Thread: 6.5m Hardtop Boats

Originally Posted by longrange308

How come every one has a hard on for pontoon hulls?

Because they've never experienced the exquisite, bordering orgasmic, ride of a Lazercraft?

Originally Posted by Dorkus

Because they've never experienced the exquisite, bordering orgasmic, ride of a Lazercraft?

in a really big following sea no thanks, in fact pretty much no thanks to most trailer boats.

My Southern was totally awesome into the weather but you had to be on your toes in a big following sea especially on your stern quarter.

Originally Posted by mikee

in a really big following sea no thanks, in fact pretty much no thanks to most trailer boats.

My Southern was totally awesome into the weather but you had to be on your toes in a big following sea especially on your stern quarter.

They are pretty renowned for that.

What size ospreys have you been in? The 3.5-5m would be the some of the softest riding pontoon hulls I have been in....down side of that is they take some power to push and the outdated but siginture rounded outer pontoon is in part responsible for that as water sucks up round the curve rather than leaving a clean edge.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

They are pretty renowned for that.

What size ospreys have you been in? The 3.5-5m would be the some of the softest riding pontoon hulls I have been in....down side of that is they take some power to push and the outdated but siginture rounded outer pontoon is in part responsible for that as water sucks up round the curve rather than leaving a clean edge.

9.5m was the last one and 8.5m before that and various from 6m up as well over last few years.
Best riding boat I have been in lately was an Extreme 650 Gameking, and the other one I liked the ride in was an AMF 6m cuddy cabin.

Originally Posted by longrange308

How come every one has a hard on for pontoon hulls?

I'm a rag-bagger (i.e.sailor not a stinky) and I fully agree, the compromises involved in pontoon boat design far exceed the supposed benefits, if I had to be out in any sort of sea give me a Image or Frewsa over a Stabi any day. Working on Stewart Is we had quite a few rough rides in the various pontoon boats and the Ospreys were an order of magnitude better riding than any alternatives (but one still tipped all its passengers into the drink and farken near killed them).

Originally Posted by longrange308

How come every one has a hard on for pontoon hulls?

they dont sink when they are full with water

the do like to do wheelstands (outboard stands) when you are trying to get out of the waves when they are full of water
and everything inside the boat moves with the water

If you do beach launches or bar crossings its nice to know If something terrible happens you will still have a hull to hold on to rather than floating free in the salty monster soup

Originally Posted by Bill999

they dont sink when they are full with water

the do like to do wheelstands (outboard stands) when you are trying to get out of the waves when they are full of water
and everything inside the boat moves with the water

If you do beach launches or bar crossings its nice to know If something terrible happens you will still have a hull to hold on to rather than floating free in the salty monster soup

That's just it, they might not sink (but very few boats do anyway) but pontoon boats drown just as many people as conventional ones . . . .

The trouble with sealed floor conventional hulls in a whoopsi is because all the boyancy is under the floor they float upside down.
A pontoon has at least a chance of staying upright and being able to be bailed or pumped out.
I think in aus and the states now to get some rating they must stay upright if swamped hence the mclay crossover with foam filled gunnels.

Originally Posted by Tentman

That's just it, they might not sink (but very few boats do anyway) but pontoon boats drown just as many people as conventional ones . . . .

Wut? more buoyancy wont stop stupid people buying pontoon boats and doing stupid things
I know loads of idiots that own them, myself and friend group are perfect example
less likely to disappear out of site if it takes on water, it becomes even more important if you like a heavy motor and mines horrendously overpowered

Iv watched a lot of boats trying to load up a marlin which makes water come over the side that sinks the boat in under two minutes out of sight
fuck that for a joke when you cant see land in any direction

Im saving up for a Profile 635, current boat is a Profile 545.
They are good boats.

Profile and Senator very simular as mentioned above, very good boats. Also worth a mention are DNA and Osprey, tend to have a deeper V which comes in handy in the rough stuff. If a 2nd hand Aqualite comes up they are also excellent.

It's once you go above 7.5m you may as well just go monohull as you have weight come into consideration to performance.

A modern deep vee pontoon boats popularity is because they are very good and sorry I wouldn't put a Mclay in same class, although there newer ones look ok.

The only boats that probably outperform the better pontoon boats are the likes of Naiad and Protector but they have less internal volume than similar sized other designs, not to mention need to be careful with pontoons.

Boats seem a very subjective subject as it's hard to compare like for like conditions when being out in them. The end of the day it pretty much comes down to size.

The 6.5m is probably the perfect all-round size for NZ as easy to tow and launch. I'd definitely touchbase with the guy working at Profile for his opinion.

I've a Frewza F18 and if I'd the money I'd look at DNA, Stabi or Senator. Really like the options on the DNA and the forward raking screen of the Stabi. I'm impressed by the Senator build quality too.

Sent from my F5321 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Wildman

I've a Frewza F18 and if I'd the money I'd look at DNA, Stabi or Senator. Really like the options on the DNA and the forward raking screen of the Stabi. I'm impressed by the Senator build quality too.

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That's right on the money Wildman, nothing wrong with the Frewza's, probably best bang for your buck but if you can spend more the others have progressed to nicer finishing and some improvements as their companies have expanded. The Frewza is basically boat without the chips and fries.

To be fair Stabi have really lifted their game with addressing some inadequacies in their initial designs.

With DNA Jason has a real passion and his welding quality on one of his boats I had years ago was commented on by very anal engineer I had out with me was quite impressed, I think many of these NZ manufacturers are probably the same and put pride in their work and you get a good boat.

Senator all day every day I wouldn't be biased either hahah