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SOB · 08-17-2009, 05:27 PM

I bought my first pontoon boat last year. 20 foot Bennington, its the 2075GL model. 50 HP Yamaha 4 stroke. other option was a 90 HP, but all you gained was about 4 mph. The gas usage is minimal on these motors.

As for what brand to buy, Bennington is rated very well. I went to the boat shows and sat on 4 or 5 brands and the quality is obvious from one to the next brand. If you want to get one this year then hit the showrooms and sit on them, take some test drives even if you dont want to buy one this year.

PDB Magazine is great, if you subscribe they send you a "new models" review issue. They probably have a lot to review online as well.

As for room on a pontoon boat like I said I have a 20 ft model and I can fit about 7 people tops. It is also rated at 7 people max. Generally I have 4 or 5 people max so it works out. Keep in mind once you stop people can sit on the sunbed, sit on the front and read platforms etc, so it really opens up then.

So size and motor should come first, then get an idea on brands based on what options you want. I am very pleased with the Bennington brand, but I have seen many other brands that looked nice as well, and I would buy them without question.

Let me know if you have any questions as I did all the homework last year on this topic.

08-17-2009, 05:27 PM	#5
SOB Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pawtucket, RI Posts: 31 Thanks: 3 Thanked 12 Times in 3 Posts	Pontoon I bought my first pontoon boat last year. 20 foot Bennington, its the 2075GL model. 50 HP Yamaha 4 stroke. other option was a 90 HP, but all you gained was about 4 mph. The gas usage is minimal on these motors. As for what brand to buy, Bennington is rated very well. I went to the boat shows and sat on 4 or 5 brands and the quality is obvious from one to the next brand. If you want to get one this year then hit the showrooms and sit on them, take some test drives even if you dont want to buy one this year. PDB Magazine is great, if you subscribe they send you a "new models" review issue. They probably have a lot to review online as well. As for room on a pontoon boat like I said I have a 20 ft model and I can fit about 7 people tops. It is also rated at 7 people max. Generally I have 4 or 5 people max so it works out. Keep in mind once you stop people can sit on the sunbed, sit on the front and read platforms etc, so it really opens up then. So size and motor should come first, then get an idea on brands based on what options you want. I am very pleased with the Bennington brand, but I have seen many other brands that looked nice as well, and I would buy them without question. Let me know if you have any questions as I did all the homework last year on this topic.