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Old 02-25-2008, 10:45 PM   #1
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Anyone have a Pontoon?

I saw some really nice pontoon boats at the Sportsman's Show. Maybe I'll trade in my Jet Ski on one.

What brand do you have, and how do you like it?
Motor size?

Give me the 411...
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Old 02-25-2008, 11:26 PM   #2
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the nes i saw at bass pro shops were pretty nice but a litle pricey compared to a lowe brand
i have never owned one, we always had dee vee ocean going fast boats
but i did sleep at a holiday inn express once

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Old 02-26-2008, 07:37 AM   #3
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never owned one but I've a couple of friends with pontoons. (the best kind of boat is your buddies..... then you don't have to wash and maintain the darned thing )
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Old 02-26-2008, 10:19 PM   #4
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yea...good point!
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Old 02-27-2008, 08:10 AM   #5
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I feel the same way about swimming pools in back yards. The best one is your neighbors......

And we have a couple with pools and are on good terms with them. It only cost a few beers or rack of ribs every now and then.
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Old 03-04-2008, 04:09 PM   #6
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We bought a used Bennington 207L last summer and LOVE it! It's a 20 ft. boat and seats a max of 13 people (although you'd really have to cram them all in there). We had a Nitro fishing boat and it just didn't have enough room for all 4 of us and our two Labs..LOL Plus I got tired if getting smacked around whenever we hit a wake. They are great to cruise around the lakes with here in Arkansas, and it's so nice to have the top up when it's hot, a table that we can put food out on, and a LADDER to climb into the boat with! And it's been nice to be able to take friends and family out for a cruise!
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Old 03-04-2008, 09:02 PM   #7
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Cool! Got any pics? I just talked to a local guy with a Bennington too. He said he wished his motor was bigger. Thanks!
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Old 03-05-2008, 08:08 AM   #8
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I've owned three pontoon boats. The most important thing to look at are the "tubes" (the large round pontoons that keeps it floating). The larger the tubes the higher it sits on the water and the better it rides. A pontoons is a displacement hull which means it pushes through the water and doesn't really come up on plane like a deep v or regular boat. Also don't buy anything under 20 feet or it will ride terrible in rough water and feel like it;s going to tip if you get too many people onboard. Some lakes have horse[power restrictions; but you'll need at least 40hp if you want to get anywhere fast. The next item is the fuel tank; some have a built in tank and others are simply six gallon containers mounted on each side of the engine. Six gallons won't get you far. If you have access to a fuel station on the lake or can tow it to one then an built in tank is best. Finally, buy a trailer with it. Some people leave it in one spot and only take it out at the end of the season. But if you have problems like leaks or engine problems you'll have to find someone to get it out for you and dealers charge a lot for this service. Also consider that a storm may flood the lake or worse a tornado hitd and you can't get your boat out. Other than that it's like anything else; pick a color and options you like; and check the quality of the seats and overall construction.
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Old 03-05-2008, 08:56 PM   #9
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Thanks for the tips. There are some things I didn't know. APPRECIATE the advice!

What size motor do you suggest for a 20 + foot pontoon?
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Old 03-16-2008, 08:37 AM   #10
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If you plan on hauling more than 4 people at least 40hp.
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Old 03-16-2008, 01:21 PM   #11
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i saw a neat home built one on the net, it was an older tt maybe 16 ft or so. the axels were removed and was placed on a platform and then two pontoons,they made nice railings all around. it looked great and i thought it was a great way to use an old camper which you can find for practically nothing.
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Old 04-13-2008, 07:45 PM   #12
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ND Jollymon, how have you been? My F.I.L. has a 26 ft party barge pontoon with a 135 hp inboard/outboard engine. He loves it, but we don't go with him too much because his "cruising speed" is about 18 mph. I've seen some boats out there fast enough to ski behind, usualy they are the ones with three "logs". I agree about the trailer, his last boat was at a marina that burnt down and although he had no damage right away when the power lines hit the water they started an electrolysis problem that eventualy ate thru the aluminum. He moved the boat to a new marina, but about a year later it started to sink in it's slip. The marina called him and told him about his situation, and he loaded it on the trailer instead of letting it sink to the bottom. The "hull" was trashed, but he saved all the stuff on the boat and the engine. I still have a traditional v hull boat, but have seen that pontoons can be great boats. Hope this helps. Later,Stan.
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Old 04-13-2008, 10:34 PM   #13
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Hi Stan!

I'm still debating about the Pontoon thing. Thanks for the tips.
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Old 04-30-2008, 09:28 AM   #14
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NDJollyman - Sorry I haven't replied back to your thread. We'll have the Bennington out this weekend, so I'll take some pictures and post them for you.
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Old 04-30-2008, 03:20 PM   #15
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Very cool...thanks!
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