Triple-tube pontoons buoying boat sales
Watercraft offers more speed, comfort
Bigger, faster pontoon boats with increased stability and comfort are making waves in the boating marketplace.
With three, rather than two, flotation tubes underneath the deck, some of the “triple-log” pontoon boats can handle twin 400-horsepower outboard engines — pushing them to speeds of more than 60 mph.
Not many people want to go that fast on the water, and even fewer can afford it, but there’s a solid market for triple-tube pontoons of more modest capability.
Some of these boats are on display at the Milwaukee Boat Show, which continues through Sunday at Wisconsin State Fair Park.
Traditional, twin-tube pontoons are still the strongest sellers in the pontoon category. However, the percentage of triple-tube boats sold is on the rise, said Tim Tinus, owner of Tinus Marine in Oconomowoc.
“Ten years ago we would sell one or two of them a year. Now at least a third of our pontoons are triples, and it’s dramatically different than it was even four or five years ago,” Tinus said.
“There’s nothing wrong with a two-tube boat; they’re stable and fun. But the tripletube gives you that additional performance as far as getting on top of the waves and the handling,” he added.
“The triple-tube gives you that additional performance as far as getting on top of the waves and the handling.” TIM TINUS, OWNER OF TINUS MARINE
With a big enough deck, a triple-tube pontoon can accommodate up to about 20 passengers. With a big enough motor, it can pull four water skiers.
About 60% of the pontoon boats made by Crest Marine
have triple tubes, said Shane Torzy, sales and marketing director for the Owosso, Mich., company.
With the ability to cross a big lake and still navigate through shallow water, the triples are sold as multipurpose boats. Some of the largest models cost more than $75,000, and some are outfitted with enormous twin 400-horsepower Mercury Marine racing engines made in Fond du Lac.
“It kind of blurs the line between speedboats and pontoons,” said Dava Miller, a Crest Marine sales coordinator.
More typical is a 23foot triple pontoon with a single 150-horsepower motor selling for about $45,000.
That accounts for about 75% of the market, according to Torzy.
Pontoons, once considered an ugly duckling by some boating enthusiasts, led the recreational marine industry out of the Great Recession and the worst slump in decades.
Sales of small and modest-size pontoons rebounded quickly because they’re more affordable boats that don’t need a big motor for reasonable speed. Some of the smaller ones, such as a 16-foot Bass Buggy, can be powered with an electric trolling motor and are able to cruise shallow areas that many other boats can’t reach.
Pontoon boat registrations were up nearly 10% last November, according to the most recent data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Pontoons can be customized for many purposes, including fishing and scuba diving. They’re versatile, although boats with a V-shape hull are easier to get in and out of the water.
American Marine & Motorsports in Shawano is one of the largest pontoon dealerships in the Midwest, with about 50 boats on display in its indoor showroom.
It also is one of the largest dealers for Misty Harbor pontoons made in Fort Dodge, Iowa, said Rick Coello, an American Marine sales representative.
“For every 10 boats they manufacture, we take three of them,” Coello said.