goldnrod24
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There was an R-series bowrider at my boat show and I was able to spend some time looking it over. All in all, it's a very nice boat. The interior (this one in two-tone grey) was very nicely done. I really like it.
I crawled under the bow best I could to see the understructure. It's hard to see where they found the room for the lowered floor, but they did. There's nothing ungainly hanging down. It looks like the giant center toon is "U-shaped," kind of like what JC Pontoons does with theirs.
Looks-wise, it does take some getting used to the low fence in the bow as most of us are used to the tradition-height fencing. The captain certainly has the command view without needed a raised helm seat.
All that said, there are several reasons why I would not seriously consider one. The first is price. Sorry, but over $100K is simply out of my budget. Second, as others have mentioned, lack of a bow entry/exit door is simply a deal breaker for us. Our grandkids love to come aboard via the stern ladder, head straight down the center and out the bow door back into the water. Not possible without hurdling the seat. But, for someone making the leap from a runabout bowrider, this makes the transition easier.
All in all, I think Bennington is to be commended for stretching the envelope of pontoon boat design. PS: Regarding a question posed in another thread, I saw NO evidence of lesser quality than we are all used to experiencing from Bennington.
I crawled under the bow best I could to see the understructure. It's hard to see where they found the room for the lowered floor, but they did. There's nothing ungainly hanging down. It looks like the giant center toon is "U-shaped," kind of like what JC Pontoons does with theirs.
Looks-wise, it does take some getting used to the low fence in the bow as most of us are used to the tradition-height fencing. The captain certainly has the command view without needed a raised helm seat.
All that said, there are several reasons why I would not seriously consider one. The first is price. Sorry, but over $100K is simply out of my budget. Second, as others have mentioned, lack of a bow entry/exit door is simply a deal breaker for us. Our grandkids love to come aboard via the stern ladder, head straight down the center and out the bow door back into the water. Not possible without hurdling the seat. But, for someone making the leap from a runabout bowrider, this makes the transition easier.
All in all, I think Bennington is to be commended for stretching the envelope of pontoon boat design. PS: Regarding a question posed in another thread, I saw NO evidence of lesser quality than we are all used to experiencing from Bennington.
