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Washdown & Storage Question

Greg23LSB

Greg23LSB

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We recently ordered a 23 LSB with a co-captain's seat exchange (2 captains seats rather than the port L lounge) . We also ordered with the washdown as we plan to move to FL for retirement and wanted it for our use in salt water (we used the transom shower a lot on our Crownline). One of the reasons we went to the 23 instead of the 22 is the build said the washdown was not available with the co-captain seat exchange on the 22. Turns out it is not available with the 23 either even though it let us build and order it that way. So the option now is for a "custom build" where the dealer said they will likely put it under the front portion of the swingback lounge area. Note we also have the privacy option with porta potti which will take up the back of the swingback. My question is on storage...never owned a pontoon before so if the whole swingback in taken up with the privacy option/porta potti and the washdown that only leaves the front loungers for storage. Will that be enough? We did order with the in floor storage but the dealer warned me that is "wet" storage, water will get in there. Worried that 6 fenders, anchor & line, dock lines, our 2 tubes, life vests & other required equipment might not fit. Thoughts? Also, if this is a custom build we could go back to the 22. I always think bigger is better but it is generally just my wife and I on the boat and I don't to buy more than I need. I want something that will handle "big" water best (have the ESP & wave tamer options). I'm thinking I should stick with the 23? Never heard anyone say "wish I got a smaller boat"... Any advice would be great!!! Thanks.
 
What is the price difference between the 22 and the 23?!? We had all kinds of storage on our Benny. Never had in floor storage but wish I had it. I heard that it does get wet in there but it has a built in bilge. Whatever model you get you will adjust your storage needs. You'll figure out what you need and what you don't. We used to trailer so we literally had everything on the boat. But now that we have it on a lift we have the essentials onboard ....
 
The 22L has a deck over 23’, not sure if you know this.

In my infloor storage I have 6 fenders, 4 life jackets, a large pole, type 4 float, and a rolled up 2 person tube. Plenty of extra room

dock lines I keep in the forward storage as well as my 2 anchors, still room left.
Plenty of storage for sure!

While on the topic of “bigger is better,” what engine do you have ordered for it?
 
Mozekian said:
The 22L has a deck over 23’, not sure if you know this.

In my infloor storage I have 6 fenders, 4 life jackets, a large pole, type 4 float, and a rolled up 2 person tube. Plenty of extra room

dock lines I keep in the forward storage as well as my 2 anchors, still room left.
Plenty of storage for sure!

While on the topic of “bigger is better,” what engine do you have ordered for it?
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Does your in floor storage get wet or have any moisture issues?
 
I don't have enough room in my 26LXSB!....LOL. But then my boat is kept 5 hours away, so I load it up with everything I possibly could need. Yes the floor storage can/will get wet (mostly when it is docked and it rains - water runs down into the boat/storage), though I put in a plastic box to keep a few things dry.
 
Thanks for all the input. Price difference between the 22 and 23 is about $8,000 undiscounted in large part due to the power. We ordered the 23 with the 250 VMAX which is the maximum HP. The maximum HP on the 22 is 200 HP so dropping to the 200 VMAX is a good chunk of change. Sounds like the in floor storage is cavernous so I think we should be good there. Not as concerned about wet because the day I pick it up it's headed in for a custom cover that will cover the entire boat and keep the boat dry. Unless of course I bury the bow in a wave...but I hope that doesn't happen. After over 30 years in fiberglass I'm new to the pontoon scene so I assume it will take me a bit to adjust.
 
Greg, I too thought I'd never own a pontoon but now I just wonder what took me so long to wise up. Granted, I don't boat on big water, but I can't imagine ever burying the bow of my ESP tri-toon. It'd have to be one monster of a wave, IMO. Personally, I'd go as large as your budget allows. Typically, we have two to three on-board our G25 and I like having the extra room.
 
You'll have plenty of storage under the seats and cockpit, and if you use a bag or bin for lifejackets you can easily use the third toon's storage for a ton of stuff. I'd vote for the longer layout if you're getting much big water - it does help to smooth out the ride somewhat, and better for resale.

My center toon hasn't gotten wet at all in the year and a half I've had our new boat - but you may get condensation in the toons if you keep the boat moored in the water all season (anytime the toon temp is lower than the dew point due to water temp you'll get condensation - not an issue if you're on a lift or on a trailer as the air temp will be the same as the pontoons).

If you're starved for storage you might want to delete the built-in cooler in the starboard bow seat (if your boat comes with one) - we've never used ours.
 
Thanks...the built in cooler was an option I did not opt for. We always pack our marine cooler at home and carry it on so I figured it would be wasted space. Without the anchor locker I'm accustomed to in the bow I figure the starboard bow seat would be a great spot for the anchor with minimal distance to carry it to drop & tie off. Thanks Michiman on the "burying the bow" advice. Our big water will be bay in FL. We occasionally used our fiberglass boat at the lower end of the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound, and there were days at the mouth of the river I had to trim it up high and move quick to avoid getting swamped in our 24' Crownline...the "washing machine" effect of the converging swells of large boats and yachts entering and exiting the no wake zone could be in the 6 - 8 foot range...I would never take a pontoon out in that environment.
 
BigKahuna said:
Does your in floor storage get wet or have any moisture issues?
Click to expand...
I have had none. It’s set up well to keep water from pooling and objects sitting in the water. I have a vented floor cover so it isn’t sealed in. If I have wet items in the storage, I leave the door open when I’m done and it’s fine by the next day.
No issues and so glad I added the storage

But I’ll add my boat lives on a covered lift that has a upper deck above it and a Touchless cover on it every day. So it’s protected from the rain
 
Not sure on your model but one of the main reasons we went to a 23 vs. a 22 on our GCW was the port forward lounger did not have a backrest on the 22 model. This did not allow you to sit facing forward and kick your feet up and lean back.
 
The 22 LSB does have a backrest. I think I am going to stick with the 23. I doubt I will ever regret getting the 23 over the 22. At this stage the difference in cost is not that material. Weight was one of the considerations. The 22 gets me down to a point where I could get into a lighter vehicle from what I have now. But I think the benefits of the larger boat outweigh that, especially if I'm in bigger water. Thanks everyone for the input on the storage. Looks like I'll be fine, even if I lose storage on the whole swingback portion with the porta potti and washdown. The local shop does an incredible job with covers, they've done 3 for me in the past so I'm sure stay dry with it. We plan to drydock/trailer so the condensation shouldn't be an issue. I'm sure I'll have more questions, thanks all!
 
You have gotten some great advice above. I think you will be pleased sticking with the longer boat. The longer the pontoon, the smoother it glides across bigger water/waves. We went with a 24’ swingback in 2017 in large part for that reason.

Like others have reported, our center tube storage stays fairly dry. I’ve never had standing water. It can occasional get damp in there, but for us that is the extent of it. We don’t use it much aside from ski’s, and mooring cover. But if we wanted to pack it up, we could certainly get more in there.

It‘s a bummer you’ll lose storage under your SB seating, but I can appreciate the reasons why. Ours is not taken up by other built in items, and the ease and accessibility of that storage area is wonderful. It’s our favorite storage spot. That said, I think you will find front seat storage and the center tub adequate for your needs, especially since it is usually just tow of you boating.

Good luck with your final decisions and getting your order in. If you are so inclined, I am sure all of us would love to see pictures of your Bennington when you get it.
 
The helm also has some good storage - almost 2 cubic foot.

Your portapotti won't take up 100% of the back area of your swingback so there will be opportunities for a knick knack here or there.

As others have mentioned Rubbermaid bins are your friend in your center toon to keep extra dry. Water could get in there even with a cover as rain and dripping kids/dogs can run under the fence and furniture.

You'll be fine, just don't keep half your house on the boat.
 
Great input here. I'll chime in...

We ordered a 23 LSRC last year (took delivery March 2021) and like you, we were between a 22' or 23' at the time of the build.
We ultimately went with the 23' mainly to gain extra seating space in the bow. We noticed while building, that when we jumped from 22' to 23' we gained about 10" of seating space in the starboard bow. May not sound like much but makes a big difference when people are gathered at the bow...which happens often! Not sure if this will be the case on an LSB but it's what put us over the top on the LSRC and has proven to be a wise choice.

Regarding center toon storage, we opted for that as well as we dock at a marina and don't have a convenient storage option for larger items (skis, fenders, noodles, poles, etc.). While we're happy to have it, we get a TON of water in ours. I know I'm the outlier here and my dealer has been troubleshooting the issue for the last couple of months. Still haven't diagnosed the problem but hope to have some answers after they pull it for the season. All of that being said, I would still order it every time. Like many of the members here often say, everyone's situation is different your build should meet YOUR needs. For our situation, the center storage has proven to be invaluable...albeit wet (for now)!
 
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I got my 23 SLX this spring. It has the extended aft deck which I highly recommend. We also have the 250 Vmax and with a 15-3/4 by 15 pitch SWS II prop (the prop Yamaha recommends) and we easily get 46mph with 2-6 people - it is a great engine and pulls hard. However our boat is tied to the dock all season and gets a LOT of water in the center tube storage (which is cavernous) from condensation even with the bilge pump (which is located about 15 inches forward from the back storage wall - not at all an ideal location since it NEVER pumps all the water out). Frankly, I would not have ordered the center tube storage had I known. As a result, we never use the center tube storage and always have plenty of other storage. Note that we do not get water from the hatch which is solid and has a good rubber gasket around the hatch.
 
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While I'm sorry to hear you're having water issues in the center toon, it's nice to know I'm not the only one!
Agree that the placement of the bilge pump is not well thought out.

So you think all of the water you're getting is from condensation alone? We ran a number of "tests" this summer to see where the water was getting in. The only conclusion I arrived at with certainty is that the water would appear in the center toon after a full day on the water. We would leave the dock with it bone dry and come back at the end of the day with about a gallon in there. The dealer tested the nose cone for leaks and inspected welds and didn't find anything. My theory is that it's getting in via the bilge pump discharge/outlet but that's just a theory and an engineer or boat mechanic I am not. Separately, I even went down to the boat during downpours to see if water was entering the hatch and that wasn't the case.

I don't want to hijack the thread but would be curious to know if you've had a similar experience.
 
Try this---disconnect bilge pump discharge hose and pinch it off. If no water gets in, then you have found the culprit. As for poor bilge pump issues, I plan on using something like Arid bilge. Notice I said like it, cause its $800 so a cheaper alternative is Seaflo Dry bilge system, its around $150. Finally a DIY method is about $50. All three use a self-priming pump that is ok to run dry, a timer of some sort so the thing will turn on for a minute or two every couple of hours (or whatever you think you need) and the the water pickup is basically a sponge enclosed in a holder of some sort. It is not a bilge pump replacement but a device that will get all the water out except for a few drops. Look on you tube or google the brands, you should see a link to the DIY method there. I think I will probably go with the Seal system, when I get my boat.
 
JLM007, I think it's condensation because I've pump almost every drop out with a drill and small pump attachment and in a week while just sitting I have over a gallon of water again and the hood and walls are full of droplets. Interestingly enough I have a friend with another brand of pontoon which puts foam in all the tubes and his center locker never gets condensation.
 
Wow! Sounds like that center tube is an issue. You'd think Bennington would do something to address it with insulation of some sorts to prevent the condensation. I'm accustomed to a bone dry bilge in a fiberglass boat. We will be trailering so hopefully that will help on the condensation side. I don't want this to be a frustrating activity, it's supposed to be fun! It must get pretty gnarly in there if there is always water sitting in there with the placement of the bilge pump. I'll have to be very selective as to what we store in there, if anything. Hope it wasn't a waste of money ordering it. Concerning part is without the storage option that water is still sitting in there. Is there a drain plug to allow it to drain?
 
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