What's the best

[Mrtoler]

What hull will preform the best, top speed and handling

3- 25" straked tubes

2- 25" and a center 28" all 3 tubes straked

3- 28" straked tubes


The boat will be in the 25-28' range

[lakerunner]

IMO # 2

[rancherlee]

I agree, #2 but I've heard of "quirky" handling on toons with a bigger/taller center tube when crossing wakes and such at speed.

[ToonGuy]

I disagree about speed. We've all seen how the bigger an/or lower center tube can improve handling, how ever I'm not sold it offers any thing else. Look at the worlds fastest pontoon Tooned In, it sits on basically 3 stock South Bay 25" tubes with strakes. One other thing to consider is if you can find 3-28" straked tubes, you will most likely need a lift to get under the boat and work on it. On an 8.5' toon with 3-25"s there's barely enough room to get in between the tubes and run wires, under skin, etc. It can be pretty tough especially while the boat is sitting on a trailer!

[Cycleman07]

#1 ...Brad Rowlands 120mph South Bay tells me all I need to know.

This is from 2011 LOTO shootout...He hit 119 or 120 most recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJzSr3G61Bo

[pond tuuunes]

#1 ...Brad Rowlands 120mph South Bay tells me all I need to know.

This is from 2011 LOTO shootout...He hit 119 or 120 most recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJzSr3G61Bo

112 mph

[Cycleman07]

#1 ...Brad Rowlands 120mph South Bay tells me all I need to know.

This is from 2011 LOTO shootout...He hit 119 or 120 most recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJzSr3G61Bo

112 mph

Fast

[Mrtoler]

I disagree about speed. We've all seen how the bigger an/or lower center tube can improve handling, how ever I'm not sold it offers any thing else. Look at the worlds fastest pontoon Tooned In, it sits on basically 3 stock South Bay 25" tubes with strakes. One other thing to consider is if you can find 3-28" straked tubes, you will most likely need a lift to get under the boat and work on it. On an 8.5' toon with 3-25"s there's barely enough room to get in between the tubes and run wires, under skin, etc. It can be pretty tough especially while the boat is sitting on a trailer!

I feel the same way, seems to be a larger center tube would create more drag.... I do alot of VERY shallow water fishing (like from 12" on down to 6") so Im wondering how shallow these hulls will run, I know the larger center tube might reduce the shallow water capability

[Marineengineer]

Gentlemen, Something to consider. A "Racing Tri-maran" has a larger center hull and two smaller outer hulls. These boats are extremely fast and stable in a straight line run. They do not handle large wave action well at all. Not sure if you can correlate this to a tri-toon, but I think that the 3 'Same Size Logs would be a better combination. Just me 0.02 cents

[The_Hellbilly]

As someone who often beaches their toon, I'd think that a larger center tube would cause problems. I'd go with "c" because bigger is almost always better.

[Bamaman]

My old Starcraft pontoon leans to the outside in a tight corner, and the outside toon goes deep in the water--thus slowing the boat dramatically.

The reason they're now using the larger center toons is to get the boats to lean into a turn to minimize drag. Their idea is to get the outside toon completely out of the water in tight turns--thus making it handle like a full V-hull boat.

Most boats with three 25" toons will be $3K over two 25" toons. And these boats are best powered by 150 hp motors.

When you go to high performance tritoons, you'll be paying $6K more than two 25" toons. And you'll be paying another $5K or $5.5K for a 250 hp motor over a 150 hp motor--for 3-4 mph. And power steering assist is another $2,300. Total cost for better handling--$13K.

The boats with the larger center toons do handle better, but it adds substantially to the cost. I'm satisfied with the lesser performance hull.

[JohnO]

Mrtoler, you are actually asking two separate questions. Speed and handling.

I have 23" outer tubes and a 27" center tube set 5" deeper. No other pontoon on my lake handles better than I do. No one even comes close.

However, I do pay a slight speed cost for the extra depth on the center

So for speed I'd go with number 1 or number 3 (# tubes all the same size). Straight line speed they will be faster. For handling #2.

Rancherlee, While I don't hit the 5 foot wakes seen on lake of the ozarks, I have had no quirky problems with wakes at all. Hit them at 45 deg and sail right over them. Most I don't even feel. I was out in a storm once (got caught on the wrong end of the lake) and was speeding abck at full throttle. Lots of wind blown very confused rough waves. My only problem was I had to keep slowing down because the runabouts ahead of me were bouncing too much and getting in my way. I ran over the water almost as if it was smooth and they were having serious problems. The boat just handles really well.

[Bamaman]

For sheer straight line speed, Bennington's ellipital twin toons with strakes is their fastest hull.

They're maybe 2-3 mph faster than the same boat with tritoons due to less weight and drag. And ellipticals' weight carrying capability is just about the same as tritoons.

Tritoons with strakes will handle better, especially their high performance tritoon with 25" outside toons and an elliptical in the middle.

[Cycleman07]

Im guilty as everyone, but we all seem to be selling him on the brand of boat we have.

[Nautical]

Im guilty as everyone, but we all seem to be selling him on the brand of boat we have.

Worse than that you guys are making me think about fiberglass I/Os again! You mean I'm going to be paying $13k extra for only 2-3mph?