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New Bennington Carpet 'still' gets wet!

It is the difference of having a planing hull or having a displacement hull.  Without the stakes more HP gives you very little speed increase. You just make a bigger wake.  The strakes get your boat on plane which cuts the drag and gives you the speed increase. With a 24' boat and 115hp, you will need all the help you can get.  We always recommend a minimum of 150.  Doesn't matter which brand.
 
The pontoon will actually come up on plane,experience a smoother ride, and gained 4 to 5 mph. On my GPS.
 
Freddy said:
Thank you Admiral. I will look at doing that too. I just spoke to the dealer and he immediately said, "that should not be leaking through, we will fix the problem". I was pleased to hear that. I took the opportunity to tell him that I want to go ahead and add the metal sheeting all the way back...not sure he was fully on board with that idea or not. 

soon as the bottom is done I will ask about the strakes. Can you tell me what difference I can expect from the strakes?

Thank you very,  very much. I wish I had consulted this forum prior to purchase. I would have walked in the show room knowing what I wanted. Not playing catch up as I am now. 

I did get a GREAT deal on the boat since it was a left over 2014, but I hate running back and forth to the dealer. 

Thanks again,

Fred
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Did you buy from dealer in Leitchfield? If so, they will make it right. Great dealership!
 
Well hello neighbor, no I am in Linwood. I bought the boat in Glascow. I really like the dealer I used but they are a lot farther than the one up in Leitchfield. Glascow had a 2014 greatly discounted so I went that route. i really wish I had gone for three toons and a 150. Told my wife I was going to trade but she would not hear of it. So, I guess I had better just be happy.
 
I feel stupid. I kept checking the forum all day for feed-back and just realized there was a page two. Thank you all very much for the help. 

I have asked my dealer to request aluminum skin from Bennington. Hopefully it will help the ride and keep water from seeping through to the carpet. I will also ask about strakes.

Thanks,

Fred
 
Hey Jack, I was wondering about that earlier. If I would not better off just adding the center one with two strakes and not adding strakes to the outer tubes. If that would make a difference. If I add a center 2/3 tube would that change the skinning project. 
 
Freddy, one final thing...I bought my boat in 2012 and thought I did everything right but now from what I have learned from this forum and my experience the one thing I would have done differently more than anything else is that I would have bought the Yamaha 150 rather than the 115.  This is coming from a guy that rarely does more than 18mph.  Mainly due to the way my boat slogs down when I have a dozen people on it but also for when I am in a hurry to get home.   

Take a look at this thread: http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/1965-hp-and-wot/?hl=bang
 
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Link said:
Freddy, one final thing...I bought my boat in 2012 and thought I did everything right but now from what I have learned from this forum and my experience the one thing I would have done differently more than anything else is that I would have bought the Yamaha 150 rather than the 115.  This is coming from a guy that rarely does more than 18mph.  Mainly due to the way my boat slogs down when I have a dozen people on it but also for when I am in a hurry to get home.   

Take a look at this thread: http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/1965-hp-and-wot/?hl=bang
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Thanks Link, no I feel seriously underpowered. So wish I had went with the 150 but my dealer recommended the 115 as adequate. He knew I was thrifty and I guess wanted to save me a buck. Now all I want to do is trade. Maybe it's just a bad case of want and not need. 
 
Friends of ours bought a new S model with a 90HP on the back last year and had the same problem with the carpet getting wet midship.  If they just putt putted around with a light load it didn't get wet.  Faster than idle speed with a few people on board and the carpet got wet every time.  The dealer came over and fixed it with some silicone on the plywood seam that was causing the leak......not sure if it ever was fixed right but the last I knew the carpet didn't get wet anymore no matter how fast they went. 
 
Freddy, we will be out on the water all weekend in a blue 22 scwx with a merc 150 tritoon. Maybe we will see you out there.
 
Jaws said:
Freddy, we will be out on the water all weekend in a blue 22 scwx with a merc 150 tritoon. Maybe we will see you out there.
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Yes, unless the dealer has my boat, I will be out there. Ours is red, (side picture)... I will run up and look for you. No, I don't know them, at least by name. It looks like Nolin has a lot of Benningtons on her. 

Oh, I made some fellow mad at me last weekend cause I was on the wrong side of the lake.....hope that wasn't you....my wife just reminded me. 
 
Indian_Lake_Bum said:
Friends of ours bought a new S model with a 90HP on the back last year and had the same problem with the carpet getting wet midship.  If they just putt putted around with a light load it didn't get wet.  Faster than idle speed with a few people on board and the carpet got wet every time.  The dealer came over and fixed it with some silicone on the plywood seam that was causing the leak......not sure if it ever was fixed right but the last I knew the carpet didn't get wet anymore no matter how fast they went. 
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That is a beautiful boat!! That was actually the color my wife wanted when we found the one we bought. If I upgrade it will be to a three toon, with lifting strakes and 150 blue in color. same floor plan as I have now though.
 
Freddy said:
Yes, unless the dealer has my boat, I will be out there. Ours is red, (side picture)... I will run up and look for you. No, I don't know them, at least by name. It looks like Nolin has a lot of Benningtons on her. 

Oh, I made some fellow mad at me last weekend cause I was on the wrong side of the lake.....hope that wasn't you....my wife just reminded me.
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Wasn't me! We were not out last weekend. I wasn't aware there was a wrong side of the lake.
 
I see PADS coming on fast Freddy .......
 
Hi Semperfi,

I suppose I could customize and customize little by little and then maybe when my wife is not looking trade the 115 for a 150. I have read that if a boat has a full skin under deck it will add some lift, kinda like the wings on a plane. My biggest concern is does the 115 have enough power to make the lifting strakes a worth while purchase. I suppose if Bennington provides the strakes and I pay for adding them it would be worth it but I have never really been a huge fan of after market big stuff like that. 

All of you have given great advice and it seems that the overall consensus is that I purchased an under powered boat and missed some of the key features such as a third toon and lifting strakes. 
 
We know dealers are selling a price point and a 115 is adequate, if adequate means the motor will move the boat.  One of the biggest  questions on the forum is will a different prop  speed my boat up.  Most of the time it is from somebody that has a 115hp motor that the dealer told them it was good enough.  People don't buy pontoons to putt around.  They load them down with family and friends and kids want to tube.  The dealers end up with a pissed off customer that probably would have paid the extra grand or 2 to get a motor that will give them long term satisfaction and helped the resale.  

Freddy is second guessing himself because his dealer was not honest with him.  Tell the customers the truth and let them decide.   Or tell them to go on the forum and ask questions before they spend their hard earned money.  

O.K. my rant and rave is over.  I'm going to go work out and then post the old not Bennington pontoon on Craigslist.  
 
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