[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by loonguy

Sorry Hillcountry, but I am not a picture kind of guy. I will try not to be a bore any more. I have just a couple of perspectives that might help others make a choice. The pontoon boat is still the best fit for my situation, but there are trade-offs compared to the bowrider that I used to have. First, the bowrider's V hull provided a much steadier ride, less subject to being pushed off course by the wind, which is most important when docking. Second, unlike most bowriders, most pontoon boats, including mine, do not have a windshield high enough to block the wind and typically have no windshield on the passenger side. We really miss the windshields at higher speeds. Third, opting for four fishing chairs (two forward and two aft) resulted in less comfortable seating than would have been available otherwise, which is a disadvantage if you are on a party cruise rather than a fishing trip. Finally, unlike the bowrider, the pontoon boat does not have a head, which we never used but it was nice to know it was there if you needed it. Despite the disadvantages, I am happy with the pontoon purchase and expect that I will not be back in the boat-buying adventure any time soon.

I agree about the windshield part. We’re tmpted to trade up to a model that has the full windshield but I think they are very expensive! Other than that you can get used to it fairly easily. One tip is to lower your bimini top to dock in a breezy situation...not having that “sail” up helps. (If you indeed have a bimini) boat hooks and a loop pole to catch dock structure help a lot too.