World's fastest pontoon boat

[mmd]

Yes, folks, somebody strapped on three 300-hp outboards on a pontoon boat. Clocked at 114mph at the Lake of the Ozarks Shoot-out. Only in America, eh?

[ron ll]

I thought the whole raison d’etre of those things was to not spill your martini.

[Chris Smith porter maine]

That must be the record for the under 1000hp class.

[Garret]

Makes me real proud to be an Amurican.

Could use a little more flotation aft, no?

Put your martini in a Yeti cup - no spill & it'll keep cold longer. Lotta work to get the olive out - but you won't have to worry about it being shaken, not stirred!

[Nicholas Carey]

I thought the whole raison d’etre of those things was to not spill your martini.

Bud Light. At best.

[Jim Bow]

I wonder if there's a Worlds Fastest Parade Float?

[Phil Y]

Classy

[Breakaway]

Bud Light. At best.

Many new pontoon boats are twin-engined and cost well over $100,000.

Kevin

[bailfaster]

Classy

You bet it's classy! Let me win the lottery an' I'll have me a pop-up camper on one o' those bad boys!

[Ian McColgin]

Here it is in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlUMjWTeN78

[Rich Jones]

I was wondering if the pontoons had been modified/strengthened for that boat. Then I watched the film clip and saw a third pontoon in between the original two. Not exactly standard equipment.

[Keith Wilson]

Might be standard. Some of 'em have three.

[mmd]

Yup, it is, Rich. The larger models of pontoon boat by South Bay (the manufacturer of the boat used above) all have a third pontoon. It increases the carrying capacity of the boat. But they do have a whole bunch of thingies fastened to the tubes to aid performance. I don't know if the actual record boat had any mods made, although I didn't read anything that indicated that there was.

[Paul Pless]

Not exactly standard equipment.

pretty standard

[Breakaway]

Most makers offer the third tube, nowadays. On some boats it's an option--it adds under sole stowage, for example. On other boats with higher hp, it's required. The colloquialism is, " tri-toon."

Kevin

EDIT: Its interesting to note that the center pontoon ( or , "log," as they are sometimes called) is larger diameter and often set deeper than the two outboard pontoons. The effect presented to the water is akin to the shape of a V-hull.

Screen Shot 2018-04-17 at 10.55.04 AM.jpg

Kevin

[Paul Pless]

EDIT: Its interesting to note that the center pontoon ( or , "log," as they are sometimes called) is larger diameter and often set deeper than the two outboard pontoons. The effect presented to the water is akin to the shape of a V-hull.

that is interesting

I recall when the 'standard' pontoon boat in the deep south was two pontoons, a plywood deck, and an Evinrude 35. You could run a family around 'the lake' all weekend on two eight gallon gas tanks and still have fuel left over for a weekday evening jaunt. Nowadays a 150 outboard seems base level power. . .