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Has anybody heard of this Pontoon boat company?!?

BigKahuna

BigKahuna

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My wife and I were hanging in this No Wake zone cove close to our house eating........we saw this stunning beautiful blacked out boat creep slowly into the cove. He waved as he passed and on the side of the boat it had "Veranda" on it. Never heard of this brand before and I stopped him on his way back. He told me that when he first started looking at boats he narrowed it down to Bennington and Veranda. Both luxury pontoon boat manufacturers but he concluded that the Verandas infrastructure were made way better than a Bennington. He talked about an all aluminum integrated floor (No Wood) and all boats come with aluminum under skinning and of course you are able to pick out not only your panel color but also your rail color as well. That was one gorgeous boat though w/a 250 Verado on the back........
 
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Nice looking boat but I still like the look of my "R" way better. It seems like some of the finishing touches with Bennington are far superior. JMHO/gallery/album_874/gallery_6882_874_65172.jpg/gallery/album_833/gallery_6882_833_64720.jpg
 
I am not sure, checking a website would tell the true story.  Owning comparable pontoons from both companies would be the most effective method.  I love my Benny, but am sure their are companies making comparable pontoons.
 
When we were deciding which boat to with,  it came down to a Veranda and Bennington.   From my research, their big selling point seemed to be the aluminum floor.  They appear to be very nice boats but in the end, we could not pass up the long lasting quality and the reputation of Bennington.  We also liked the fishing options/layout on the Bennington over what the Veranda offered.  
 
Funny you should mention the brand "veranda" as the wife and I were driving around the lake yesterday and came across a veranda boat sitting at a state dock.   She noticed it because it was a sort of slate blue color and it caught her eye.  Before you say we should have been out on the boat......it was windy, overcast and in the 40's here.  Not very good boating weather for the first few weeks of may......but I am in Ohio so the weather changes on a hourly basis.


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A little rough out on the lake:


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Did get to see a little wildlife:


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When I was shopping for a new pontoon, I went online and ordered a brochure from every company that would send me one.  Some boats were very nice, others not so much.  I did get a brochure from Veranda.  But, here in Havasu there's only a handful of different pontoons available to purchase (or order new) so that automatically narrowed down the choices for me.  It was important to have a dealer very close just in the event there's a warranty issue.  No regrets whatsoever and I'm very glad I went with a Bennington.
 
We saw them at the boat show this winter.  They did boast the aluminum floor, but I didn't think the quality was near what Bennington offers, IMHO
 
Back in 2011 when we were looking for our boat I had read that aluminum decks had already been there, done that, and were a failure.  They came loose, were over noisy, flimsy, etc.  I recall reading several companies tried them, but then they went back to wood.  It was a good idea (aluminum doesn't rot) but people didn't like them based on what I read.  Could be Veranda has figured out how to do it though.
 
Don't expect to see any on my lake, nearest Veranda dealer is 1500 miles away. Even Bennington dealers are scarce out west. There are only three in California and the closest one is 140 miles away. 
 
I checked out their site,  just for fun,  and requested a catalog.  I like to look,  lol.  Their site didn't feel as refined as Bennington and it looks like their best feature is the all aluminum floor.  I like how they do that. Aside from that,  I think Bennington has them beat. 
 
Talked to owners with an aluminum floor before and got very bad reviews. They stated that the rough water vibrated everything loose due to no give in the floor and frame. We looked at about everything on the market and I was sold with Bennington on the warranty and the resale value. Due to the constant urge to upgrade that is important-lol. Very pleased with the quality, look and performance of the Bennington.
 
Just read a review from boattest.com of the Regency 254 LE3. At about 15K less than my GCW 2574 (actual posted price at a local marina) and with a number of really cool features, it certainly got my attention. The article admits that it's not quite the quality of an upscale manufacturer (Bennington listed among those), but that's a lot of dough. Anyone familiar with that brand? 
 
Michiman said:
Just read a review from boattest.com of the Regency 254 LE3. At about 15K less than my GCW 2574 (actual posted price at a local marina) and with a number of really cool features, it certainly got my attention. The article admits that it's not quite the quality of an upscale manufacturer (Bennington listed among those), but that's a lot of dough. Anyone familiar with that brand? 
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Cool.  Minor thread hijack!  I too saw a Regency review and what caught my attention was the powder coated toons.  Yup, the entire toon, in and out of the water is powder coated.  My first thought was how much friction the coating might create underway but according to them that is not an issue as they get into the 40s with a 150hp engine.  They don't claim the powder coating makes the toons impervious to crud build up but that it does mitigate it a LOT.  I couldn't find anything on Regency.  They do have a website and a dealer locater.  It turns out Regency is the upline for Sun Tracker Pontoons.  


I hate how quickly I lose 8 to 9 mph after getting the toons cleaned so I'm going to be watching Regency.  The mid line makers are trying very hard to compete with the top end makers and the gap is getting narrow. 
 
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Nautical said:
Cool.  Minor thread hijack!  I too saw a Regency review and what caught my attention was the powder coated toons.  Yup, the entire toon, in and out of the water is powder coated.  My first thought was how much friction the coating might create underway but according to them that is not an issue as they get into the 40s with a 150hp engine.  They don't claim the powder coating makes the toons impervious to crud build up but that it does mitigate it a LOT.  I couldn't find anything on Regency.  They do have a website and a dealer locater.  It turns out Regency is the upline for Sun Tracker Pontoons.  


I hate how quickly I lose 8 to 9 mph after getting the toons cleaned so I'm going to be watching Regency.  The mid line makers are trying very hard to compete with the top end makers and the gap is getting narrow. 
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Just saw one at Bass Pro Shop in Virginia over Mothers Day weekend. The powder coated toons are the first feature I noticed. The Regency seems to be a step above the Suntracker. The interior was actually nice but it can't touch a Benny!
 
I saw a Regency with the Powdercoated tubes up close and personal at a boat show. No comparison to a Bennie. Not even close. Nope. Nada. I'll refrain from calling it junk. But just barely.
 
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So, in other words, you get what you pay for. I will say that they did have a number of nice amenities that will probably show up on a future Benny.  
 
Maybe Bennington should offer a *optional* aluminum floor, make the hollow areas foam filled, that would reduce noise as well.


I like the idea of an aluminum floor. I also like the idea of carbon fiber or kevlar logs...that would be expensive :)


Steve
 
I think they could make the toons out of plastic and then cover them with the the tear-away windsheild material they use on NASCAR's...


And to keep it on topic I've never heard of Veranda until I read this thread.
 
The market switched from marine plywood over to aluminum a few years ago, and they then switched back to marine plywood. 


The aluminum is very expensive to purchase, and it's not as structurally sound as marine plywood.  Hit a big wave, and there can be some flexing of the front end.  When you get down to it, if a part going into construction of a boat, the price is going to be passed on to the consumer.


Even though my 24SSLX Bennington is their least expensive and lightest weight hull, I have not experienced one bit of hull flexing in the white caps.
 
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