Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hello group!

Current owner of a 2007 Yamaha AR230 but with step daughters that are now 16 and almost 18, the wife, kids and I are looking to upgrade into a pontoon that will allow them to take it out when I'm out of town for work, or with their friends.

currently looking at new, either Harris or Bennington, possibly Sylvan. (Harris and Sylvan lines are both sold by our marina).

We've learned a lot the past few weeks and from on line reading but would Love any tips/watch outs for buying our first pontoon!

Welcome. I've owned a Tracker and currently own a Harris, both great boats. My advice, don't do carpeting, do vinyl flooring... boat stays cleaner and is easier to clean. The rest is personal preference on seating, bimini. On the bimini, get as much coverage as you can. You can always adjust it or open it up for sun. Last tips on performance: 1) if you want to go above 25 MPH get a pontoon or tritoon with lifting strakes, 2) engines not less than a 90 HP if you want any speed at all, and last make sure you verify the engine height and propeller are correct before you let the dealer give you the boat. You can do this by posting up questions on the forums here. The general pontoon forum or the manufacturer review forum.

Dave

Welcome to the club.
Good luck with your shopping.