NUMBER OFOCCUPANTS:

14 $33.8K

MAXIMUMSPEED

WILDPONIES

NUMBEROF GATES

3

25 Party BargeRegency Edition

When it comes to luxurious high-

end boats, this Sun Tracker has a lot

going for it. From the contoured plush

seating to the loaded amenities, the

Party Barge has it all.

The lockable storage under the

chaise lounges is great, but since you

can gain access from the lounge

cushion, it kind of defeats the

purpose of a lock.

Why We Love This Boat

Just Being Picky

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www.pdbmagazine.com

Sun Tracker PONTOON BOATS

PRICE AS TESTEDWITH POWER

36.9MPH 135HP

52 PDB Magazine

Our First ImpressionVery few boats impressed us the

way this Sun Tracker did. The

appearance of the interior alone was

enough to catch our attention, but

the amenities were equally as nice.

This boat was dubbed the “contour

beauty” at our test for its soft and

round sculptured seats and inviting

layout.

Consumer TestWe can’t begin to give enough

praise for the overstuffed-looking

seats that could easily double as

couches in your own living room. This

is what a high-end luxury boat is sup-

posed to feel like. The furniture com-

fort is as good as it looks and we real-

ly liked the three chaise lounges.

Below each chaise is a lockable door

for the storage compartment.

However, you can also gain access

from lifting the cushion up top, which

defeats the purpose of a locking door.

Plus the dual captain’s chair opposite

of the helm blocks the access to the

lockable door on the rear lounge, but

the tradeoff is probably worth it. The

first-mate chair is just as comfortable

as the helm chair and both slide, swiv-

el and recline.

Below the thick padded, three-

quarter sundeck is a large changing

room. To gain access, just pull on the

two side straps and once the enclo-

sure is open you’ll find the battery

box that doubles as a bench seat.

The rear entry gate is one of three

openings on board and each gate has

a positive latch for safety. What we

really like is the carpeted stern swim

deck, which is something we haven’t

seen on a lot of pontoon boats. The

four-step rear boarding ladder is one

of two ladders on this model includ-

ing the bow-mounted one.

At the raised helm is a very luxuri-

ous console that includes a multi-

function gauge, 12-volt with its own

compartment, Sony CD stereo and a

Lowrance depth finder. The burlwood

on the console ties in well with the

rest of the boat, but there might be

too much burlwood trim used in the

overall design throughout the boat.

Other notable features include plenty

of drink holders, including some styl-

ish looking ones near the floor as well

as those hidden in the seatbacks.

Behind the captain’s chair is an enter-

tainment center with a sink and faucet

as well as sliding drawers below.

Everywhere we looked we found

amenities that we liked.

Inspection TestTwo 26-inch pressurized pontoons

are the base of this 25-footer and

there are lifting strakes on the inside

and outside of each log, which are

Sun Tracker’s new NV performance

strakes. The C-channel cross members

are bolted to the risers and the below

deck wiring is above average. From

the modified porpoise nosecones to

the beefed up transom, the weld qual-

ity is excellent. And like the transom,

the extended rear sundeck is also

well-braced.

Above deck there is over 18 feet of

usable deck space inside the gates

and the Rotocast seat bases are

screwed to the plywood deck. The

fiberglass helm (that includes a nice

non-glare insert) is also screwed to the

deck and the wiring under the helm is

above average.

This pontoon earned high marks

for its exceptional fit and finish work

and overall safe family design.

Performance TestWith a name like Party Barge you

have to understand that this boat’s main

purpose is to be comfortable and

amenity-packed, not to turn on a dime

and pull sharp corners. Yet, it does have

a good initial kick of power with the

Mercury 135hp Optimax. At full throttle

we reached speeds over 35 miles per

hour, which is actually quite impressive.

The SeaStar hydraulic steering made it

easier to corner, but she did lean a little

in the wide turns.

Final ThoughtsThis high-end and very plush con-

tour beauty caught the attention of a

lot of people on the docks. Sun Tracker

builds a very inviting and attractive-

looking boat that provides a lot of style.

Plus it’s well-built with extra attention

going to the fit and finish details.

B O AT S P E C S

E N G I N E & P R O P E L L E R S

R P M v s . S P E E D v s . D B - A

AS TESTED $33,795 (boat and motor)

LOA ..................................................26’ 1”Beam ................................................8’ 6”Hull Design ..............2 Performance toonsDry Weight..................................3230 lbs.Fuel Capacity..........................45 gallons

Engine ......................Mercury 135 Optimax

Cylinder Type ......................................V6

Displacement/HP ....................153ci/135hp

Lower Unit Gear Ratio ....................2.00:1

Propeller ......................................17 Pitch

Notable StandardsFull instrumentation, stainless steel fas-

teners, full width “Z” bar floor supports, over-

sized ladder, bow seats convert to a lounge,

anti-feedback tilt steering, Lowrance 3500

digital depth finder, Sirius capable AM/FM

CD Player with MP3 jack and four directional

speakers, sink, fresh and waste water stor-

age, docking and navigational lights and an

Interstate cranking battery.

Options On Test Boat

None

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Sun Tracker

PRICE

600 ..................2.6 mph ......................79

1000 ..................4.4 mph ....................79.5

1500 ..................6.3 mph ......................80

2000 ................8.8 mph....................83.5

2500 ................11.2 mph ......................88

3000 ................15.3 mph ..................93.5

3500 ................19.3 mph ..................96.5

4000 ................24.3 mph ..................97.5

4500 ................29.1 mph ....................102

5000 ................32.9 mph....................104

5500 ................36.9 mph....................107

PDB

2008 Shootout Special Issue 53