Winding through a picturesque stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway aboard Premier’s 250 S-Series RF rendered all kinds of waterborne fantasies to my boat-soaked brain. This is a touring pontoon with rear-facing seating, and with its protective split windshield and broad expanse of Bimini top overhead, we motored along in comfort, leading me to think about the possibilities of extending the season well into fall. The PTX package — a tri-toon system that includes 25-inch-diameter outer tubes fitted with lifting strakes and bracketing a center hull with a sharp-V entry and a 12-inch-wide flat planing surface — also gave me visions of showing runabouts what’s what.
With a 250 hp Yamaha V-Max SHO, we hurtled to 30 mph in just over six seconds and reached 43.4 mph at WOT. Equally impressive, because the lifting strakes are located on the inboard side, the 250 S-Series (unlike other ’toons, which have strakes mounted on the outboard sides) banks into turns instead of leaning disconcertingly outboard.
The third dream come true generated by the 250 S-Series likely will be the one that experienced boaters appreciate most: durable ease of ownership. Using heavy-duty .90-gauge aluminum to make its tubes, Premier applies even heavier .100-gauge nose cones. So executed, the ’toons are fitted to the deck with robust M-brackets. Gravelly shorelines and rough water meet their match.
Inside the multitude of lounges, I found massive storage, each compartment fitted with Premier’s exclusive lift-and-lay cushions that afford one-handed access. The changing room is huge and the boat is rife with neat features, like the pop-up speakers that rotate so you can direct the tunes to the boat, the water or both. Dreaming of a touring ’toon? Check out Premier’s 250 S-Series RF.
Extra Points
PTX package marries planing performance to pontoon space and comfort.
M-brackets securing pontoons to the deck maintain a reliable connection despite high speeds, waves and wakes.
Omnidirectional pop-up stereo speakers are as functional as they are cool.
Side panels are acoustically isolated with industrial silicone for a quieter ride.
Test Drive
» Test Engine: Yamaha 250 HP V-Max SHO
» Test Prop: Yamaha Reliance 14¼” X 17″ Three-Blade SS
» Test Load: People (380 LB.); Fuel (25 GAL.)
» Top Speed: 43.4 MPH
» Time to Plane: 4 sec.
» Time to 30 MPH: 6.25 sec.
**
» Most Economical Cruise Speed:** 17.7 MPH @ 3,500 RPM, 6.8 GPH, 2.58 MPG
Vital Stats
» Length Overall: 26’4″
» Beam: 8’6″
» Dry Weight: 3,200 LB. (as tested)
» Seating/Weight Capacity: 17/3,450 LB. (as tested)
» Fuel Capacity: 53 GAL. (as tested)
» Max HP: 300 (as tested)
» MSRP: $61,330
» NMMA Certified
