If you’re looking for a pontoon boat that can take the party with you, the Princecraft Vogue 29 XT is the right one for you. It’s filled with crowd-pleasing amenities and has enough seating to entertain a large crew while still able to deliver strong performance. Powered with Mercury Racing’s 400R outboard, our triple-tube test model climbed onto plane in 3.5 seconds with just a hint of bow rise — meaning the driver never loses sight forward from the helm. We hit 30 mph in 7.1 seconds. Our test boat also featured Active Trim, which automatically trims the boat for optimal performance as you drive. These are impressive numbers, but the true benefit of installing a 400 hp engine on a pontoon is the boat will never bog down when loaded to its 16-person maximum capacity. That’s right, the boat holds 16 people, plus all your gear and supplies for the day. And rest assured, your crew will ride in comfort.
Our test model featured Princecraft’s Sport Edition package, which includes snazzy all-white vinyl over the plush furniture, LED lighting galore — including LED docking lights — and a color-coordinated snack table. The snack table stows in a convenient dedicated spot so that it’s easy to keep out of the way when not in use. Our tester also had the optional sport arch, which will please the wakeboarders in your crew. The boat has four boarding gates, so you can dock it to either side without worrying about how to get aboard.
The furniture features roto-cast seat bases with plenty of storage underneath to load your gear. The forward couches can be connected by a removable gate seat to form a conversation pit, and the portside seating hides a pop-up changing room that can be equipped with a portable MSD. Both of the front lounges have forward-facing backrests so passengers can stretch out and enjoy the view. The aft lounges have rear-facing backrests, which serve the double purpose of making for great spotter seats during a water-skiing or tubing session. Besides being easy to clean and maintain, the faux-teak flooring underfoot gives the boat a touch of classic elegance that works well with its stylish features.
High Points
* Pop-up changing station under the portside bow lounge deploys effortlessly in seconds.
* Mercury Racing 400R outboard delivers enough power to handle a full crew and a load of gear.
* Roto-cast seat bases keep your gear stowed and dry.
* Molded-fiberglass bow section features LED lighting.
* Removable bow gate seat lets you create a conversation pit at different spots on the boat.
Price: $105,584 (as tested)
How We Tested
Engine: Mercury Racing Verado 400
Drive/Prop: Outboard/Enertia 15″ x 15″ 3-blade stainless steel
Gear Ratio: 1.75:1
Fuel Load: 49 gal.
Crew Weight: 170 lb.
More Information
Princecraft Boats – Princeville, Quebec; 800-395-8858; princecraft.com
