Michiman
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the heads-up but our Benny is about 150 miles to the north. However, if it gets too bad for me to stand, I'll figure out a way to get it downstate.
Fear I bought the wrong model!
- Thread starter Slainte
- Start date
Thanks for the heads-up but our Benny is about 150 miles to the north. However, if it gets too bad for me to stand, I'll figure out a way to get it downstate.
Michiman
Well-Known Member
That's encouraging! Unfortunately, I won't actually get to see my boat until the end of June but I know it won't be shiny like when I purchased it. My dealer won't shine them up or apply sharkskin, so I'm hoping to find someone else in the area that might. However, like you said, maybe the acid wash won't look so bad after all.
Steve21slx
Well-Known Member
I have a 21 SLX which has the deck on the front but not so much on the back. I could see where that have a deck on the back could give you the box look on the water. With the 21 SLX you lose that look because you don't have the big deck on the back. Hopefully you get it all straightened out. I bet though once your in the boat you'll never notice what it looks like from outside the boat!! 
lakeliving
Well-Known Member
Time to relax and enjoy the ride!
Indian_Lake_Bum
Well-Known Member
Our boat is a gsr2250 (a 22 foot model) but it actually measures a tad over 24 foot bow to stern then add the motor to the length and we are now roughly 25+. Granted we have both decks extended and after having them we wouldn't trade for the world. Our parents/grand parents are older and like the longer deck out front for boarding from our docks and we love the extended stern at the sandbar. It's a great place to keep the cooler and sunscreen as well as tubes and rafts.
Glad I found this thread! I have similar question I guess. Not really a problem. I LOVE MY BENNY! Although I do have a question for this highly intelligent informative group, who I know will have the answer.....or at least fake it enough to sound good! Kidding!!
I bought a '15 20SLX. It was a "showroom" boat since '15. Never seen water. The Benny rep says Bennington measures the boat by the rails, not bow to stern deck size. My 2015 20SLX, 2 toons, measures 24 ft. from tip of bow to stern. Appox. 2' 6" of bow space and the stern is a few inches wider. You could actually lay down and sunbath on either end of the boat. So standing back looking at the boat it does look like a small playpen sitting on a big honkin' deck! So if my deck size is 24 feet long...why isn't the boat registered as a 24 foot. If they made a boat with a 30 foot deck and stick a 20 foot play pen on it...is it measured as a 20 foot boat? Say they build a 30 foot deck and stick a 10 foot play pen on it. It certainly can't be considered a 10 foot boat! And the engine has to still push around all that deck....24 feet of it. Yet the boat is rated as 20ft. Can someone please explain this too me. Not complaining in any way! I LOVE MY BENNY. I love having the extra decking at bow and stern. Other pontoon owners have come over to see my "Benny", they love the extra deck space, their models don't have that. I've been next to SUnTracker 20's and my Benny is huge compared to them. But after I measured the boat I wondered why it isn't rated as a 24 foot? The boat is 24 feet long...EOS.
I bought a '15 20SLX. It was a "showroom" boat since '15. Never seen water. The Benny rep says Bennington measures the boat by the rails, not bow to stern deck size. My 2015 20SLX, 2 toons, measures 24 ft. from tip of bow to stern. Appox. 2' 6" of bow space and the stern is a few inches wider. You could actually lay down and sunbath on either end of the boat. So standing back looking at the boat it does look like a small playpen sitting on a big honkin' deck! So if my deck size is 24 feet long...why isn't the boat registered as a 24 foot. If they made a boat with a 30 foot deck and stick a 20 foot play pen on it...is it measured as a 20 foot boat? Say they build a 30 foot deck and stick a 10 foot play pen on it. It certainly can't be considered a 10 foot boat! And the engine has to still push around all that deck....24 feet of it. Yet the boat is rated as 20ft. Can someone please explain this too me. Not complaining in any way! I LOVE MY BENNY. I love having the extra decking at bow and stern. Other pontoon owners have come over to see my "Benny", they love the extra deck space, their models don't have that. I've been next to SUnTracker 20's and my Benny is huge compared to them. But after I measured the boat I wondered why it isn't rated as a 24 foot? The boat is 24 feet long...EOS.
Alicedream
Well-Known Member
In my opinion, the whole LOA (length overall) is a huge hair ball with Bennington. You have many owners who think the number on the boat equates to the length of the boat. My boat is a 23 RCW however-the LOA is approximately 25'. The title indicates 23'4" which is the length of the pontoons. Bottom line a true LOA is from furthest point on bow to furthest point on stern. The only time it really matters is for boat slip considerations in my opinion. With this boat, I knew I needed to move from my current marina to get a covered slip that covered the whole boat including motor. I have a 28' foot slip and it is perfect.
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Steve21slx
Well-Known Member
Hey that is what we are here for!!!
If it's actual pontoon length....I am still in a quandary. My toons are as long as the deck. 24 ft. My title says 20.03'. And believe me, I am not complaining at all! I feel like I have a 24'....with a 20' fence area. More bang for the buck. Just trying to understand the rational. And that may be Benningtons "hook". "we measure fenced area".....not "deck area". so for all practical purposes you do get more "deck for your buck"....(Bennington may not use my new "catch phase" term without permission ). But what is the cut off limit? Is there some sort of maritime federal or state mandated regulation concerning LOA on boats? Who decides? Don't they regulate motor size by footage? Is that "manufactures suggested footage"...or "actual take a tape measure and measure the deck"? 4 feet difference on a "said" 20 foot boat is a 25% variant. I consider that substantial. Especially when considering motor and person capacity!! If it was maybe 5-7%...no biggie! But 25%! Is this an anomaly? Or just "thats the pontoon world"...and I am learning the in's and out's? And I'll say it again "I LOVE MY BENNY AND AM A PROUD BENNINGTON OWNER"! Just confused?? DOAH!
). But what is the cut off limit? Is there some sort of maritime federal or state mandated regulation concerning LOA on boats? Who decides? Don't they regulate motor size by footage? Is that "manufactures suggested footage"...or "actual take a tape measure and measure the deck"? 4 feet difference on a "said" 20 foot boat is a 25% variant. I consider that substantial. Especially when considering motor and person capacity!! If it was maybe 5-7%...no biggie! But 25%! Is this an anomaly? Or just "thats the pontoon world"...and I am learning the in's and out's? And I'll say it again "I LOVE MY BENNY AND AM A PROUD BENNINGTON OWNER"! Just confused?? DOAH!
SEMPERFI8387
Moderator
Something's weird with your boat. Even a 24' S doesn't show 24' toons. They show a toon length of 22'4". Are you sure you didn't measure "after" the 4th beer? If what you say is true, I think you ended up with a peculiar setup.
well without going into a bunch of detail Other than to say DOAH! After reading all this I figured I had to have made a mistake in my measurements! Went to storage with my own tape measure. Low and behold 2 things!! A tape measure that had been repaired (the 1 I originally used)! AND I read the wrong side of the measure!! Needless to say..."all is well". My boat is 20'! And I am still a proud owner of the finest pontoon boat made! She goes in on the 20th for 20 hr maint., new prop and the other extras! We can't wait. Pics will sure to follow.....
SEMPERFI8387
Moderator
My guess is you ain't a carpenter ..... :lol:
1Blderbob
Well-Known Member
Read once,cut twice.That's a motto that we teach! :Like:
Bamaman
Well-Known Member
Please don't acid wash any boat when other alternatives are available. If the boat's been sitting in the water all year and has a green and grundgy bottom, the acid wash may be required. But if it's just tarnished, a good polish is all that's required.
With my Porter Cable dual action polisher, a wool bonnet and a bottle of White Diamond metal polish, I can have my 3 nosecones and the outsides of my outer toons polished in an hour to 90 minutes--depending on how energetic I am at the time. And it'll be shiny enough.
I usually polish my boat every June.
I do appreciate those with high speed buffers and the strength to polish using rouge. And I do have the equipment. But it's a very hard job, and I have no desire to maintain a mirror finish on any boat all the time.
With my Porter Cable dual action polisher, a wool bonnet and a bottle of White Diamond metal polish, I can have my 3 nosecones and the outsides of my outer toons polished in an hour to 90 minutes--depending on how energetic I am at the time. And it'll be shiny enough.
I usually polish my boat every June.
I do appreciate those with high speed buffers and the strength to polish using rouge. And I do have the equipment. But it's a very hard job, and I have no desire to maintain a mirror finish on any boat all the time.