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2013 2275 RCW: Upgrade my 150HP to 250HP OR trade-in the boat for a new Bennington?

Vikingstaff said:
D’oh! I did misread it originally. Boy, not my first time. Disclaimer: I did mention not having my coffee yet. Ha! ;)

After realizing the OP has the ESP already, I am totally with Daril’s advice above. Focus first on keeping your 3 pontoons clean all season. If you can add a lift into your set up, as well as Sharkhide after 100% cleaning and prepping your pontoons, I think you’d see a massive improvement in performance. Only after doing those things would I consider other options, and then I would try to get that complete top to bottom quote on repowering to 250HP IF still warranted.

Talk about me leaving a long winded response that was off track. Everything is so much more clear after having my morning coffee…:rolleyes:
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I mis read as well . Lol
 
Captain Gump said:
We did not order our boat with Sharkhide originally, and have never applied it to our pontoons. After ten years, would it still be effective to pay for that after the 'toons are cleaned and acid washed? Does it help to have Sharkhide reapplied every few seasons, or will one application last for a long time?
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Yes, I have mine reapplied every other season. Makes it easier to clean even after it wears off
 
Captain Gump said:
We did not order our boat with Sharkhide originally, and have never applied it to our pontoons. After ten years, would it still be effective to pay for that after the 'toons are cleaned and acid washed? Does it help to have Sharkhide reapplied every few seasons, or will one application last for a long time?
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So long as you prep. clean your pontoons, it is just as effective once applied as it would be on a new boat. Some have done it themselves after a few years, and others like Jack do it annually. My boat sits on Sea Legs (out of the water when not in use) and our original application is still holding up well enough to keep our toons clean to this day.

I don’t think it is as effective in brackish water based on other members feedback.

So…if you are in fairly normal or clean water, I think it could really move the dial for you. Do a search in these forums to see if it sounds worthwhile, and how others applied it per manufacturer directions. I know the phone number has been posted a couple times in other threads as well if you want to reach out to Sharkhide directly for guidance/advice/questions.
 
Captain Gump said:
We did not order our boat with Sharkhide originally, and have never applied it to our pontoons. After ten years, would it still be effective to pay for that after the 'toons are cleaned and acid washed? Does it help to have Sharkhide reapplied every few seasons, or will one application last for a long time?
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We used to have our toons power washed and acid washed. Whenever we did we reapplied Sharkhide ourself. It makes it so much easier to clean that crap off! An application will last a few seasons as long as it doesn't get rubbed off or scratched off. Even it does it can get be reapplied anytime.
 
I am noting a LOT more boats going up for sale, some at very reasonable prices (especially the 2019 models before the big price jumps), and I think after this summer - prices will really take a hit. Boat Trader has 465 Bennington's for sale - back in 2020 I don't think there were a 100. Ebay has a couple of used Mercury's for sale, google has several pages worth but most of those would be gone. I scanned all the posts, sorry if duplicated - but also to consider: the bigger engine will definitely need power steering, suggest wave tamer underbelly, and when you start to tube you really burn through gas - so the larger 52 gallon tank might be important depending on your lake and gas docks. When we are playing hard, we can easily go through a full 50 gallon tank in a day.

But, I think a new Bennington is best, if only because we LOVE to spend other people's money!
 
We bought our first Bennington in 2014, a 2575 RFI with a Johnson 90 HP on it. Only 2 toons, but we lived on a 1500 acre lake at the time and didn't need more than that (I thought at the time:cool:). We loved that pontoon, and had it for years. Fast forward to today - we moved from that lake to a town on the river, and have our 3rd Bennington with a 250 Yamaha V-Max. Totally built for our situation, and luckily we bought it at the boat show just before the Covid stuff got really going (still good discounts). To this day I still loved that 2014, but it just wouldn't be something I would put a lot of money into to build it to our new needs/wants. I really like the new seat material, the flooring options (not carpet), the blackout package, the overall look of the interior and exterior, the swingback option, ..... Yes, it cost way more than our 2014 did, but I have never regretted our decision to buy new (except maybe for the day we had to pay for it, but the first time on the water took care of that).

This years boat show seemed like the discounts were coming back some, and like mentioned above I too think that they will keep getting bigger as the supply continues to grow. If you have a good relationship with a dealer I am sure that they can give you a better feel for the direction prices will go later this year. Good luck with your decision!
 
I'm thinking if you can hold on a little longer there will be many Covid-era boats coming back to market and you can p/u a newer model at a more reasonable price. In the meantime it sounds like your existing boat probably is fine and "paid for" is tough to beat.

If you do repower consider a Suzuki as they traditionally have been a great option due to significant discount to Yam and Merc. Not sure what the dealer network is in your area but they sound relatively trouble-free.
 
Jack M said:
Andy ,visit your dealer see if the percentage off is back where it use to be .
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I take mine in at the end of March for the floor replacement. I’ll get the scoop then.
 
Capt G, I feel your pain as I have a 2375 GCW ESP with a Yammy 150 and Sea Legs. I can get it over 30 with just me onboard and the bimini down. Very interested in what you find out on the repowering front. My wife and I are currently building our "forever" house and considering what's that's costing, this may be our "forever" boat so repowering sometime in the future might be the only way I satisfy my need for speed. :cool:
 
DaveyJ said:
Capt G, I feel your pain as I have a 2375 GCW ESP with a Yammy 150 and Sea Legs. I can get it over 30 with just me onboard and the bimini down. Very interested in what you find out on the repowering front. My wife and I are currently building our "forever" house and considering what's that's costing, this may be our "forever" boat so repowering sometime in the future might be the only way I satisfy my need for speed. :cool:
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Thanks DaveyJ. I will let you know if I get a quote on repowering, and you do the same for me.
 
Speaking from past experience (2015) when there was no shortage of motors . Just going from a 150 to a 200 was close to 20K . Removing and replacing the wave shield and changing out the controls to digital. My dealer was giving a great deal on the trade ,and the new. Between the labor and controls it was just not cost effective. I am curious to hear what both of you are quoted.
 
Jack M said:
Speaking from past experience (2015) when there was no shortage of motors . Just going from a 150 to a 200 was close to 20K . Removing and replacing the wave shield and changing out the controls to digital. My dealer was giving a great deal on the trade ,and the new. Between the labor and controls it was just not cost effective. I am curious to hear what both of you are quoted.
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Hey Jack, when we purchased back in 2013, I don't remember the price difference between 150 & 200 & 250, but I do remember being told something like "every increased mile per hour will cost me an extra $1,000". Maybe not exact, but a pretty good way to measure it.
 
Maybe the answer is investing in a Sharrow prop. While it probably won’t boost overall speed significantly, it allegedly will improve performance across the board, at much less cost than a new boat or engine. Just a thought…
 
Michiman said:
Maybe the answer is investing in a Sharrow prop. While it probably won’t boost overall speed significantly, it allegedly will improve performance across the board, at much less cost than a new boat or engine. Just a thought…
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Alleged - key word! From what I've read their claims are specious at best, most of the data comes by way of paid advertisers (Boat Test) and use questionable baseline props to compare against. Throw in the fact that these things are many thousands of dollars and probably very expensive to repair and it is a gamble for sure.

But a better prop certainly could help the OP squeeze out some performance and scratch that itch. Not to mention a host of other items that could be tried before going full-repower which will certainly work but of course be the most expensive.
 
I certainly have no use for a Sharrow prop, but to be fair, they have cleaned up some of their test techniques and claims. IF the application is properly selected, the design does show significantly improved operational economy IN THE MIDRANGE. The design commonly offers little or nothing at the low end and top end (maybe some loss in certain parameters). There are also reports of reduced prop wash and prop noise...again in select applications and speeds. Also, some hulls plane at lower speed and RPM (if that matters to you). The design effectively captures some of the benefits of a ducted fan without all of the downsides.

Below is a link to some of that info. Note that the source is not totally reliable (they have been known to hype insignificant innovation). However, this article covers some useful points.

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/toroi..._term=0_65b67362bd-2fc9ee4377-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]

Most would get way better bang-for-buck from a carefully matched Mercury Enertia.
 
I'll just come out and say it, a Sharrow prop has no business being on a pontoon no matter how you slice it. It MAY have benefits for high-hour charter boats running to the gulf stream due to their significant fuel consumption and typical cruise characteristics, but for the average rec boater the payback on fuel would take many, many years.

And to your point PB an Enertia that costs 1/8th of the price will likely provide better hole shot and top speed than a Sharrow, and if you jack it up on some wood or rocks it's not going to take a specialist charging an arm and a leg to repair. I'm now even sure how you tune the edges on one.

A lot of folks in the boating world are saying this thing seems great and look at all the benefits, but in the same breath not willing to plunk down the $5K themselves. I remember in my Boy Scout days my high adventure group was perched on a 30-40 cliff thinking it was going to be so much fun jumping off. But after looking over the edge and the dark water below all anyone could say was "you first!".

Who will be the first Bennington owner to put one on? Let's see the data compared to an Enertia, ECO or Reliance for smaller engines. How does it do in the shallows, how is it for water sports, what is the actual ownership over a boating season like? I'll be more likely to believe the hype once that happens.
 
Potomacbassin’ said:
I'll just come out and say it, a Sharrow prop has no business being on a pontoon no matter how you slice it. It MAY have benefits for high-hour charter boats running to the gulf stream due to their significant fuel consumption and typical cruise characteristics, but for the average rec boater the payback on fuel would take many, many years.

And to your point PB an Enertia that costs 1/8th of the price will likely provide better hole shot and top speed than a Sharrow, and if you jack it up on some wood or rocks it's not going to take a specialist charging an arm and a leg to repair. I'm now even sure how you tune the edges on one.

A lot of folks in the boating world are saying this thing seems great and look at all the benefits, but in the same breath not willing to plunk down the $5K themselves. I remember in my Boy Scout days my high adventure group was perched on a 30-40 cliff thinking it was going to be so much fun jumping off. But after looking over the edge and the dark water below all anyone could say was "you first!".

Who will be the first Bennington owner to put one on? Let's see the data compared to an Enertia, ECO or Reliance for smaller engines. How does it do in the shallows, how is it for water sports, what is the actual ownership over a boating season like? I'll be more likely to believe the hype once that happens.
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I have done the Cliff Diving at Rick's in Negril. It's been a few years, actually quite a few. lol
 
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