Hello! We have a new unexpected 2018 SSXAPG!

Shmily

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40D993E3-90D5-4D38-90EF-0A287D52E3C1.jpeg 46F8AFBE-E44C-4885-9570-AFE718BF5432.jpeg Hello to all the kind and fortunate fellow Bennie owners!

Long story: my wife and I have been going to the lake with friends, and staying in their family’s homes, a couple of times a summer for ten years. This year, we were down for Memorial Day weekend, and we were presented with the opportunity to purchase a lake place of our own adjacent to our friends’ properties. It had not been listed, but the sellers were good neighbors of our friends. Properties there rarely come up for sale, so we purchased it immediately. This was all a bit unexpected, though we had talked about a lake home “some day” for quite some time.

Another dream of my wonderful wife’s was to someday have a pontoon boat. Since we had just purchased the lake place, it wasn’t on the immediate horizon (one thing at a time, etc.)

Shortly thereafter, we were with her family on another lake in a rental house, with a rental pontoon. The weather was bad one day, so I got on the Bennington website to see what was available. We had enjoyed my friend’s father’s Bennington for many hours over the many years we had been so graciously hosted at their lake properties. It was my understanding that Benningtons were the best pontoons on the market. My friend’s father’s Bennie is a 20 footer set up for fishing. My wife would prefer more “couches,” but understands my need to fish.

I was looking at all of the different options, and I realized that a 22SSX would be perfect for us: party in the front, fishing in the rear! I then remembered the dealer where my friend and his siblings had purchased his father’s boat, so I got on their website just to check it out. That’s when I saw it: a gorgeous Bennington 22SSXAPG with perfect spec’s, including the 150 horse Yamaha that I wanted. To this minute I am convinced that whomever spec’d this boat out for the dealership was a genius! Even the colors were perfect!

I showed it to my wife, and I could tell that she was stoked, but her fiscally responsible side urged restraint. However, once she researched the boat and the price, even she was convinced: this was an opportunity that we simply would not see again, and could not pass up.

Long story longer, we just passed 20 hours, and will be pulling SHMILY! out of the lake this weekend for winterization and her first service. It’s been a wild and wonderful ride, and we feel truly blessed in so many ways.

Thanks for listening, and thanks to you all for making this forum such a great place to hang out and learn!

Peace.
 
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Welcome to the club. Beautiful boat.

Our story is similar but in reverse. Never thought I would own a boat but after several years of boating with friends on their boat a couple of times a year, my wife convinced me to buy one. Found a great boat five years ago. After two years of back and forth to the lake twice each weekend, my wife convinced me to buy a lake home which we did. Two great purchases that I have to thank my wife for. ;)
 
Great story and an awesome Bennnington!
 
That’s a sweet boat!! Awesome story? Any special meaning behind the name?
 
Thank you all very kindly for the warm welcome!

As for the name, before we married, we went to a premarital learning weekend through our church. I don’t remember exact details, but somehow we’ve come to using this acronym we learned at that event, left on little notes to each other over the years.

After we bought the boat, we left a notepad on the kitchen counter on which we both wrote boat name ideas as we tried to come up with the best name. One day on the way home from work, it hit me: SHMILY! I wrote it on the pad, and as soon as my wife saw it, she said, “that’s it!!!”

See How Much I Love You!

I had actually bought the boat for her on my birthday, so it seemed especially fitting.

Peace, and safe and happy Bennington boating!
 
Congratulations! Sounds like your boat found you just like mine found me.

I feel sorry for you northern guys who have to winterize. Boating season never ends for me here in Texas.
 
Great story. You made the right decision getting a Bennington. Welcome to the forum and happy boating.
 
Thanks for sharing your story and pictures of that beautiful lady (both of them). And now the countdown begins...
 
Looks nice, I have never seen those colors before but they look good and very distinctive. Enjoy and the only downside i see is now the winter will feel even longer! ;>) But the payoff in spring/ summer is so worth it right!
 
Thanks very kindly.

Yes, they are both beautiful! I’m a blessed man.

Well, the off season is what it is. However, boating at all in a brand new Bennington wasn’t even on the radar for this summer, so I’m grateful for the hours we did enjoy on the lake. Spring will return before ya know it! It seems to come faster every year.

Peace.
 
Congrats to both of you and welcome to the forum. Looks like Carolina Blue to me. (Both your boat and shirt.) Where do you boat?
 
Thanks very kindly.

Yes, they are both beautiful! I’m a blessed man.

Well, the off season is what it is. However, boating at all in a brand new Bennington wasn’t even on the radar for this summer, so I’m grateful for the hours we did enjoy on the lake. Spring will return before ya know it! It seems to come faster every year.

Peace.
This year you will find that spring will take a LONGER time to arrive as you wait for it with your new boat! Trust me I know. We bought our new boat last August and it was a very long winter1
 
Congrats to both of you and welcome to the forum. Looks like Carolina Blue to me. (Both your boat and shirt.) Where do you boat?

Many thanks! It’s no particular blue, but the boat is primarily Mediterranean Blue.

We are on Rough River.

Peace.
 
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