When you say the words 'pontoon boat,' images of open bays and tidal
estuaries don't exactly spring to mind. You may picture a float-boat on a lake somewhere in the
Midwest, but it's probably hard to imagine a pontoon stalking bass in coastal wetlands or fighting
its way home through two-foot seas in the ocean.' But pontoon boats are popping up in the saltiest
places ' all over Florida and along the Northeast coast. A recent trip to Boston Harbor on the
Sanpan 2500 FE gives new meaning to the term freshwater pontoon, and the verdict is in: It does
just fine in salt.
Compared to the old sailing vessels and Downeast fishing trawlers, the Sanpan looks out of
place, like some tourist with a thick Midwestern accent and loud clothes who's wandered into
'Cheers' by mistake. But after the head-turning dies down, and the boat weaves its way through
Boston Harbor, it becomes clear why the pontoon boat makes sense there, even among the most
nautically correct craft in America.
First, the logs. They're made
of anodized aluminum, the best corrosion-resistant metal on the water. Second, the stable platform.
You can run from side to side on this Sanpan, and it barely sways. Third, comfort. Pontoon boats
are all beam and open space, so you can host a crowd, or just sprawl out and enjoy the water all by
yourself.
The Sanpan is Godfrey's top-tier model, two levels up from the price-conscious Sweetwater
line, and a notch above the value-packed Aqua Patio series. The 2500 test boat has the optional
Family Entertainer layout. Instead of book-end lounges up front, with center walkthrough, it has
two back-to-back La-Z-Boy-style lounges to port that face the starboard lounge. The walkthrough is
on the left.
The front door's pretty much indicative of the rest of the boat: solid, with a feeling of
security. It's heavy enough so it won't flap around, and drops down into a slat, so it won't open
accidentally. Some sort of latch or high-powered magnetic gizmo to keep it open when you need it
might be an improvement, but otherwise the door shows the substance of the 2500 FE.
That substance is readily
apparent as the Sanpan enters the lock from the Mystic River into Boston Harbor. It bangs against
the wall, something that would send shivers down the spine of a 'glass boatowner. But not to worry:
There isn't even a scratch on the 25-inch logs.
Out in Boston Harbor, the 2500 FE has a chance to show its stuff, and it does pretty well,
all things considered. Its top end of 26 mph isn't going to win any races, but the boat seems like
it's going fast, and feels very stable in chop. Its 0 to 20 mph speed of six seconds is respectable
(faster than many sportboats), and the F115 Yamaha is incredibly quiet astern. The engine weighs
only 418 pounds and has a computer-controlled ignition system. Basically, you turn the key and the
115 hums behind. No belches of smoke, no loud idle.
Four-stroke engines might not be for everyone ' especially since this boat's rated to 150 hp
' but you can't beat their fuel efficiency and quietness. Builders can put more logs on them to get
speeds in the 40s, but unless you're a Type A personality, nobody really cares who wins a pontoon
boat drag race. Let's face it: Pontoon boats aren't about speed.
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Many saltwater areas where you'll find pontoon boats,
such as the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida, have no-wake zones every few miles, so going fast
isn't the top priority. But stability is. And the design of the pontoons on this boat provides that
stability in a couple of ways. First, the tracking is good because of the keel running the length
of the pontoons. Secondly, the 25-inch-diameter pontoons are 90 millimeters thick, and have three
distinct, pressurized chambers. If one gets punctured, the others keep it afloat. The larger
diameter pontoons (22 inches is the industry standard, though that is changing) not only provide
more flotation, but they also give better stability with a crowd on board. You can really feel the
difference when people move from side to side.
The test team tools around Boston Harbor for an hour or so, passing the New England Aquarium, checking out 'Old Ironsides,' and then heading for the Charles River. The 'Big Dig,' the most expensive public works project in the history of the country, can be seen even from the water. An expansion bridge, eight years in the making yet still in progress, keeps the bridgekeeper on the lower swing bridge hopping. Every few minutes, between trains, a maxi-decibel horn warns of the bridge opening. Eventually, the Sanpan finds its way into the Charles River, with the city of Boston on the left and Cambridge on the right. Small sailboats cruise down what is probably the bluest-blood waterway in America. You see M.I.T. on the right, Boston University on the left, and a large CITGO sign proclaiming the presence of Fenway Park in the distance. Farther up ahead, Harvard University's ivory towers glow in the afternoon sun. The slow-wake area provides a chance to stretch out in the lounge chairs up front. Not only are they very well-padded, with built-in lumbar support, but they tilt. Cruising the Charles in these easy chairs is definitely the way to go. It certainly beats the sweating, heaving work on the rowing sculls that shoot by. Saltwater or not, this boat would make a good city boat for an area like this, or other cities such as Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, where the water is somewhat protected. It's also great for days like the Fourth of July, when you want a comfortable platform. The 2500's also relaxing to drive, mainly because the skipper's chair is identical to the lounge chairs, with a tilt feature and lumbar support. The wood-grain tilt steering wheel is sporty, and a drink holder under the throttle flips out for your favorite beverage. VDO cluster gauges add a dash of style to the console, with more functions than just speed and rpm levels. The cluster will give water temperature and depth, as well as recording mileage and engine hours. There's also an overheat alarm and a remote that activates the floor lighting from a distance. Across from the helm is an L-shaped lounge with an angled-back seat on the edge. There is plenty of storage space under the lounge, and there's a Corian-style tabletop beside it. The reason this boat is called the Family Entertainer is because of the entertainment center with a sink, space for the standard ice chest, storage and 12-volt power outlet. The 2.5-gallon water bladder seems a little inadequate, especially if you have a whole family looking for fresh water. But other than that, the ample space of the entertainment center is great. Same thing goes for the pop-up tent enclosure behind the lounge. It's not as sound-proof as an enclosed fiberglass space, but it'll be fine as a changing room, and it does hold a portable head. Behind the tent is access to the outboard and a built-in 24-gallon plastic fuel tank. When these compartments are closed, they form another sun lounge off the back of the boat. There's a small step off the back for easier access to the dock or water (with four-step ladder), and on the test boat, there's a ski tow bar. Up top, there are some good features for salt water, like the snap-in carpet, Sunbrella canvas that's zipped rather than sewn, and the optional aluminum skin under the deck. The deck is pressure-treated plywood, which may not sound like it can hold up to water over the long haul, but is backed by a lifetime guarantee. (The failure rate on plywood these days is minimal, so most manufacturers are offering lifetime warranties.) The Sanpan's deck is bolted to a heavy-gauge extruded support beam for structural integrity, and is also held in place by the F-shaped lip on the beam. Godfrey's using a new vinyl called GX48 on the 2500. It's supposed to resist stretching and leaking, and is designed for the long haul. The side panel has a rubber backing to keep it from rattling, and this adds to the solid feel of this boat. The bottom line is that whether you're in fresh water or salt water, the Sanpan 2500 is an incredibly solid boat that's built for the long haul. |