pontoon boats

[brin]

I bet that's a site seeing a water skier back there!

soundguy

Soundguy...If you check on what storage would be where you are going to use the Pontoon Boat..and that way you don't have to trailer it, it seems to me that would be much more enjoyable..We used to call the Marina near us and they would have our ski boat in the water by the time we got there and when we were done we just tied it up to the dock and they put it away...Takes all the work out of it..and when we had our houseboat it had it's own slip and we just went out and used it but remember there is always maintenance and repairs..and you go out to have fun not be a mechanic....

 

[Bird]

I bet that's a site seeing a water skier back there!

soundguy

Go to google and enter "pontoon boat speed record" and you'll find them that will do more than 80 mph. Most of the pontoon boats are a bit slow, but not all. I've been in a couple of bass boats doing 60 mph and that's too fast to suit me. I prefer boats that are capable of 45 mph, but most of the time 35 is as fast as I want to go. And the only pontoon boat I've spent any time on was 28' with a 50 hp engine, so about 20 mph was maximum speed.

 

[2manyrocks]

It used to be that the fishermen had small aluminum boats with small engines around here. Now they've got these bass rigs with 200HP + motors flying down the river.

Only problem is our river still has all these submerged logs floating beneath the surface......

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. 40+ mph is more than i want to do on any kind of small boat.

I'll have to hit youtube or google and see those water skiers.. will be a hoot!

soundguy

 

[Bird]

It used to be that the fishermen had small aluminum boats with small engines around here. Now they've got these bass rigs with 200HP + motors flying down the river.

Only problem is our river still has all these submerged logs floating beneath the surface......

When I was a kid, my dad used to borrow my uncle's 5 hp Evinrude and rent a little aluminum boat. Then when I was a teenager, I bought an old 14 hp Evinrude and still rented a boat. And then I was 17 when Dad bought a 14' Texas Maid Falcon with a 40 hp Evinrude; great for fishing and for pulling a surfboard. But after getting caught out on Lake Texoma in very rough water, Dad traded it for a 16' Texas Maid Fiesta with a 35 hp Evinrude; wider, deeper, and safer although a bit slower. And I remember when Johnson/Evinrude came out with a 50 hp V-4 engine; biggest outboard made.:laughing:

In 1970 I bought a new 17' aluminum Ouchita canoe, then bought a new 2 hp Johnson; great reliability and fuel consumption. I later sold the canoe and bought a 14' aluminum jon boat; still used the 2 hp Johnson. And after 8 years, I had plenty of offers to buy that 2 hp outboard for more than I paid for it, so I sold it and the jon boat and bought a one year old 15' fiberglass bass boat with a 55 hp Johnson. After three and a half years, I sold that rig for about $500 more than I had invested in it. That was the biggest outboard I've owned and it was just about fast enough.

I did have a 17' aluminum bass boat with a 50 hp Mercury for awhile about 3 years ago; sold it for just what I paid for it. And it, too, would run as fast as, or faster than, I wanted to go.

 

[mostly_gas]

I have owned 17' Larson w/ 100 hp Johnson, 18'Conquest w/150 hp Evinrude, and current have 19' Princecraft w/ 115 Mercury and 14' aluminum boat w/ 20 hp Johnson. Family members own all the way from 24' pontoon to 42' Cigarette (glad I don't buy gas for it)

 

[2manyrocks]

There were a bunch of 35 and some 40 HP Evinrudes on aluminum runabouts around here in the 60s. I restored a 58 Evinrude Lark on a Mckenzie Cherokee a few years ago that was still pretty quick--or at least quick enough for me--but the MRS. wanted something more modern. :thumbdown:

 

[foggy1111]

I have owned a boat of some sort for over 40 years. Currently we own multiple boats and have a cabin on a big lake (our third cabin over 20 years). Boats ownership is quite common here. While I do not own a pontoon....I did drive and consider buying one before buying our 23 foot Cobalt glass boat w/ 320 hp motor with counter rotating "duo" props. It WILL blow your hair back. I also have a 16' fishing boat and jet skis. All are fun to operate.

The pontoon I looked at actually was a large "tri-toon" and had an i/o engine...and would do over 55 mph!! Very smooth and powerful....and this size pontoon (as well as smaller ones) have become quite popular on our lakes here in MN. I was quite impressed with the toon....but still am drawn to a v-hull run-about.

The size your talking would be more of a 50 to 60 hp outboard model I believe. With a 4 stroke engine they are very quiet and fuel efficient. Easy to drive and nice riding...unless its real windy or high waves....and then you wont want to be on the water anyway.

Late model or new boats are extremely reliable, and efficient. I cannot remember the last time I was broke down on the water....it just doesn't happen if you take care of your equipment.

Dont let those scare posts above blow you away from days of fun on the water. From what you describe....I believe you could own a nice new toon and motor / trailer for around 20 K ?? Do some internet searches....lots of deals to be had.

 

[ultrarunner]

Good point. In my younger days, the launching ramps were nearly all free, but now the ramps on the nearest lake are $6 and $10 (or about $50 for an annual permit), depending on which city is managing those for the Corp of Engineers. And the ramps on the Lake I like best are in a state park, so entry is $5 per person in the vehicle unless you buy a $75 annual permit.

About the only place we boat is Tahoe... as a child, it was our favorite family thing to do... water skiing with the 35 Lark Evinrude FibreFlite brings back memories... 2 stokes have been banned for years so the boat just sits in the garage...

Launch fees were free... the ramp was paid for by property taxes... when the 2 stoke ban went into effect... they said they needed to hire staff to enforce it and now it costs quite a bit... the private marina also charges a lot...

$35 in and out
$30 inspection fee
$30 day fee to park trailer (City Ordinance prohibits trailer parking on public streets)

$95 for an afternoon on the lake...

 

[brin]

I have owned a boat of some sort for over 40 years. Currently we own multiple boats and have a cabin on a big lake (our third cabin over 20 years). Boats ownership is quite common here. While I do not own a pontoon....I did drive and consider buying one before buying our 23 foot Cobalt glass boat w/ 320 hp motor with counter rotating "duo" props. It WILL blow your hair back. I also have a 16' fishing boat and jet skis. All are fun to operate.

The pontoon I looked at actually was a large "tri-toon" and had an i/o engine...and would do over 55 mph!! Very smooth and powerful....and this size pontoon (as well as smaller ones) have become quite popular on our lakes here in MN. I was quite impressed with the toon....but still am drawn to a v-hull run-about.

The size your talking would be more of a 50 to 60 hp outboard model I believe. With a 4 stroke engine they are very quiet and fuel efficient. Easy to drive and nice riding...unless its real windy or high waves....and then you wont want to be on the water anyway.

Late model or new boats are extremely reliable, and efficient. I cannot remember the last time I was broke down on the water....it just doesn't happen if you take care of your equipment.

Dont let those scare posts above blow you away from days of fun on the water. From what you describe....I believe you could own a nice new toon and motor / trailer for around 20 K ?? Do some internet searches....lots of deals to be had.

What I posted was not a " scare post " foggy...It was a sincere post passing on my experience with both a 36 ft. Drifter houseboat and a 21 ft. Crestliner ski boat...I am here to tell you there is no boat , no matter how modern that does not require some form of maintenance or repair almost every time you use it no matter how well you keep it maintained. It must be since they sit on or near the water and are not used as frequently as cars or trucks...

Anyone who thinks it is a scare tactic by me or others...then go by a boat...buy several and you will find out ..2 happy days in a boaters life..the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it and anyone that is even a little honest ..that has actually owned a boat for any period of time will agree.