A 23-foot 10-inch pontoon boat Flattop Cruiser Rinker Flotilla III
A planing pontoon boat, for lack of a better description, is not a new concept, it's just the latest trend to ripple through the small-boat ranks. I recall a couple of memorable stints aboard Advantage's Party Cat quite a few years ago. Even before that, however, the concept of a pontoon boat's deck on a planing hull was carried out on early deckboat styles. Those early boats were called "step-on" deckboats (as opposed to "step-in" boats) and, if my sources and memory are correct, originated with a Texas company appropriately named Deckboat. They were little more than tri-hulls with a carpeted plywood deck on top.
The bottom line is that pontoon boats are among the most practical craft on the water - they just generally lack performance and style. To appeal to a wider range of potential boaters, the evolution of the pontoon boat seems to involve borrowing attributes from several styles without destroying the inherent practicality. Basically, deck space, amenities and creature comforts are added to a swift hull to offer a well-appointed lanai with a capability for quickly changing the scenery and affording lots of party potential.
It seems also that a trend doesn't get rolling, even if it's a good idea, until a major company gets involved. When models such as the Bayliner Rendezvous, Wellcraft Genesis and Tracker Party Express took off, a trend toward planing flattops began. From what we saw last fall at the marine industry's major trade show, you're going to be seeing a lot of this style this season, as many manufacturers jump in with individual interpretations of what a planing pontoon boat ought to be.
Rinker realized early on that this concept was a workable one and got a jump with its introduction. The Flotilia III is a 23-foot 10-inch party-platform model that takes full advantage of the maximum trailering width to afford lots of room and wide-open spaces. The 3760-pound boat is built on a very efficient quasi-tri-hull configuration. Actually, the hull's performance feels more like a Mod-VP-bottom style than a tri-hull, as well it should, since it features a full-length center hull, outside sponsons and full-length tunnels in between. The hull is stable, quick and efficient, and without the tri-hull drawback of hard riding in rough water. Even with modest power, the big Flotilla planes quickly without much bow rise. Overall performance and handling were impressive, especially considering the size and bulk of this boat and its optional 180-hp sterndrive. Tracking is especially good and turns are accomplished with negligible lean. Tight turns are unbelievable. The boat comes around in a small arc, as though on rails, and it does so without a hint that the prop may lose bite on the water.
Deck layout is fairly conventional, mostly pontoon style with furniture more akin to quality runabouts. There are several surprises, however, and lots of comfortable open spaces. I applaud Rinker for also considering and accommodating handicapped boaters, because the Flotilla is wheelchair-friendly, with a wide, opening gate at the aft starboard comer and room to wheel around on deck to enjoy the accommodations.
Like a pontoon boat, the Hotilla's deck is surrounded by aluminum rail and panel fencing, which gives it a traditional look. It has the usual gates for easy boarding and egress, plus access to the bow area and stem. The seating layout inside the fence includes a pair of facing settees forward, a captain's seat behind the starboard console and an L-shaped dinette/cocktail arrangement in the aft port comer. There are storage compartments under the settees and a big ski locker in the cockpit sole.
There is a neat module against the front fence containing a sink, drink and bottle holders, and a good-size trash bin concealed under a hinged portion of the counter. Below the console, a 36-quart, portable Igloo cooler resides. The area is handy as a snack-prep station. Another nicely executed component is the enclosed head compartment housed inside the front portion of the helm console. A hinged deck hatch and door open to reveal steps down into the compartment, which is fitted with a portable head fixture, light and portlight. The recessed portion of the compartment is a gelcoated liner with floor drain, while the upper portion is carpeted.
The stem portion of the deck is elevated, a lot like the traditional pontoon design. The pad across the top of this section opens for access to the sterndrive engine. To facilitate access, however, the transverse portion of the dinette seat flips forward to open the space wide. The MerCruiser 4.3LX V-6 powering the boat I tested was a nice fit, with ample access to critical checkpoints and systems. The 4.3-liter engine, from either MerCruiser, Volvo Penta or Yamaha, is the largest engine offered in the Flotilla.
Simple and effective best describes the Flotilla's helm. White-faced analog gauges were arranged in the center of the dash above the tilt steering wheel, and included tach, speedo, fuel, trim, volts, oil and temperature gauges. Rocker switches, each with individual circuit-breakers and indicator lights, flank the instruments. The stereo unit was mounted in an enclosure to the left of the wheel. A single-stick Quicksilver binnacle control mounts on a pad to the right of the wheel.
There is a recessed bow deck, roomy enough for handling lines and anchoring. An anchor locker was also included. There is very little space provided across the stem, but the cutout to accommodate wheelchair access on the starboard quarter helps. Rinker curiously placed the cleats on the side of the hull, presumably to keep them out of the way. The cleat on the port-side stem would be difficult to reach from inside the boat, but surely skippers would keep a line attached there, snubbed off and at the ready.
The Flotilla Ill comes standard with a Sunbrella Bimini top built on square aluminum tubing. It is easily and quickly erected and just as easily folded down for road travel. The trailer carrying the Flotilla was a fixed-bunk model that neatly cradled the load and made for very easy launching and loading.
I think this trend to luxurious flattop cruisers, such as the Rinker Flotilla III, is a sensible one, particularly where inherent practicality is concerned. The homely pontoon boat is finally evolving into a vehicle that not only provides patio accommodations but performance and style to boot.
RINKER FLOTILLA III
Base price $19,000
Price as tested$19,000
Length 23'10"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 3760 lbs.
Standard engine MerCruiser 4.3LX
Engine testedMerCruiser 4.3LX
Horsepower 175
Fuel capacity 40 gals.
Manufacturer:
Rinker Boat Company, inc.
Dept. TBM
300 W. Chicago St.
Syracuse, IN 46567
TEST RESULTS
ENGINESPEED FUEL
(rpm) (mph) (gph)(mpg)
1000 4.8 0.75 6.40
1500 6.1 1.49 4.09
2000 8.6 3.89 2.21
2500 12.0 5.93 2.02
3000 19.9 6.64 3.00
3500 26.4 8.65 3.05
4000 30.610.87 2.81
4750 35.619.03 1.87
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