Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hello,

New to the forum and boating so here we go. We are wanting to get a Pontoon boat and set a limit of around $7,500 for getting into our first boat. Boats around here are hard to find and the ones in good shape are pretty high as far as I can tell.

We got a call from someone who told us of some people they know who had some health problems and wanted to get out of their payment on their boat and needed to get $7,800 out of it to pay off the loan. It is a 2005 20' Sweetwater and I do believe it is more of a fishing model as it has the swivel chairs in bow and stearn...is that right? lol please cut me some slack I am new to this.

It has a pop up dressing/porta potty on it, say's he is throwing in a barbecue that hooks on the rail (I guess lol) has stereo, the partial top they all seem to have, a full cover for the boat and a enclosure he had made that covers about half the boat, say's he paid $3,000 for it and never got a chance to use it. Has a live well etc. and I know I am leaving out some things.

Has a 40 horse Yamaha 4 stroke motor and he say's it has about 100 hours on it. Comes with trailer and it looks to be in good shape. We have not seen the boat in person yet but will this coming weekend and he is taking us out in the boat.

I have no pictures but a short video that the friends of the owners who contacted me went over and shot so here it is, can't tell a whole lot but hopefully enough you can tell me if this purchase is a good one or not. If you look at the video the right front part on the pontoon looks to have a small slice in it.

I know the boat will be slow but for now that is good enough for us and maybe someday our kids will want to tube or something but for now it's cruise, fish and relax.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKvhMhk ... e=youtu.be

Thank you for any help on figuring out if this is a good price or not,

We are in Oregon

evilstepdad

Welcome to the club.
I don't know about sweetwater pontoons, but someone here will.
This is a good place for info.

Take this for what it's worth and it's worth what you're paying for it.

In the video, everything looks pretty clean and well cared for.

All things considered, I'd think it's worth the price they're asking unless it doesn't run.

Some things to consider.

Can you trailer it somewhere, put it in the water and take it for a test cruise?

If so, find a marine mechanic and it'd be worth the money to have it checked out.

Does everything work, nothing leaks, and are the batteries in good condition?

There's no obvious holes or patches in the decking or pontoons?

Does he have any maintenance/repair records?

If so, depending on where you live, run it across a public scale and get a weight of the boat, motor & trailer. Then check the tires to ensure you're not overloaded as it is a single axle trailer.

I didn't see a depth finder or trolling motor. Those will be extra costs but you can do them later.

Also, does it come with anchor/life vests/etc. If all that is included, that makes the deal better if it runs and floats.

If all of the above checks out, I'd think it's a reasonable price.

Thanks for the replies.

He is taking us out in it this coming Saturday on a lake near him so we will get to go out on the boat.

Trailer is legal for the boat as I asked about it. Being a truck driver you think of those things lol.

If you look at the video there is what looks like a small whole in the pontoon up towards the front. He say's the motor is great but will find that out when we get there and go out on the lake.

I didn't ask but it looks like a depth/fish finder in the middle of the console but hard to make out if it really is or not. Trolling motor went bad on him so he took it off the boat.

Comes with 4 life vest and some other things I can't remember, a barbecue etc.is included.

Thanks again for all replies and the heads up on things to do and look for,

evilstepdad

Sure looks in good shape

I have the exact same toon but a couple of years older. Sweetwater is made by Godfrey and is a pretty decent watercraft. I would say median quality. Not a high end boat but not a budget craft either. It has larger diameter toons then some, upholstery quality is pretty good. The layout is great for fishing but has decent room for other use as well. Yamaha's are great motors but that 40 HP will not push you very fast. Tubing may not even be possible. I have a 50 HP merc on mine and can only do 15 -16 miles per hour with a medium load and the bimini up. Depending on use it may work for you but you will likely want more ponies in the long run. Most here will tell you to buy all the horsepower you can afford.

It is all about needs. My 50hp setup works for me. I use mine for fishing, cruising, scuba diving and a place to hang between ski sets. While this comment will offend many here, pontoons are not ski boats. It is like kissing your cousin... novelty fun at first, but when you are ready to get serious get a real ski boat-which is direction I opted for as opposed to spending more on a high HP pontoon.

Price wise, for the year it seams like a good buy if the condition is as indicated. I live in AZ and you could sell that boat for 8K in a heartbeat here during the summer months despite the minimal horsepower.

Good luck with your decision.

'bob

A few comments.

Boat appears to be in great shape. Certainly very clean for a 9 year old boat with 100 hours on it.

I see the hole that you speak of. If it is a hole, or what may be a JB Weld patch on a hole, then that is something that needs to be taken care of.

It appears the prop was used to cut some trees. Could be a bad video but appears to be chewed up. if it is chewed up then you will likely need to repair or replace. Not a big deal but factor that in. Make sure you get under the boat and look for dents and scratches in the toons.

$7800 to pay off a loan on a 9 year old boat? Did they buy it used from someone and finance it?

Yea we pretty much figured no speed demon but for now we are more interested in a nice ride around the lake and fishing so the other stuff would be for kids etc. and being it is going to be our boat then they can come along or stay home lol. Our kids do not live with us anymore they are all in their twenties and thirties.

Thanks again for the replies

evilstepdad

I think one of the first things you should consider is what or how you plan to use the boat... I have a boat very similar to the one your looking at... 20 footer / rigged for fishing / 75 hp outboard.... Realize that with a 20 foot boat you're not going to be able to take 12 to 15 people out on the lake... my boat fills comfortable with up to 6 people, 8 is okay, but more than 8, too crowded.... as stated, ours is also set up for fishing, but it still makes for a great cruising boat with plenty of comfortable seating for 6 or so people.... 40 hp will do you fine for leisurely cruising... our 75 tops out at about 23 / 24 mph wide open.... as for the price, you can always try to negotiate a lower price, especially if you have to have that toon repaired or replace the prop.... and I agree with others have said, if you can have a mechanic check out the outboard you will be money ahead.... good luck with it all, let' us know if you buy her.

As to Sweetwater and Godfrey we had a very very poor dealer(and second dealer), that did terrible work and stood behind nothing. Once we contacted Godfrey directly, they went out of their way to get us to a dealership they knew could get the problems fixed and did. We have had zero issues since then with the boat.

As to the speed thing, we had a 18ft fisher with a 50hp bigfoot.....it seemed to be overly bad, but its top speed was 12mph. We did actually take 6 adults 3 kids on it once....stopping was best done carefully, because the deck would touch water with a full throttle cut(also with those people top speed was 7 mph). We actually weren't cramped on that trip although it was foolish to try.

When we bought our 20 Avalon, We looked at the Sweet Water. We just like the lay out of the Avalon better. We have 50 HP Yamaha four stroke on our boat and does all that we want. The Sweet Water your looking at looks to be in very good shape and the price seems to fair. Good luck with your choice.

If it will fit your needs it is a good price. I have a larger pontoon. But how often do those of you who can take 10 or 12 on your boat ever do that. I don't most I have had on mine is 6 to 8 and that is plenty. Everyone who has a boat made there purchase made on needs and wants. One like you are looking at gives you both the cursing and fishing. Enjoy whatever you purchase.

Thanks for all the responses. Yes we think about the whole family going out but there are to many to do that anyway and with kids living out of town and others busy who live around here it would be hard to get a full boat. The very most we see going are 7 with most likely that number being 6.

Again, Thanks

evilstepdad

I have had a Sweetwater fishing model for about 3 years now and am very happy with the boat. It has a 60 etec on it and it goes about 20 with my wife and I, and gear on it.

I would say the price looks good, as the boat looks in pretty good shape, but like was mentioned before on here, the test on the water will be the best test for sure.

bobalong wrote:I have had a Sweetwater fishing model for about 3 years now and am very happy with the boat. It has a 60 etec on it and it goes about 20 with my wife and I, and gear on it.

I would say the price looks good, as the boat looks in pretty good shape, but like was mentioned before on here, the test on the water will be the best test for sure.

Personally, If it has a hole in one of the pontoon's, I wouldn't buy it, even if its correctly patched. It will reduce the resale value.The patch will show and your future buyer will use it to low ball your asking price... If you still want it after seeing a hole in one of the ton's.... Low ball his asking price. If he can't come down due to his high balance. Run Forest... RUN.

Rascal