What You Need To Know
At nearly 24 feet long, we were pleasantly surprised by just how much Misty Harbor was able to pack into this boat including a cozy bow seating area, matching helm chairs, an entertainment center and two rear-facing stern loungers.
The Highlights
With the removable bow seat you can easily convert the front of your boat into a nice social lounge that provides abundant seating. There is just something about this area that feels nice and cozy; maybe it's the thick glass table that welcomes you.
Across from the captain is a second helm chair that is equally as comfortable as the one for the driver. Having a comfy seat for the first-mate is becoming a popular layout trend in the industry and we can see why. Behind this chair on the portside is a small entertainment center that is complete with a sink and faucet, plus LED lights. We also discovered other key features with these LED lights including the built-in cupholders as well as speaker covers. Having these mood lights will make your evening cruises that much better.
As for the captain, we like the look of the fiberglass helm stand and console that has easy-to-read gauges, MP3 port, 12-volt outlet as well as a full Sony marine-grade stereo. There is even a glovebox below the helm console; it would be nice if it locked, but it's still good just to have a compartment for your smaller items. And even though the majority of the boat is carpeted, we absolutely love the non-skid pad on the elevated helm platform for the captain's feet.
Moving towards the stern, the two large rear-facing lounges with fiberglass bases will be the most coveted onboard. We love that the layout is family-friendly due to the added safety of an enclosed rail design. Below the portside rear lounge is extra storage and below the other is an easy-to-use pop-up changing room. When opened it stands around 5 feet tall, but is plenty wide to really be used. Outside the rear gate is a teak-looking vinyl flooring that nicely finishes off the look of the boat. Also in the stern is an average-size, three-step boarding ladder as well as a ski/tow bar. Having the in-floor ski locker means this ski/tow bar is going to see plenty of action.
Inspection Notes
Three 25-inch diameter pontoons form the foundation of this boat, each fitted with lifting strakes to bring the pontoons to a higher plane, and a performance shield to reduce drag. Stainless steel nuts and bolts are used to attach the plywood deck to cross-members that are built on 16-inch centers. After a closer inspection this pontoon earned high marks for its fit and finish work and overall craftsmanship. It's a solid and well-built boat from bow to stern.
From a safety stand point, we love the family-friendly layout. It's ideal for those with smaller children and really the only thing missing to complement the design would be some type of a permanent location for a trash can. But other than that it's ready for the kiddos.
Performance Evaluation
Don't let the comfort fool you: this pontoon is a performer as well. We were pleasantly surprised by the power of the Suzuki 175 and by just how well this 23-footer turns. She's very responsive and you always feel safe and in control. Having hydraulic steering with power assist is a great option that really makes the difference in how much fun it really is to drive.
Final Thoughts
Our first impression was a good one, but still this boat seemed to continue to impress us the more we looked. It's a great boat for those looking to upgrade from an entry-level model who want a great boat, while sticking within a budget.
Number of Occupants 12
Price As Tested With Power $49.7K
Maximum Speed 44.1 mph
Wild Ponies 175hp
No. of Gates 3
0-20 MPH 5.6 seconds
Ladder Measurement 15' 10" deep
Why we love this boat.Great layout with just enough key features to be considered a solid family-friendly and added-value pontoon. Misty Harbor packs a lot into this model.
Just being picky.We'd like to see a locking glovebox as well as a trash receptacle come standard on this boat and maybe a more heavy-duty ski/tow bar. But other than that we like this boat as-tested.
NOTABLE STANDARDS
Chrome rub rail, and newly designed anodized decorative rails that feature two tone color schemes and an optional center graphic, stainless steel locking hardware to attach 3/4", 7-ply, marine plywood to the cross-members
OPTIONS ON TEST BOAT
Premium glass table, dual helm chairs, entertainment center with faucet and sink, raised helm, SeaStar hydraulic steering with power assist
VITAL STATS
LOA 23'10"
Beam 8' 6"
Hull Design Pontoon with plywood decking
Dry Weight 1700 lbs.
Fuel Capacity 54 gallons
TEST DRIVE
Engine Suzuki DF175 TX
Cylinder Type 4
Cubic-inch Displacement/Horsepower 174.9ci/175hp
Lower Unit Gear Ratio 2.50:1
Propeller DFV63 X 20 X 16
RPM vs. SPEED vs. DB-A
900 1.2 61.5
1000 4.2 71.5
1500 4.8 79
2000 6.6 77.5
2500 10.2 87.5
3000 14.4 91
3500 18.2 96.5
4000 23.4 97.5
4500 29 98
5000 32.4 102.5
5500 37.5 101
5900 43.1 104.5
6100 44.1 104.5
Fort Dodge, Iowa.
515-573-1093
mistyharborboats.com
