Looking for a Pontoon Boat, Questions?

[clintusaf]

I'm on the hunt for a pontoon boat guys. i'm looking to ya'll for advice on do's and dont's. i was told that you could get a 30 year loan on a boat. is that true? it's not my main concern, but just wondering. i want to do everything from this boat. fish, cruise, tow, a skier, tubes.

What size motor would easily tow skiers and pull a tube?

i was thinking a 150hp or above. too much?

 

[KRISTOLSON]

If I was looking at a pontoon I would be lean toward something around 24ft., with a minimum 90 horse. 30 year I dunno if a bank would go for that, I would think the depreciation would be too high, maybe 5-8 year would be more attainable?

 

[Tail_Gunner]

I'm on the hunt for a pontoon boat guys. i'm looking to ya'll for advice on do's and dont's. i was told that you could get a 30 year loan on a boat. is that true? it's not my main concern, but just wondering. i want to do everything from this boat. fish, cruise, tow, a skier, tubes.

What size motor would easily tow skiers and pull a tube?

i was thinking a 150hp or above. too much?

I don't think I'd finance for 30 years.

If you borrow only $15,000 (not a lot for a boat w/150 hp) @7.5% for 30 years, you'll be repaying almost $38,000. The rate at which you'll be paying the loan down will be much less than which the boat will depreciate. In other words, for most of the time you will owe more than the boat is worth.

If you're going to borrow, go for a term more like that of a car loan, 4,5 or 6 years.

 

[Dogman]

One of my old bosses had a pontoon boat about 26' with like two 200 black max motors. That boat was fast. Skiing no problems, well sorta your arm would feel like the were almost pulled out of joint. One of the only boats I could not pull to a stop slaloming behind. Did bust a few Ski's....LOL

 

[clintusaf]

yeah, i would never finance it for 30 years. i was just trying to find out if its true. would a 100 hp motor do the job?

 

[Dogman]

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[Zmann ARGH]

I pulled a second out on my house 7 years ago to buy my boat ,, payments were good , intrest rate was good and it is a tax write off ,, you will never find a bank to do a 30 on just a boat IMHO

 

[Zmann ARGH]

I owe a few more payments and I am done .. ps your hull should have an HP rating and capacity size ,,

 

[KRISTOLSON]

I see people pull skiers and tubes all the time with 90's and 100's. It seems to work good for them. Might not pull up a big boy slalom skier....

If you want to get serious about watersports I would get the 150 or better, but I think if you were that serious about watersports, you would be looking at a different boat entirely...

In my opinion anything around 100 is a good all around engine, and it is the last stop before another big jump in price.

Last time I looked It seemed like the mercury optimax was one of the best 2 strokes for power and fuel economy, if you are looking at a four-stroke it is hard to beat the honda. and oooh so quiet!

 

[BIG JOE]

I'm on the hunt for a pontoon boat guys. i'm looking to ya'll for advice on do's and dont's. i was told that you could get a 30 year loan on a boat. is that true? it's not my main concern, but just wondering. i want to do everything from this boat. fish, cruise, tow, a skier, tubes.

What size motor would easily tow skiers and pull a tube?

i was thinking a 150hp or above. too much?

Clint, When you say "Pontoon Boat", do you mean the ones with Aluminum Pontoons (Logs) or a split V fiberglass job ? If it's the Aluminum kind, I've had 4, in the past 20 years.

The 2 most recent were..

A 24 foot Party Barge with a 115 hp Merc (POS). It would pass everything but the Marina gas pump, would pull anything.. multiple skiers, tubes.. even an 8 person Serpent looking thing. Couldn't troll with it more than an hour.. cuz it would Load Up'n crap out. Not good for Fishing. Sold it.

In 03 I skinnied down to a 20 foot G3 Fisher.. has a 75 hp 4 stroke Yamaha.. GREAT motor, quiet... I halfta look at the Tach or water.. to see if its running while trolling. VERY economical too. Will pull 2 skiers, Tubes but not Yahoo fast, maybe 30 MPH.

The "Beach Ladies" don't wave at me anymore.. cuz it aint Big & Cool, but theze dayz, I'm more concerned about the number and size of the Fish.. I have in the Live well it has onboard.

JMO but get at least Half, At or Near, the Max HP, for the length & wieght that is recommended by the Maker. And get a GOOD 2 axle trailor.. not the POS thing that usually comes with those "Packages". The trailor needs to be stonger than the boat. If not ? the boat Flex's with the trailor.. Not Good.. in time.

Joe