it still sucks. As far as strakes causing pounding, That's a new one to me. If you're doing 40mph, you'll ride higher so I guess you have further to fall. you'll find the little things to make it better but there's not much you can do when it's heavy traffic. Keep doing what you're doing, Take the boats out from all marina's, Learn to separate the BS from fact and DON"T RUSH unless you get a great deal. When you get real prices go on boat trader to compare exact boats, and call the marinas even if there in Kansas to get real comps, unless money's no object.

Thanks...that's what we're trying to do. And for us, being on mostly, fixed income, ( wife still working part time) money is definitely, an object!
I welcome any and all experiences dealing with the tritoon...one dealer says they can't even get them without strakes anymore.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Thanks...that's what we're trying to do. And for us, being on mostly, fixed income, ( wife still working part time) money is definitely, an object!
I welcome any and all experiences dealing with the tritoon...one dealer says they can't even get them without strakes anymore.

Not sure why you would want it without strakes--if you wanna plow through the water, just keep the trim down, if you wanna skip across the water, trim up. We've slammed a few times on our 'toon, which was, as you mentioned, just a timing issue with waves coming from multiple directions. Taking on one set of waves at a diagonal is barely bumpy.

If money is a consideration, check out Harris at Melvin Village--we, and I know Greene's Basin Girl, love ours.

Cheers!

[noreast]

I just want to clarify that I wouldn't suggest not to buy local, but, for example, I've been looking at a tri-toon with a 150hp for 52,000, price with a 250 (which I want) is 68,000. (ridiculous) Same boat with a 250 can be had for the same 52,000 at larger, distant dealers. I don't expect them to match, but you would never accept that from a car dealer, so It only empowers you.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Not sure why you would want it without strakes--if you wanna plow through the water, just keep the trim down, if you wanna skip across the water, trim up. We've slammed a few times on our 'toon, which was, as you mentioned, just a timing issue with waves coming from multiple directions. Taking on one set of waves at a diagonal is barely bumpy.

If money is a consideration, check out Harris at Melvin Village--we, and I know Greene's Basin Girl, love ours.

Cheers!

Never said I wanted one without strakes...just trying to learn all the angles and options while hunting for one...the info here so far has been invaluable!

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Never said I wanted one without strakes...just trying to learn all the angles and options while hunting for one...the info here so far has been invaluable!

Yeah, I was referring both to you and the posts above involving strakes.

Good luck in your hunt, and don't forget the extras that come along with buying a boat. Cheers!

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Yeah, I was referring both to you and the posts above involving strakes.

Good luck in your hunt, and don't forget the extras that come along with buying a boat. Cheers!

Thanks!

Already planning to bargain for valet and storage...

[Orion]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Not sure why you would want it without strakes--if you wanna plow through the water, just keep the trim down, if you wanna skip across the water, trim up. We've slammed a few times on our 'toon, which was, as you mentioned, just a timing issue with waves coming from multiple directions. Taking on one set of waves at a diagonal is barely bumpy.

If money is a consideration, check out Harris at Melvin Village--we, and I know Greene's Basin Girl, love ours.

Cheers!

I don't have strakes on my tritoon (25' with 130hp) and it doesn't plow. It planes up nicely with the front third of the toons out of the water when trimmed properly. The strakes will get you up quicker and likely at a lower speed, but by the same token, I've never pounded the waves either. All a preference.

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by Lakeboater

So what happened to the Italian Shamrock? Is the toon the IS2?

We haven't named her yet. The IS was traded in.

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Not sure why you would want it without strakes--if you wanna plow through the water, just keep the trim down, if you wanna skip across the water, trim up. We've slammed a few times on our 'toon, which was, as you mentioned, just a timing issue with waves coming from multiple directions. Taking on one set of waves at a diagonal is barely bumpy.

If money is a consideration, check out Harris at Melvin Village--we, and I know Greene's Basin Girl, love ours.

Cheers!

I may have been hypersensitive to the extra "pounding" since that is what we were coming from and wanted to get away from. Also, driving the toon is different, especially trimming seemed to take a little getting used to. When I drove the boat with the strakes I hadn't mastered this new skill. I've also learned how different reverse is on the pontoon outboard compared to a I/O.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by marcucci

I may have been hypersensitive to the extra "pounding" since that is what we were coming from and wanted to get away from. Also, driving the toon is different, especially trimming seemed to take a little getting used to. When I drove the boat with the strakes I hadn't mastered this new skill. I've also learned how different reverse is on the pontoon outboard compared to a I/O.

So, how is the reverse different? I had an I/O on my bowrider and would think the characteristics would be similar...

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

So, how is the reverse different? I had an I/O on my bowrider and would think the characteristics would be similar...

If they went from a duoprop stern drive to a single prop OB, the 'toon will be less responsive in reverse, I believe.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Got an impromptu chance to try a tritoon today...it was a Berkshire 23 with a 150 merc fro Irwin. It was our first time on a tritoon or any pontoon for that matter.
Seemed like a nice boat and was visually, pleasing.
They fork lifted it into the water and the salesman took us out into paugus Bay.

First impressions were it was very quiet and smooth and as we got past the NWZ the salesguy opened it up a bit. I have to say the area was literally, inundated with boats of every kind going seemingly every which way, causing quite a chop. He slowed down and offered me the helm whereupon I throttled up to a slow cruising speed (didn't think to look at the tach or speedo) but we were probably doing 10 mph. Heading towards the channel he said "we don't go past that little island over there" so i made a sweeping turn back in the southerly direction.
The chop was getting quite heavy and I decided to test the toon by throttling up a bit but not full throttle. A huge wake appeared in front of me and as I approached it at a diagonal headway. As we hit the wake waves the boat rose up and slammed down a few times (didn't expect this from a tritoon)
I guess that's called porpoising? I guess I expected the toon to cut through without slamming. It was probably my fault for not operating correctly as I was somewhat timid with it and unfamiliar with the trim and whatnot.
I headed back to the docks and handed the helm back to the salesguy thinking about what we had just experienced.
No doubt it was a nice platform and VERY different from our 19 ft bowrider.
Bottom line was the salesguy wanted to know our thoughts and we went inside to see what kind of deal was possible but that ended quite soon when Mr Irwin (in another room) said that all they could do on this boat was about $250 off of the $45k price tag. we looked at a bottom line Premier (Palm Beach) and weren't too impressed by that.
We have another demo on Wed. morning to try a Sweetwater at Meredith.
Quite a process ahead of us!

I have never bought from Irwins because I have always found them to be extremely pricey on anything they have. Almost a certain level of arrogance in that they are the 800lb gorilla on the lake.

Back in June we stopped at Irwins in Alton to look at their Premiers. While there, my wife took a fancy in the Monterey 328SS they have (we have owned 2 of these in the past). The sales rep was extremely arrogant and didn't know half as much as he thought. He quoted us $248k, which was basically full blown msrp...Nobody sells boats for full msrp...After I questioned him on it he came out with the witty comment that "the boat has Axius and that alone is a $100k option." Seriously dude? Better check your facts. That boat will be sitting for a long time. Its a shame Shep's lost the line. Good people!

We ended up going to Channel and Winnisquam, were treated great by both but ended up spending our money at Winnisquam as always.

If you are looking at Berkshires for $45k I would look at what you can get in a Benny for the same price. Better boat, better dealer.

I agree with another posters comment about getting a lot more for your money out of state. I have bought many boats out of New England for that reason. There is no reason for a $16k difference on price to go from a 150hp to a 250hp. If it is a 4 stroke Merc to a Verado there is a LOT of re-rigging to be done, but not $16k (maybe $8-10k with the difference in the motor price plus rerig).

[Winnisquamer]

For 248k You should be thrilled to have them as a dealer Codeman, not feel disrespected.. A pontoon boats (Bennington) the only thing I'd buy from Winnisquam. My experience was a great sale, terrible service.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Winnisquamer

For 248k You should be thrilled to have them as a dealer Codeman, not feel disrespected.. A pontoon boats (Bennington) the only thing I'd buy from Winnisquam. My experience was a great sale, terrible service.

Terrible service from Irwin or Winnisquam?

[noreast]

I agree with codeman on everything said. 10k is usually the price to go up to the Verado, Being able to get the 250 for the same price as the 150 should not be possible anywhere. Twice in the last few years I got msrp quote from Irwin after asking not to get msrp as I was shopping around and didn't want to negotiate at the time, It made it easy to disqualify them though. I'm not here to bash any marina's but if somethings posted I can confirm, I'll tell my experience as well. I'm always surprised, and disappointed, when I know more than the salesman, which always seems to be the case. When you carry a few lines of boats you should have the answers, It doesn't take long to study the product.

[Winnisquamer]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Terrible service from Irwin or Winnisquam?

Winnisquam. Looked at purchasing from Irwin's but they just did not have what I wanted to buy.

[noreast]

wow, I've literally never heard a bad thing about them. I don't think I've ever dealt with them but know many who have. I'm not doubting you, I guess there's a 1st time for everything.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Terrible service from Irwin or Winnisquam

Sounds like Winnisquamer's issue was with Winnisquam.

I have had outstanding sales and service from Winnisquam. I have a great working relationship with them and have never had an issue. I feel like Ryan bends over backwards for us. I have bought 3 Premiers from them, plus had service work done on my Whaler (engine swap with an engine I supplied).

Originally Posted by Winnisquamer

For 248k You should be thrilled to have them as a dealer Codeman, not feel disrespected..

I can't be thrilled with them as a dealer from a sales standpoint when the sales rep tries to "wow" me with his knowledge and insult my market intelligence. I am no rookie to buying boats, in fact supply chain procurement is my career so I have seen plenty of good and bad sales tactics over the years.

I am certainly not condemning them as a whole. I have never used them for service so I have no knowledge there. I did procure a slip from them this season (not at their facility) for which I was grateful for the assistance. When I was there signing for my slip I did hear someone say that they expected to sell out of ALL new inventory this year. Good for them, although I don't believe it will happen. Case in point the 328SS.

Originally Posted by noreast

Being able to get the 250 for the same price as the 150 should not be possible anywhere.

This I do have to disagree with a bit. When I was shopping in June I found dealers in Florida, PA and Michigan that had the same model boat with similar or more options, with similar prices as I was being quoted locally, but with 250-300hp motors instead of the 200hp the local boat was equipped with. Dealers out of New England either are in areas that have longer boating seasons and can move more inventory, have a bigger overall market, or are closer to the factories and have less in logistical costs to move the boats. These factors contribute to better deals. I will say my example was with boats powered by Etecs and Yamahas.

That being said, a local dealer carrying the same line may not go out of their way to service you if needed. They still have to honor the warranty, but that doesn't mean they have to jump you to the head of the line.

[marcucci]

Originally Posted by VitaBene

If they went from a duoprop stern drive to a single prop OB, the 'toon will be less responsive in reverse, I believe.

Yep, exactly that. I almost crashed it into shore coming in to dock. I kept thinking the drive was slipping or something until they said "go all the way back" on the throttle.

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[Hillcountry]

Well...we decided on a 2016 2286 Sweetwater with quite a few upgrades . Triple toon package full under skin with strakes, with a 150 Yamaha. The furniture is upgraded and the rails and bimini frame are anodized black (which looks nice IMO) Vinyl flooring with snap-in seagrass mats (very sharp) hydraulic steering, movable cupholders, 35 gal fuel tank, LED docking lights, some "mood" and under deck lighting, ski tow, and upgraded 4 spkr bluetooth radio system. Upgraded captain's chair (very important!) First cruise tomorrow! (hopefully, after the thunder-dunders)

The demo ride was very smooth in all the "chop" conditions we could find on a not too busy day. We are not speed demons but this thing will fly, as demonstrated by the sales mgr. Wow! 0 to 45 in about 3 seconds! (at least it felt like it)
Got free valet rest of season and winter storage with this year's pricing on next season's valet too. Very excited to be on Winni with our new craft!
Oh yeah, forgot to mention the dealer is throwing in a Garmin 500 Series GPS too!

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Well...we decided on a 2016 2286 Sweetwater with quite a few upgrades . Triple toon package full under skin with strakes, with a 150 Yamaha. The furniture is upgraded and the rails and bimini frame are anodized black (which looks nice IMO) Vinyl flooring with snap-in seagrass mats (very sharp) hydraulic steering, movable cupholders, 35 gal fuel tank, LED docking lights, some "mood" and under deck lighting, ski tow, and upgraded 4 spkr bluetooth radio system. Upgraded captain's chair (very important!) First cruise tomorrow! (hopefully, after the thunder-dunders)

The demo ride was very smooth in all the "chop" conditions we could find on a not too busy day. We are not speed demons but this thing will fly, as demonstrated by the sales mgr. Wow! 0 to 45 in about 3 seconds! (at least it felt like it)
Got free valet rest of season and winter storage with this year's pricing on next season's valet too. Very excited to be on Winni with our new craft.

Congrats, comrade--enjoy the new vessel and safe passage!

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[marcucci]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Well...we decided on a 2016 2286 Sweetwater with quite a few upgrades . Triple toon package full under skin with strakes, with a 150 Yamaha. The furniture is upgraded and the rails and bimini frame are anodized black (which looks nice IMO) Vinyl flooring with snap-in seagrass mats (very sharp) hydraulic steering, movable cupholders, 35 gal fuel tank, LED docking lights, some "mood" and under deck lighting, ski tow, and upgraded 4 spkr bluetooth radio system. Upgraded captain's chair (very important!) First cruise tomorrow! (hopefully, after the thunder-dunders)



The demo ride was very smooth in all the "chop" conditions we could find on a not too busy day. We are not speed demons but this thing will fly, as demonstrated by the sales mgr. Wow! 0 to 45 in about 3 seconds! (at least it felt like it)

Got free valet rest of season and winter storage with this year's pricing on next season's valet too. Very excited to be on Winni with our new craft.

Nice! PM me the bow numbers and I'll look for you out there. If you see a crazy guy waving it may be me. I'd love to do a side by comparison. I'd PM you mine but I haven't memorized the new ones yet!


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[Doobs41378]

Beautiful boat. Congrats! Did you happen to see this pontoon while shopping? It has 900HP and a 1200 gallon fuel tank

http://www.boatingmag.com/premier-310-dodici

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by marcucci

Nice! PM me the bow numbers and I'll look for you out there. If you see a crazy guy waving it may be me. I'd love to do a side by comparison. I'd PM you mine but I haven't memorized the new ones yet!


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No numbers yet...perhaps by tomorrow morning. The sales Mgr hadn't had time to get it done yet.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Doobs41378

Beautiful boat. Congrats! Did you happen to see this pontoon while shopping? It has 900HP and a 1200 gallon fuel tank

http://www.boatingmag.com/premier-310-dodici

Wow...I can only imagine!

[Dad sold the C * C]

Congrats on the new Toon. This is the one year anniversary of our Tri- Toon and we are still really happy with the purchase. One of our friends calls it a "Fast Living room"