Hey folks.
My family (wife + 2 kids) moved to northern Michigan last fall and we bought a place on an inland lake. We used to own a cottage but sold it about 10 years ago so it has been a while since I owned a serious boat (just a little a little aluminum one for taking the kids fishing and it's really too small for the lake we're on). So, I am in the market for a new boat.
My last one was a fixer upper- an older fish and ski that got the job done but I was never really very happy with it. I'm looking for something that'll ferry guests around on booze cruises, pull the kids on a tube, and maybe do a little fishing but, in my experience, when you buy a boat that tries to do too many things, it doesn't do any of them very well. If I drive across the street from my boat ramp then I can put into Lake Michigan as well, so a cuddy cabin might be an option too.
Looking around, I have noticed that pontoon boats have become really popular (and expensive). From what I am reading, you need to have a motor in the 90+ hp range to pull tubes and skiers. Does anyone have any experience with using a pontoon boat to pull anything?
I'm sort of ambivalent about the idea of a pontoon boat. They're ugly as hell but they seem to be pretty functional and everyone I ask speaks pretty highly of them.
My family (wife + 2 kids) moved to northern Michigan last fall and we bought a place on an inland lake. We used to own a cottage but sold it about 10 years ago so it has been a while since I owned a serious boat (just a little a little aluminum one for taking the kids fishing and it's really too small for the lake we're on). So, I am in the market for a new boat.
My last one was a fixer upper- an older fish and ski that got the job done but I was never really very happy with it. I'm looking for something that'll ferry guests around on booze cruises, pull the kids on a tube, and maybe do a little fishing but, in my experience, when you buy a boat that tries to do too many things, it doesn't do any of them very well. If I drive across the street from my boat ramp then I can put into Lake Michigan as well, so a cuddy cabin might be an option too.
Looking around, I have noticed that pontoon boats have become really popular (and expensive). From what I am reading, you need to have a motor in the 90+ hp range to pull tubes and skiers. Does anyone have any experience with using a pontoon boat to pull anything?
I'm sort of ambivalent about the idea of a pontoon boat. They're ugly as hell but they seem to be pretty functional and everyone I ask speaks pretty highly of them.