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How Long Have You Been Boating..What Do You Do

I meant me of course. This upcoming boating season will be my third. I am 58 years old and probably had been on boats 5 times prior to me purchasing a boat in October 2009. I am a golf nut and always thought if I had time on the weekends that is what I would do.

In August 2009 Kathy and I with another couple rented a pontoon boat on a Saturday. Within 2 months I bought a used 20' SeaArk Suntastic. Bought a pop-up camper on November so I couuld drink on the boat and not worry about driving home [dealer said he would store till I picked it up next spring]. Bought a cabin on the lake in March 2010 and then went down and picked up the pop=up to bring it home and put it on Craigs List, never used it once.

Am totally addicted to boating, bought my Bennie last month and check this forum about 4x a day.

So if anyone is in the class of "Village Idiots" Bow down before me, for I am your King :)

CcanDo said:
Link, And who might that be ? Misery loves company ! LOL !
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Link said:
Bulldog, it's not just CEO's, engineers, and people with in-depth boating knowledge. I personally know of at least one "village idiot" that also made the decision to buy a Bennington. :rolleyes:
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I know, ME!! HAHA my point behind that comment was that Bennington seems to draw people from all walks of life. Me, a younger fella with no experience in boating, but believes if I'm going to spend my hard earned money, I want to buy a product that people worked hard on to make a quality product. As for the CEO's and engineer part, obviously people who are in those positions are seen by most to have a level of intelligence (excluding that duck dynasty show, although fun to watch) and they chose the same boat is all. No offense was meant to anyone. :)

And CcanDo, I personally enjoy reading your comments, some are way over the top for me to understand(!) but that's just my own ignorance to those subjects. Keep'm coming!!

Derrick
 
CcanDo, I am so hoping this boat will do everything we think it will do. My wife actually doesn't mind the speed as long as I am throttling. (offshore Term) The real issue is when you have a big fast boat you like to go places that are far away. .8 to 1 miles per gallon just doesn't make sense. A trip to Virginia Beach was $800 just for gas. The Bennington is what we really need. It will be a great river boat and keep us near the people we really enjoy hanging out with and it will take everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!! when you want to take the whole crew.

CcanDo said:
Slow Ride, I see Virginia as your home.... After Arkansas, knowing a bit about Aluminum, I joined Reynolds Metals, Richmond. That task, developing an east coast territory and building a fab center in Lancaster, Pa. for the "Transhelter Group". Along the way, I influenced USCO, Richmond at one of their investments, USCO (originaly, Guerdon Industries) South Hill, Va. The relationship with Reynolds was mutually successful, just different philosophies. I resigned to take on a couple class 8 truck franchises. I was flattered with the offer to then run the Transhelter division.

Congrats with your new "Bennie" decision. Your Bio suggests that of being type "A" competitive. Having not ever being on a Pontoon Boat, (I hadn't either, this one was for my wife that is intimidated by speed) you may have once had a little contempt for those things. However, subject to your model goals today, IMHO, they offer a lot of "Best Of All Worlds". My first engine reminded me of watching paint dry. The second engine is not going to win the Key West, Offshore Championships. But, it is entertaining to watch the cruiser and ski boat guy, whipping and slashing (cowboy slang)when you out run him. (My wife thinks it's kind of cool too, good ride, competitive and serves her type B, look at me)
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Learned to water ski in 1975 while stationed in New Mexico at Elephant Butte lake. I have been boating ever since! My first Bennington I bought new in 2006 2275 GL/IO Tritoon 5.0L Valvo Penta. Loved that boat, just traded it in for a 2012 22SSI tritoon XL package w/150 Mercury 4S. Did most of my boating at Parker Az. (Parker Strip). I'm a retired Federal Fleet Manager (Camp Pendleton Ca.)

RiverBill
 
So RiverBill, if you don't mind me asking, why did you switch from the I/O to the outboard?

Derrick
 
Derrick,

Bought a house on a private lake (Canyon Lake Ca.)they only allow 21ft or smaller boats! The 2275 deck measured 22ft, the 22 SSI deck measures 19ft 11in. I'm going to miss the power of the I/O, not the fuel consumption! Want a boat that had some get up and go, hopefully the 150 mercury w/tri-toons will give some performance. Love the Benningtons!

RiverBill
 
Our new Bennington 2274GL/150 Yamaha is our 11th boat and first pontoon. We have had everything from a sailing dink, to a 30 foot Islander (sailed the Great Lakes) to a 30 Pursuit Express on the Anclote River, Tarpon Springs, FL.

Our boating is now East TN and primarily Lake Tellico/Loudon, a TVA Resevoir with plenty of coves and beautiful scenery; kept in a slip at a marina. I still go boat camping with an 11 foot, Achilles inflatible in the Smoky Mountains and also have a trailered 16 foot Zodiac RIB. Infrequently we go somewhere where we don't go without a boat!! When we don't have one with us we seem to end up on one. We went on a recent trip to Phoenix and went on a resevior boat tour of Canyon Lake! The Dolly.

I am the Regional Vice President, SE for an electrical equipment manufacturer of medium voltage gear. My Wife/Partner of many years is a retired teacher.

Started life in (SW) MI, (MI State Grad) lived in Idaho 4 years, back to MI and Traverse City for 12 years, FL 22 years and now TN for 6.

I enjoy shooting sports and preparing for global chaos and mayhem.

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Smoky Mountain said:
I enjoy shooting sports and preparing for global chaos and mayhem.
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The hardest part about the Zombie Apocalypse will be pretending I'm not excited.
 
I have been boating since I was 15. I am now 56. I am a Mechanical Engineer and own a Mechanical Contracting Business. I have sailed the great lakes and some in southern Florida. Salmon fished with a 22' Sea Ray IO for many years. Skied behind a Malibu LXI that I still own and use on a regular basis. I have two Yamaha wave runners and a 22' Aqua Patio. I am selling the Aqua Patio to a friend as soon as my new Bennington 2575 RCW arrives next week! :D
 
ericscher said:
The hardest part about the Zombie Apocalypse will be pretending I'm not excited.
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ericscher, My son informs me that we are well prepared for the zombie apocalypse due to the fact we have water on 2 sides of our complex. Apparently....zombies can't swim.
 
Yes, but as we learned from Land of the Dead, they can walk under water. :p
 
hello to all! this is my first time writing in. this is eric,nicole and our 4.5 month old baby ava. i have been boating for over twenty years. we had looked at all brands of pontoon boats over this past winter.then we attended this years boston boat show and decided on a brand new 2012 benny 22 sslx with a 90 hp yamaha.going to pick up the new ride tomorrow!!! (getting goose bumps right now!!!)a big playpen on the water for ava.we live in a small town near cape ann ma.,i own a local electrical contracting business.and am a proud new father!!
 
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avas playpen said:
hello to all! this is my first time writing in. this is eric,nicole and our 4.5 month old baby ava. i have been boating for over twenty years in ipswich ma. we had looked at all brands of pontoon boats,over this past winter.then attended this years boston boat,and decided on a brand new 2012 benny 22 sslx with a 90 hp yamaha.going to pick up the new ride tomorrow!!! (getting goose bump right now!!!)a big playpen on the water for ava.we live in a small town near cape ann ma.,i own a local electrical contracting business.and a proud new father!!
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Congrats on all! (benny and the baby!) welcome to the site, lots of good people on here to ask and listen to for info, based on your experience, you may be one of them!!

Derrick :D
 
BulldogsCadillac said:
Congrats on all! (benny and the baby!) welcome to the site, lots of good people on here to ask and listen to for info, based on your experience, you may be one of them!!

Derrick :D
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thank you,derrick.so yesterday was the test drive for our new benny,didn't sleep much the night before, just to excited! we jump in the truck, headed north on 95 till we got to lake wnnipasukee about a two hour drive.as we pulled up to channel marine at weirs beach,the excitement was flying for the both of us!! we couldn't get out of the truck quick enough,and there it was our brand new BENNY,at the dock ready for our noon time test drive.at 45 degrees the wind was blowing,the lake was choppy,and clouds were gray, a prefect day for a boat ride in nh.we jump in with our salesman chris,and headed out on the lake in our 22' sslx. then when that 90 hp yamaha kicked in, "AWSOME!!!" we had smiles from ear to ear,did a mention "AWSOME!!"it was my first time ever driving a pontoon boat and was impressed,very smooth for such rough conditions.
 
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I'm young retired as a financial analyst and sales representative for a major tractor and construction equipment manufacturer.

Our lake house has been in our family for 67 years, and I grew up on the Tennessee River. I've had Jet Skis/SeaDoos/Waverunners since 1984, and still have one inboard outboard V hull bowrider boat. We have hundreds and hundreds of boats on our lake, and I can identify boats models like some people can cars on the street.

My present pontoon boat with a 115 hp Yamaha 2 stroke is 26 years old, and I think I've spent a total of under $300 maintenance on it. Pontoon boats will literally last a lifetime if it's kept dry and out of the sun. These things are great long term recreational values. Any buyer of a pontoon boat should carefully make his purchase decisions, because these boats will be with you for a long, long time.

We plan on ordering a new Bennington 24SSL in another year with the new Mercury 150 hp motor. Our closest Bennington dealer is a Yamaha/Suzuki dealer, so I may be ordering it without an engine. Our Mercury dealership will beat the stew out of Yamaha on price--$3K less. Hardest decision is whether to order tritoon with strakes or twin elliptical toons with strakes. One handles great pulling tubers/skiers, but the other will walk away in speed and fuel mileage.

We'd like to trailer our new boat to far away river towns, and come back one way--staying along the way in state park lodges and motels on the water.
 
Hi everyone i am Brian been boating aii my life I am 47 I have had 2houseboats built ski boats fishing but never had a pontoon boat

just sold my mastercraft x15 to someone in Australia so now wife and I order a2012 2575 rcwcp should be here in may we have

Been in auction and real estate for 25yr i am a auctioneer and wife is real estate broker live on Norris lake tn can't wait for water

To come up all most there boat on the way cu on the water
 
I spent 20 years, 1 month and 16 days serving our country in the USAF but who’s counting. I’ve been retired since Jan 2006 and now work in Food Production running Evaporators and Spray Dryers making flavor enhancers. As a kid I did some boating with my father but nothing real serious until about 12 years ago. My brother-in-law always had boats and we would hang out with him on the lake. I use to think there was nothing better than being on someone else’s boat. The last few years he was going less and less so my family and I decided to buy our own boat last year. After scouting several boat shows I knew Bennington was for me but the rear loungers sealed the deal for my wife. We had a blast last year on the water and I’m excited to start season number two. In two weeks I hit the big 5 0 so I plan on being on the water this weekend or next weekend. See ya on the water.
 
I'm a CFP or Certified Financial Planner. Started boating last August. First boat was a 24ssl bennington. We've loved it so far. My wife wasn't so sure at first, but now she's hooked!

Still learning all the things I need to. I find being out on the lake very relaxing! Creating lots of family memories.
 
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