Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Goodmorning Everyone,
I am new to the forum, currently do not own a boat. We are looking to buy a pontoon, maybe this season, either new or gently used. Our only experience with pontoons has been via renting one when we travelled in FL(Marco, Sanibel Island, Panama City Beach) We are looking for feedback on the below:

We both work M-F, so if we do purchase, this boat will only be used on weekends/long holiday weekends April thru October. Lake Lanier(just above Atlanta GA) would be our primary lake to visit, then Nottely, Blue Ridge and Chatuge Lakes, in that order.
I like the Sun Tracker 18 DLX Party Barge with 75HP Mercury; she is concerned that this one is too small for Lanier. Looking at Sun tracker website, there is 2 FT difference the 18 DLX and 20DLX. Referencing the lakes above, will we be OK with the 18 with 75 HP?

Your feedback is much appreciated.
Randy
Southgent

If your lake has protection from high wind the 18 will be ok. Might get scary sometimes though. We have a 22 and have had a few scary moments when caught in a storm. If the lake is really big You might go bigger

First, welcome to the forum!

Since you asked, here are my thoughts.

1 - Set a budget (I assume you have already done that).

2 - Modify your use of the boat to match your budget. Busy weekends and the occasional unexpected bad weather on such a large body of water (like Lake Lanier) will not make your outing fun or relaxing with that size boat/motor. Find some other lakes that are much smaller and less busy if your budget only allows for the 18'/75HP boat.

3 - Be prepared to waste some (not much because toons hold their value well) of your initial money as you will likely fall in love with using the boat. If you end up being like me, you will likely upgrade in a couple of years to a larger boat with more HP. I started with a 20' and 90HP, moved to a 22' with 115HP, then jumped to a 23' with 150HP all in a matter of 5 years. Based on our usage (locked in lake that is 1 mile wide and 10 miles long), my sweet spot is a 23-24' tri-toon with 150HP to 225 HP. Truthfully, I didn't need anything bigger than my second boat but I like the size and power when I want (not necessarily need) it.

4 - If you consider going bigger, then you need to determine if your tow vehicle is capable of towing a larger boat.

Good luck!

Thanks guys for your feedback. Yes, we have a budget(which will allow up to the 20 FT, new), as well as truck big enough to handle the weight of the 20 DLX. We are looking, but so far have not found a good used one(which we would prefer), at this time, with value. I saw Lowe pontoons last night, at a marina in Young Harris, GA. Not thought of those before, but looking on their website last night, this may be an option as well.

Great site, thanks again and will continue to keep an eye out.

Randy
SG

I agree with the great advice already given!

We live on Cedar Creek Reservoir which is much smaller at only 51 sq miles (33,000 acres) compared to Lanier at 59 sq miles. When the wind blows hard (very common) the waves on the main lake really stand up so we do not go out there. There are times when we can still run comfortably on our little 5-mile x 1-mile branch but not on the main body of the lake. Because of the topography, I would suspect that Lanier would have many areas more protected from the wind.

I watch the weather radar, but any time the weather is questionable I stay within about 5-6 miles of my dock so that I can get home in 10-15 minutes. We have all seen weather that "came out of nowhere!"

Lake Lanier is the U.S. Government's most visited facility, and from Friday until Sunday it's very, very busy. And at almost 50,000 acres, it's a huge impoundment.

A 22' boat at a minimum is warranted on that lake. (I used to live close by Lanier.) The mountain lakes you mention up on the NC border are generally less demanding to navigate. (I keep a RV in Helen.)

We left the Atlanta area and moved to the Tennessee River where we have 650 miles of navigable water and much more stable water levels. Don't overlook Chickamauga Lake and Chattanooga as a potential lake if you live on the north side of Atlanta.

If you just want to float in the coves or beach it it's probably fine. I would not run around on Lanier without a tritoon on the weekends. Used to live in Sugar Hill two minutes from Lanier Park.

I think you would "probably" be okay with the 18 footer on your lake, but I think you would be happier and a bit more comfortable on at least a 20 footer. I regularly boat on Caddo Lake ( Louisiana & Texas ). I'ts a big lake, but not quite as big as yours. I think Caddo Lake is just under 40 square miles and around 27,000 acres. Quite a bit of boat traffic on it on the weekends. On our lake we run a 20 foot pontoon with a 75 horse Yamaha 4 stroke engine. This rig works great for us, but I wouldn't want to go any smaller.. Good luck with it all.

You won't be happy with 20-foot 75HP. Been there.

I keep my boat on Lanier on the upper lake, but I have been on the lower lake many times. I can think of no reason a 20 ft. pontoon would not work just fine. That’s what I have and it serves me well. But like any boat, use your common sense and you will likely stay out of trouble. Sure, I would love a 30 foot tri-toon with a pair of 450 racing Mercs. But let’s be realistic. That’s not really necessary on this lake for anyone who uses their brain just a bit.

Flanker wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:04 pm

You won't be happy with 20-foot 75HP. Been there.

I have to respectfully disagree. That's a matter of personal preference for the OP.... I personally have a 20 footer with a 75 hp motor and my family loves it. In my opinion it really all boils down to how the individual plans to use his boat.. If he wants to take out 10 people and ski, then I agree, a 20 footer with 75 horses won't do. But if he just wants to cruise the lake, stop and fish / swim, and it's normally just a total of 6 to 8 people, then a 20 footer would work. I wouldn't go any smaller.

Thanks everyone for your input. We just closed on a Sun Tracker party barge 20DLX with 90 HP Merc. We take delivery Feb. 6. No skiing, tubing, just cruising and beaching periodically.

We are excited, thanks again everyone for your input. Lord willing see y'all in Spring this year.
Randy

Congratulations on your new boat. I'm sure you and your family will absolutely love it. Don't forget to post some pics when you get a chance.

Agree totally with ROLAND -- Congrats on the purchase AND post pics!

Best wishes with your new girl. If you don’t mind, what part of the lake will you be on mostly. I’m on the Thompson Creek area.