Another Pontoon Covert!

[Old Machinist]

Hello Everyone,
A former 20ft VIP Bowrider owner with bad knees and wife with bad back! Just came back from the final sea trial for our new unit. A 2008 Premier 235 Escapade RE with the PTX performance option and an 08 Honda 225HP outboard. Boy to coin a phase that is being used at boat shows all over now "it's not your grandpaw's pontoon" I saw a demo video at the Tulsa boat show last year and was just blown away watching a pontoon bank around a bouy with the outside toon about 2 foot out of the water! It took a year of Oklahoma winds to finally push me to the decision. We could not get out in anything over 15 mph wind without being beat to death on the way to trying to find some smooth water. Living in Broken Arrow we have about 4 lakes within an 1.5 hour drive and the closest one (Fort Gibson) is 35 min from the enclosed storage to being on the water. We would get ready to go and the way my crew gets around, early is about 2PM. Worst part of the day for wind. Get there, launch and watch my wife flinch everytime we hit a wave. Then climing out at docks was a major ordeal. I really like the stepping straight onto the dock! The Honda is just amazing, I find myself having to look at the tach to make sure I don't try to restart it. Half full of fuel (a 52 gal tank) just my wife and Tom the sales man, we hit GPS speed of 46 MPH at 5800 PRM. Motor seems a little tight still as it only has about 4 hours on it. Looking foward to a great summer!!!

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Another Pontoon Covert!

Congrats on a great boat. I already know that proper break in of the motor was skipped LOL. You will love your Honda though.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Another Pontoon Covert!

owner with bad knees, that is one reason i bought mine.

 

[smclear]

Re: Another Pontoon Covert!

Congratulations on your purchase. You will certainly enjoy it. My pontoon has become my favorite boat in the last few years!

 

[curtiscapk]

Re: Another Pontoon Covert!

Welcome aboard!

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Another Pontoon Covert!

I was just about to buy a 19' Scout when one ride on mu folks 18' pontoon boat changed my mind. I ended up getting a 20' pontoon and have never regretted not getting the Scout; even though mine does perform nearly as well as yours. You got a heck of a boat!!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Another Pontoon Covert!

I would never give up my fishing boat but in the summer I will use company boats and they are really nice, the ride is unbelievable, running over 3' waves at 40+ mph as smooth as can be, you would need a spine transplant if you ran that fast in my boat.

Alot of people think toons are for old retired people that want to putt around the lake at no wake but they are extremely versatile boats that can fit almost any situation.

The last one I had out was a 25' top deck I/O, what a blast jumping in off the top deck, the kids loved it(my 3 daughters and a bunch of there freinds)
Premiere is a nice boat, I am sure you will be very happy with it.

 

[Old Machinist]

Re: Another Pontoon Covert!

Yes I figured the break in was already done before I got on board! This Honda was already rigged up in early 08. I neglected to notice that when we first looked at it on the lot. I saw that the motor did not have a prop and I "assumed" that meant it had not been in the water. I did look all over under the ship and if they had cleaned it they did a GREAT JOB of it.

The top end runs were only up to max RPM and did not stay there when reached. I mostly wanted to make sure if I wanted a prop change out that I got that written into the sales deal. In the past with other things I now know that if it is not on paper, the promise that "we will take care of that" is only as good as the paper it was written on!! I did find out something that is not as easy as my VIP was. Loading in a 30 MPH cross wind!! I took several shots then the saleman took over, he ended up poping one of the u-bolts holding the inside bunk guides off. We had to do a touch and go on the dock and I unbolted the rest of that guide so we did not scrape up the toon. I ended up walking onto the trailer and setting the front of the ship in the guides. I then bailed off and he powered up on the trailer. I was already thinking on the way home about moving the bunk guides to where they were at the back of the trailer instead of the middle. That way I am thinking would capture the inside of the toons before they landed solidly on the bottom bunks. I was then thinking about putting 2 sets of rollers kind of like they use on some of the bass boat trailers on the outside. Again setting them toward the back half of the trailer. The last thing is a full can of Llquid Roller Bunk spray. Last time I used that on my VIP trailer I almost ran over the nose roller at idle speed! It really made a major difference in loading and unloading the boat. The guy at the boat store made a point to tell me to NOT pull the boat up the ramp WITHOUT the nose strap hooked. I figured he was just pitching me a line, boy was he right I only hooked it and left a little slack in it. Glad I did set the ratchet lock! I had to back it back down the ramp to pull it up tight.
Now I have to get some pictures and figure out how to post them in my profile!