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Soon to be a Proud 20SLG Owner!

Zeeman said:
Wow! Beautiful lake and congratulations! We have the SFV20 with a 90hp Yamaha. First off boating is all about what you want in particular. Your situation sounds much like ours as in the use of the boat. You will love the quality as Benny’s are very solid and ride like a boss even when the lake gets rough. Expect to get 20-25mph with just the two of you and a normal load which is plenty fast enough for tubing, may not be a thrill ride but still fun. We are thrilled with the whole package that Bennington puts together in their smaller entry level boats and after a full year of use I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. You will also be happy with your upgrades! Enjoy and read a lot of this forum, there are so many knowledgeable people that post here
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Thanks for the great response! I told my (relatively well-off I assume) dentist that I was buying a boat (we shoot the breeze a bit in the chair). He has a pontoon boat also, and was impressed when I told him I was buying a Benny. It seems everyone knows the quality of a Bennington! 20-25 would be great for speed. I opted for the VMAX SHO upgrade to the Yamaha 90hp; we'll see if that gives me a 2-3mph bump. I have been losing sleep scouring these forums!
 
AuthorizedUser said:
Thanks for the great response! I told my (relatively well-off I assume) dentist that I was buying a boat (we shoot the breeze a bit in the chair). He has a pontoon boat also, and was impressed when I told him I was buying a Benny. It seems everyone knows the quality of a Bennington! 20-25 would be great for speed. I opted for the VMAX SHO upgrade to the Yamaha 90hp; we'll see if that gives me a 2-3mph bump. I have been losing sleep scouring these forums!
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Enjoy! You wont regret it
 
AuthorizedUser said:
I was drawn to the LED Bimini simply because of the prospect of night boating; I do think we will do something at night, even if it's just in the slip. I wish I could afford the SX models with LED lighting around the speakers and along the bottom of the seats (looks really cool w/o adding light pollution to the lake). I did upgrade the speakers but passed on the pop-up cleats and opted instead for the heavy-duty rub rail. I can't wait to be a boat owner and actually BELONG at the marina instead of the creepy skulker dude looking at everyone's boats! :)
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:) marina life is the best!
 
Congrats & welcome! The area you’re in looks absolutely beautiful. I can imagine how exciting it must feel to be getting a brand spanking new Bennington. One of our neighbors has that same Yamaha on a 22’ Avalon and they are always pulling kids & adults around on a 3 person tube but I haven’t seen them skiing with it. We bought a used 2250 (our boat first ever) last summer & while I admit feeling envious from time to time we love our ‘04 model. She’s 22’ with a 90HP Suzuki & based at Lake Hartwell GA where we don’t pull anything just cruise around & look for good sunsets. Anyway, just wanted to say hello. Congrats again & have boatloads of fun w/your new Benny!
 
AuthorizedUser said:
No can do. Way too much money. My wife originally wanted us to buy a used boat for $5K and I was able to talk her up to a new boat for $35K. I can't even begin to look at $50K+... I will have my boat completely paid for in under seven years. Plus, we don't want to upgrade; kids are out of the house and it's just us two. We don't need or want any longer boat that can go 40-50mph.
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I believe Carlson80 was referring to the new SV 22 stern radius (quad bench) with the optional tritoon package.

With a 115HP and a ski tow bar:

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Carlson80 said:
Correct, great option for extra performance.
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Ah! I misread your post (my apologies). However, I am maxed out at $35,000. The boat was $32,656 (included $1,500 freight and dealer prep - which includes six life jackets, four 3/8" lines, throw cushion, flare kit, SOS flag, anchor with 100' line, battery, 15 gallons of fuel, and a few other things). Add tax and DMV fees and I exceeded my $35,000 ceiling by $440. Adding $4-5K to any S or SV build for SRS really wasn't an option as I could not have purchased the boat at all. Plus, wouldn't the weight of the third tube and extra two feet of boat cancel out the 90hp to 115hp difference?
 
You need to stick to a budget I understand that . No a 115 tri toon will be night and day different than a 90 pontoon 2 feet shorter. With that being said get the best pontoon you can afford. You will be happy. Any Bennington will provide many years of happiness.
 
AuthorizedUser said:
I can't wait to be a boat owner and actually BELONG at the marina instead of the creepy skulker dude looking at everyone's boats! :)
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Thats funny. Years ago we had a 15’ GillGetter. We would boat up and down the piers every weekend to check out the Bennington boats. I guess we did it so much, one weekend some guy followed me and videotaped me. Told me he thought I was weird doing that every weekend, he thought I was scoping out the boats to steal stuff ... :D:D:D
He figured I was okay when I told him to call the park ranger and I had his number in my phone in case he needed it.
 
AuthorizedUser said:
...Plus, wouldn't the weight of the third tube and extra two feet of boat cancel out the 90hp to 115hp difference?
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I can appreciate you being at your spending limit. Smart to know what it is, and stick with it. Too many do not when it comes to recreational motor items and end up paying for that later. Being on the water vs. not is the main factor. Your new boat is going to be great for cruising around!

However, I thought I’d respond to your final question. No, it would not cancel out the difference. Pontoons sit and ride totally different on a 2 tube vs. 3 tube set up. On a 2 tube you are pushing through water more or less all the time. Tritoons are planning hulls. You glide on top and across the water due to the increased buoyancy mixed with that HP. The ride, feel, and performance would be totally different with a 115HP on that SPS tritoon hull option vs. any normal dual pontoon set up.

Not doing this to make the decision tougher, or to push you above your spending limit. Boats in general, Bennington’s in particular, always have a few options, models, designs, HP, or SOMETHING that makes it easy to go “just another $1000 and this option, and I’ll be done going above my limit.” There is always another option or boat that would be nicer and within reach. At some point you have to make the shrewd money decision to hold firm, and if you have done your homework, know the boat you are getting meets your boating “needs”, and the wallet simply wont address all your “wants”. Tis the nature of buying one of these things.
 
Agreed with Viking and others, based on your needs you may want to strongly consider a few of these upgrades, even at the expense of crossing that red line in your budget. A few considerations:

1) you have laid out your wants as far as recreational functions, but what about safety? Your lake looks large enough that you could see significant waves from weather, large wake from boat traffic and storms that you will need to outrun back to safe harbor. Can a 2-toon with 90 hp handle those conditions safely? Here on the Potomac we have 30-40 foot cruisers running around all day and combined with tides and wind it can make navigation a challenge in less capable boats. If I didn’t have that third log and more horsepower it would severely limit when and where I could go.

2) what are your skills as a captain? The above conditions may be completely within your abilities so you don’t have to rely on a better boat to remain safe. Or perhaps even with extensive boating experience that body of water is very unpredictable and even the best go/no-go decisions can change hourly. Champlain is a good example where flat calm in the morning can turn into a nightmare in the afternoon especially when waves start stacking up at the south end.

3) you have identified 70% of your intended use, but you may also want to build for 100% of your uses. So for example if you are going to put 10 people on the boat 4 times a year (4th of July, Labor Day, etc.) you want to be able to make sure your setup can handle that in the worst possible conditions. A pontoon with a 90 will have no trouble in a small lake, but put it on the St Lawrence or Champlain and it’s a whole different ballgame. Even Oneida can whip up pretty good. I’m guessing your lake is closer to the small lake scenario, but spending a little extra money now will seem like couch change when you are safely getting back home instead of white-knuckling and saying a few Our Fathers...

Is your boat selection adequate for your needs? Absolutely - I want to be clear I am not trying to insert unnecessary or inaccurate fear into your purchase. Rather just supporting the idea that a few other upgrades to the boat “could” be worth your consideration when thinking about what your lake can throw your way.

Congrats and have fun out there!
 
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