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Repowering an older tritoon
I have a '96 premier 25 ft. Tritoon. The boat is in really good shape. It has a '96 efi 90 merc on it. We,are considering repowering with what the boat is rated for, a 150. I think we would use it a lot more with a larger engine. My question is do the newer boats have any design improvements to the toons or the shape or size? Would the performance of this older boat be comparable to a newer one of the same size and make? Just trying to decide whether to trade or repower.
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I took a 1999 Lowe 22ft pontoon with 23" logs, added a sylvan 25" center tube w/ build in transom. No strakes. Just put on a 2016 Merc 4 Stroke 150 and I am seeing similar results as new boats. Roughly 33-34mph. I don't think the designs have changed much other than adding strakes. If your toons are smaller than 23", I might consider a different boat.
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Does your boat have lifting strakes? And is the bottom between your toons sealed up with aluminum sheeting?
As you know, Premier is a premium boat, and these thing have long lifespans. If you do have lifting strakes, go with a 150 hp. If you don't have strakes, consider a 115 hp on it. It's the strakes that get the nosecones out of the water, and that's where you get speed and efficiency.
The under deck sheeting is a great addition to any pontoon/tritoon, and it makes them run so much quieter.
I prefer Yamaha and Merc. engines, as they're pretty comparable for 115 & 115 hp 4 strokes. JacosMarine.com is 40 minutes from me, and he sells a bunch of Mercury motors online. Check his prices for relativity, as he's a couple of $ thousand cheaper than what I paid for my F150 Yamaha.
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My premier has the sheeting above the toons but no strakes. You're right about Jaco's. he's given me a deal on a new merc 150 4 stroke. I did measure the toon diameter, i think they were 25".
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There are a lot of Premiers on the lake I frequent and the older tritoon's with no strakes seem to run around 33-35mph with a 150 on the back, Grandparents neighbor has a 23' non straked tritoon with a Suzuki 115 and it runs 31-32mph. I'd certainly re power if you plan on keeping the pontoon for a long time and would be happy with a ~5mph gain from the 90 to a 150. New Tritoon's aren't cheap, I priced out a 22' Premier Gemini (fish/cruise) with the 30" PTX center tube and the boat alone was 28k
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I'd be fine with mid 30s speeds. My main goal is lift. We can't get the bow out of the water with the old 90. Anybody sitting on the front couches catches the spray from the toon tips. Fuel milage is another improvement. While i was talking with one of the girls at jacos they brought up a good point. We've got dogs, grandkids, cookies and chips in the carpet...not to mention mud and sand and dog hair....
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