Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

What pontoon boat is recommended for me to use on on Barnegat Bay in New Jersey. What size and what HP?
Thanks.

IMO, a 3 log boat, at least 22' but 25' would be better with at least a 150 on the back. Some sort of performance package wouldn't hurt either. We used to live in NJ so I'm familiar with the area.

If you have to settle for a single motor, buy the biggest one you can afford.

Depends on what u r using it for. Me I just purchased a 2013. Xcursion RFC x23 plenty of room for lounging and a great rear fishing center with two chairs fishing station live well tackle station two rod holder and two drink holders also a place for storing 4 extra rods

Playcraft with all the power you can afford

a Manitou tritoon of course.

Gonefishing wrote:Depends on what u r using it for. Me I just purchased a 2013. Xcursion RFC x23 plenty of room for lounging and a great rear fishing center with two chairs fishing station live well tackle station two rod holder and two drink holders also a place for storing 4 extra rods

I will second the Xcursion, but seeing how I have one, you know I would say that. It is a nice pontoon as most are.

Or a Bennington, #1 on the market with a 7 year warranty and a company that's customer driven.

I don't know if this will help you or not. We have a 24.3 StarCraft Party Barge. Wide open at 5 ,000 rpms on a Mercury 90 hp oil injected will get too 22.6 mph with four adults an board.Now this in the upper Chesapecke bay ,Not in calm waters.Holds 14 adults.Plenty of seating room.cup holders all over the boat.At least 10. When I'm in the Channel and I see another pontoon boat in front of me ,very soon I'm passing them. This boat is big and stable.

Silver Eagle wrote:I don't know if this will help you or not. We have a 24.3 StarCraft Party Barge. Wide open at 5 ,000 rpms on a Mercury 90 hp oil injected will get too 22.6 mph with four adults an board.Now this in the upper Chesapecke bay ,Not in calm waters.Holds 14 adults.Plenty of seating room.cup holders all over the boat.At least 10. When I'm in the Channel and I see another pontoon boat in front of me ,very soon I'm passing them. This boat is big and stable.

We are thinking of 22 ' with a 90 HP motor and deciding between new Bennington and Sweetwater. Both are sold within 25 miles of here. the Bennington is quite a bit more expensive but comes with 32 " eliptical pontoons. Your water is probably a bit rougher than even mine. Do you have the 25" standard size pontoons with or without strakes?

thanks Silver Eagle!

For $600 difference, go ahead and get the 115 hp on any boat used in "big water." It's good money spent.

Always good to get the most motor you can afford, but not sure if I would call it big water. If you head out to the ocean that's a different story. I remember that bay being pretty long but not that wide.

speaking from experience, the BEST toon to buy is one that you will USE.

I'm thinking you need a Premier S-series, with dual windshields and a 310 horsepower Verado. Kinda like mine! Make ya a hell of a deal!

Not the Biggest company, but the inventor of the Tritoon was, JC Mfg CO. We spent all of summer 2011 testing pontoon boats and JC came to the top for us. Built like battleships and available with big power, they fit the bill for us coming out of Baja and Scarab, Fountain etc...we wanted the room and a toon that was at home in big water! The JC 23 sporttoon with a 250 Etec was just right for us. We liked the Manitou, premier and Bennie also ,but the JC did a better job softening the pontoon look with the fiberglass nose and aft treatment, also kinda tucking the outboard in. To a sport boater, it looked great..turns on a dime, and with the 250 Etec will do52.5mph on GPS with a light load..51.8 with 3/4 tank and 3 people. The Evinrude ETEC is the only way to go,we found for Max performance, as the Honda, Merc and susuki 4 strokes all ran in the 46 to49 mph[merc verado prem fuel was 50mph]. We get 3.1 mpg at 3500 rpm with19pitch prop. We just love it!