Can I ask for some advice?

[robster]

The 2012 Manitou pontoons will be out soon,here's a sneak preview.

http://www.facebook.com/ManitouPontoons

For the money,performance,fit and finish,customer satisfaction and overall looks Manitou was the choice for us. We love our Manitou and we definitely are Manitou fanboys,we've owned two I/O runabouts in the past and will NEVER go back to a I/O.

Cheers,
Robert

[Ron Burgundy]

Man why are your rear rollors guides so far from the inside of the pontoon? mine where like this and made the boat not load correctly sometimes. I moved them out and now I can load it is 20 sec and be gone!!! Just sayin

It's on my list of future upgrades.

That photo isn't my boat unfortunately. I took this photo at a local boat show to help me out if I decide to tackle this project in the future. That's a new trailer so I am guessing that they just haven't moved the guides from factory position. My boat is in the water so I can untie the bow lines in 5 sec and be gone!!! Just teasin'

Ron Burgundy: forgive my ignorance, but is skinning to keep water from hitting the cross members and slowing down, or for keeping water off the bottom of the floor? Does it lend itself to wet wood, since air can't get to both sides of the floor?

You ain't ignant foo! You be askin' questions to be smarter yo. You are correct that the skinning's purpose is to keep the water from hitting the crossmembers and slowing you down. Like where you plan to boat I am currently in fairly rough water out in the Gulf, and the waves/chop can slow me down substantially when they keep slamming up against my crossmembers.

Someone else in this forum asked the same question about wet wood due to lack of air circulation. Since I don't have this option I can't say for sure, but it makes sense to me that if the underskinning keeps the wood dry from the bottom as it should, and you have vinyl instead of carpet (an option I also strongly recommend) your wood will not get wet from above either. Perhaps someone with underskinning will chime it to better answer this question. I am curios about this also.

Playcraft has foam filled tubes. Not sure if I like that or not. Should the toon have an issue, wouldn't that make it hard to weld a patch? Is that the right way to fix a toon? Thoughts?

Welding is the corrct way to fix a toon. Unfortunately I know this from first hand experience. Can't speak to the foam filled 'toons, but they would make me feel safer knowing that you won't sink if you had severe damage (hitting rocks) on your pontoons.

[brianD]

Ron: I hope you don't mind, but I stole your quote. Very cool and accurate!!
"The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea. Isak Dinesen"

The trailer pic brings up a good question. How are Toons to trailer? I would guess they catch wind pretty easily. How many axles should I have for a 26' Tri?

[GregF]

I figured out that if I used a ball carrier that keeps the bow down it creates down force at speed and the boat trails a whole lot better. The faster you go, the higher the tongue load.

[GXPWeasel]

Ron: I hope you don't mind, but I stole your quote. Very cool and accurate!!
The trailer pic brings up a good question. How are Toons to trailer? I would guess they catch wind pretty easily. How many axles should I have for a 26' Tri?

Pontoons definitely trailer different that bow riders do. For one, they almost always weigh less, so the wind will blow them side to side a little bit easier. Number two, they catch a lot more wind. My 26 footer only weighs about 3500 lbs with trailer, but it pulls like it weighs 5,000 lbs or more in the wind of the highway. Now I'm sure a taller truck would help this out, but that's what mine does, with a lowered truck. I have a 1/2 ton truck with a 5.3L V8 though, and it's enough to pull a 26 footer pretty easily. Any time there is a trailer with that size of boat, it should have 2 axles, no questions about it. Plus, it should also have brakes on at least 1 axle, just to make a quick stop a Non-issue.

Good luck in your search.

[brianD]

Well the deed is done. I'll post pics, but I picked up a 2006 Landau Excalibur 2700 with a 225 Suzi (with 50 hours) for a great price, and the trailer is being built as we speak (tandem axle with brakes on both axles) . Being from Missouri, it's kind of nice that the boat and trailer manufacturer are just a couple hours down the road should I need them.

I wanted a Manitou, but I couldn't pass this up. The owner is moving to Florida, and needed it gone, and the price was less than half a Manitou. Now I can afford GAS

As a side note, Landau responded quickly and quite informatively (I think that's a word ) to my inquiries of that boat. I gave them the HIN and they told me when it was sold, by whom, where, what the options were, and any history that they had. They've sent me the original brochure from 2006, and documentation on care and feeding of my new boat. So far I'm impressed!

Thanks to all for the opinions, thoughts, and advice.

[Ron Burgundy]

Congrats! Lookin' forward to the pics.

[curtiscapk]

Nice! Yes pics. Where in MO? Adjust your sig. so we know where you be... Hell might almost be neighbors....

[STEVEBRENDA]

Sounds like you can't go wrong, congratulations!!

Let the party begin.

[brianD]

Here's some pics! Can't wait to bring her home!

Double Bimini

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Looking Aft

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Looking Forward

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Fridge and sink - and a pair of fishing seats the previous guy added.

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[curtiscapk]

nice is that loto?

[brianD]

Yep, Missouri's own thrashing, smashing inland sea...

[bassn386]

From the pics it looks well cared for. Good maintenance is so important; the boat looks brand new.
Best of luck!

[captainjack]

Nice looking boat I bought that exact model new in 05 with a 225 honda! Nice boat be careful in rough water I blew th front off! An I believe in 06 they redesigned where the engine mounts cause the 05 an older cracked all the time with 225hp. Nice looking boat really looks like they took care of it!

[ROLAND]

Brian, congratulations on the new toon... looks like you got a great boat... she looks like she was well cared for... think I saw on one of your posts you live in st. louis.... my old stomping grounds. I was born and raised in Granite City....not much there but a steel mill... i've been gone from there for 25 years but it';s still home... spent many a night and a lot of money over the years at Busch Stadium.... again, congrats on the new toon..