Thread: Pontoon Boat?
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Old 11-14-2017, 12:29 PM   #4
Descant
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Good question. Since you apparently know your way around Moultonborough Bay, it would seem draft is only a problem if you don't have enough water at docks you frequent, like your own. I have a 24' deep-vee runabout that draws 25", engine full down. This leads me to believe that your bow-rider with 39" draft may be considerably larger. Obviously, per foot of length, it's hard to beat the load bearing capacity of a 'toon. If you have other boating expectations, say a quick run to Alton Bay for ice cream, I prefer the feeling of safety sitting inside the boat instead of on top when the weather kicks up.
I'm not sure why we don't see more jet boats--the MP has one that is 40 feet and I recall them saying it draws 14" at the dock and 8" on plane. They can put the bow up against almost anybody's shore and still have engines in the water, not tilted up like an I/O or O/B. Maybe there are more jets than I realize, but there is nothing on the outside that visibly tells me it's a jet?
Any jet people out there? We know there are lots who love their 'toons.
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