On Feb 16, 12:36*pm, wrote:
Well, the Columbia, SC boat show was this past weekend, and my wife
has been after me to buy a new boat, so we went on Saturday. *I had no
intention of pulling the trigger, but they were dealing on the '08
models.

I bought a Premier pontoon with their PTX performance package and a
225 Yamaha four stroke. *The boat is not rigged yet, and depending on
a conversation with the dealer tomorrow I may bump it to a 250. *I
want it to be a mid to upper 40mph boat, and want to make sure the
motor will get it there.

The PTX package is pretty amazing as well. *Check out the video at:http://www.pontoons.com/ptx_performa...vantage_video/

Modern pontoon boats are nothing like your grandpa's pontoon. *Now
they'll run, turn, and perform pretty much like a conventional boat,
and still offer the best ride on the lake. *However, if you want to
spend well over $50k on one it's pretty easy to do so.

Funny thing... I know the dealer we bought it from, and all the
salemen that work there. *When we walked up to the Premier boats and
started looking, a lady I didn't know came over to show them to us.
She only had to speak a few words and we knew she wasn't a local. *It
turned out to be Betty Menne, the wife of Bob Menne, the owners of
Premier Boats. *Really nice lady. *They're located in Minnesota, and
when I remarked that she was lucky to get to come to a warm spot for a
show, she laughed and said "That's because I make the show schedule!"

I bought a Premier pontoon with their PTX performance package and a
225 Yamaha four stroke.

Whats the length? I haven't seen any in our area, the water is usually
too rough for them.

On Feb 16, 4:30*pm, wrote:
On Feb 16, 12:36*pm, wrote:





Well, the Columbia, SC boat show was this past weekend, and my wife
has been after me to buy a new boat, so we went on Saturday. *I had no
intention of pulling the trigger, but they were dealing on the '08
models.

I bought a Premier pontoon with their PTX performance package and a
225 Yamaha four stroke. *The boat is not rigged yet, and depending on
a conversation with the dealer tomorrow I may bump it to a 250. *I
want it to be a mid to upper 40mph boat, and want to make sure the
motor will get it there.

The PTX package is pretty amazing as well. *Check out the video at:http://www.pontoons.com/ptx_performa...vantage_video/

Modern pontoon boats are nothing like your grandpa's pontoon. *Now
they'll run, turn, and perform pretty much like a conventional boat,
and still offer the best ride on the lake. *However, if you want to
spend well over $50k on one it's pretty easy to do so.

Funny thing... I know the dealer we bought it from, and all the
salemen that work there. *When we walked up to the Premier boats and
started looking, a lady I didn't know came over to show them to us.
She only had to speak a few words and we knew she wasn't a local. *It
turned out to be Betty Menne, the wife of Bob Menne, the owners of
Premier Boats. *Really nice lady. *They're located in Minnesota, and
when I remarked that she was lucky to get to come to a warm spot for a
show, she laughed and said "That's because I make the show schedule!"

I bought a Premier pontoon with their PTX performance package and a
225 Yamaha four stroke.

Whats the length? I haven't seen any in our area, the water is usually
too rough for them.

It's a 25 footer. It's usually just the two of us, with another
couple or two joining us from time to time, so that's plenty big.

Our lake actually has some big water, with the one of the main
sections being about 2 x 6 miles, so when the wind picks up it can get
fairly rough and will whitecap. I wouldn't want to be out in a
standard two-tube pontoon in that, but you'd be surprised at how well
a tritoon will deal with it. Not only does it actually plane instead
of plowing, it also rides very well with minimal pounding. Of course
it's no ocean-going boat. Charleston Harbor is as close as it will
ever get.

On Feb 16, 4:16*pm, wrote:


It's a 25 footer. *It's usually just the two of us, with another
couple or two joining us from time to time, so that's plenty big.

Our lake actually has some big water, with the one of the main
sections being about 2 x 6 miles, so when the wind picks up it can get
fairly rough and will whitecap. *

That sounds like my favorite lake. Carlyle in S. Illinois.

There's plenty of the bigger pontoons that go out, but if you see an
older one, it's usually loaded down with partiers

On Feb 16, 7:07*pm, Tim wrote:
On Feb 16, 4:16*pm, wrote:



It's a 25 footer. *It's usually just the two of us, with another
couple or two joining us from time to time, so that's plenty big.

Our lake actually has some big water, with the one of the main
sections being about 2 x 6 miles, so when the wind picks up it can get
fairly rough and will whitecap. *

That sounds like my favorite lake. Carlyle in S. Illinois.

There's plenty of the bigger pontoons that go out, but if you see an
older one, it's usually loaded down with partiers

Well, the newer ones are too. But there's a guy out there that has a
28 ft. Sanpan, ad it's about as crusty as one can imagine,and there's
always a load of g-string chicks and beer bellys on it. So much so,
that the 40 hp merc. cant seem to hardly push it. (So it seems)

but they always seem to make it from one end of the lake to another
regardless of wind and waves.

I suppose the only concern they have is if the keg runs dry.

Tim wrote:
On Feb 16, 7:07 pm, Tim wrote:
On Feb 16, 4:16 pm, wrote:



It's a 25 footer. It's usually just the two of us, with another
couple or two joining us from time to time, so that's plenty big.
Our lake actually has some big water, with the one of the main
sections being about 2 x 6 miles, so when the wind picks up it can get
fairly rough and will whitecap.
That sounds like my favorite lake. Carlyle in S. Illinois.

There's plenty of the bigger pontoons that go out, but if you see an
older one, it's usually loaded down with partiers

Well, the newer ones are too. But there's a guy out there that has a
28 ft. Sanpan, ad it's about as crusty as one can imagine,and there's
always a load of g-string chicks and beer bellys on it. So much so,
that the 40 hp merc. cant seem to hardly push it. (So it seems)

but they always seem to make it from one end of the lake to another
regardless of wind and waves.

I suppose the only concern they have is if the keg runs dry.



G-string chicks...the cure for an ailing economy.

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:43:53 -0500, wrote:

Sort of like this huh?
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/the_butt_ugly.jpg

Where did you find all that water up your way ?

:-)

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:20:58 -0500, wrote:

Where did you find all that water up your way ?


It's only about 1-2' deep right there, gets closer to 4-5 out in the
middle.. That is the wide part of the river, next to the scrub park..

Do you know the approximate lat/lon? I've looked at the Estero River
on Google Earth and I still can't figure out how you guys get up there
at all. I'll have to try it with the runabout some time on a
*really* high tide.

On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:45:16 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:44:16 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:20:58 -0500, wrote:

Where did you find all that water up your way ?


It's only about 1-2' deep right there, gets closer to 4-5 out in the
middle.. That is the wide part of the river, next to the scrub park..

Do you know the approximate lat/lon? I've looked at the Estero River
on Google Earth and I still can't figure out how you guys get up there
at all. I'll have to try it with the runabout some time on a
*really* high tide.

I am really just starting to play with Google Earth.
leepa.org has better pictures and I have some nice IR false color
images on my web site gfretwell.com/aerials that are real good looks
at the bottom. (deep water is cooler than shallow water). Look at the
1999 .TIFs. They are from USGS

Guys come up here with 32' offshore center consoles and the tour
operator has a 52' pontoon they run up here.
If you can get past #30 on the channel coming in you can make it up
the river.
There are places with white sticks. Stay next to the first one, then
steer to the second one
The first one is N26.26.7 W81.51.1
The second is N26.26.1 W81.50.43
If you look at the aerial you will see the bars and the water flow you
are following.
The picture was shot around N26.26.17 W81.50.29

If you really want a jungle cruise ride go north at
N26.26.11 W81.51.11 and take that little creek out to Rocky Bay
That is the way we go out on crowded days.
You can see that when you get to Rocky Bay you have to hug the
mangrove until you clear that bar.
Another nice "poke" back in the sticks is Mud Creek N26.26.54
W81.51.21 and up around the bend.
There is a loop down at N26.25.27 W81.51.51 that comes out down by
Weeks N26.24.43 W81.50.49

Thanks, good information !

On Feb 16, 7:43*pm, wrote:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:18:15 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:



On Feb 16, 7:07*pm, Tim wrote:
On Feb 16, 4:16*pm, wrote:

It's a 25 footer. *It's usually just the two of us, with another
couple or two joining us from time to time, so that's plenty big.

Our lake actually has some big water, with the one of the main
sections being about 2 x 6 miles, so when the wind picks up it can get
fairly rough and will whitecap. *

That sounds like my favorite lake. Carlyle in S. Illinois.

There's plenty of the bigger pontoons that go out, but if you see an
older one, it's usually loaded down with partiers

Well, the newer ones are too. But there's a guy out there that has a
28 ft. Sanpan, ad it's about as crusty as one can imagine,and there's
always a load of g-string chicks and beer bellys on it. So much so,
that the 40 hp merc. cant seem to hardly push it. (So it seems)

but they always seem to make it from one end of the lake to another
regardless of wind and waves.

I suppose the only concern they have is if the keg runs dry.

Sort of like this huh?http://gfretwell.com/electrical/the_butt_ugly.jpg

just about, only 28' and loaded to the deck.

On Feb 16, 9:51*pm, Tim wrote:
On Feb 16, 7:43*pm, wrote:





On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:18:15 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

On Feb 16, 7:07*pm, Tim wrote:
On Feb 16, 4:16*pm, wrote:

It's a 25 footer. *It's usually just the two of us, with another
couple or two joining us from time to time, so that's plenty big.

Our lake actually has some big water, with the one of the main
sections being about 2 x 6 miles, so when the wind picks up it can get
fairly rough and will whitecap. *

That sounds like my favorite lake. Carlyle in S. Illinois.

There's plenty of the bigger pontoons that go out, but if you see an
older one, it's usually loaded down with partiers

Well, the newer ones are too. But there's a guy out there that has a
28 ft. Sanpan, ad it's about as crusty as one can imagine,and there's
always a load of g-string chicks and beer bellys on it. So much so,
that the 40 hp merc. cant seem to hardly push it. (So it seems)

but they always seem to make it from one end of the lake to another
regardless of wind and waves.

I suppose the only concern they have is if the keg runs dry.

Sort of like this huh?http://gfretwell.com/electrical/the_butt_ugly.jpg

just about, only 28' and loaded to the deck.

There's a homemade pontoon on the lake here. It's got to be 20'x40',
with 6 or 8 pontoon logs under it. There's a basic rail running
around it, a 10'x10' yard shelter erected on it, and maybe a 40hp on
the rear. Add a bunch of plastic chairs, and you get the idea. I've
seen it out a few times, but I know where it's docked. as well. I'll
have to get a couple of pictures of it next time we're out.