Boats

2021 Barletta L25UCA

The L25UCA mixes luxury amenities with loads of clever features.

By Charles Plueddeman

Updated: May 20, 2021

Overview

This new L Series flagship of the Barletta Pontoon Boats line incorporates all the cool, desirable extras, including a welded-aluminum sport arch rated to tow 1,500 pounds that incorporates a 10-foot sun top, four speakers and a light bar, and raises and lowers at the touch of a button—very convenient.

Barletta’s L25UCA provides a comfortable ride for you and your crew. Tom King

Engine

Triple 26-inch tubes feature dual-stage lifting strakes, which Barletta says reduce drag and help guide the boat through turns, plus internally reinforced nose cones and “wave tamers” to knock down spray from the outboard tubes. Heavy-duty double I-beam cross members are installed on 16-inch centers. The rubber Barletta Vibration Isolation Pads between the I-beams and each M-bracket effectively isolate the plywood deck from engine vibration, a feature in testing these ‘toons that really shows. This robust construction enables engine options up to the muscular Mercury Racing 450R on our test model.

Interior and Accessories

Within the deck are a lighted ski locker and a cooler stowage compartment. Just inside the bow entry gate is a new in-deck anchor locker that will also hold a pair of large fenders. Convenience features include USB charging ports at each seat, a wireless phone charger at the helm, a flip-up table within the port console, and a stainless-steel tow bar with integrated fender baskets. The raised fuel-filler neck lets you top off the tank without bending over. The aft Ultra Lounge can be configured for fore or aft seating and lounging. The raised fiberglass helm console offers great legroom and holds a standard Simrad GO7 multifunction display. New this year is a 1,500-watt Hertz audio system with six speakers (plus four in the arch) and a subwoofer.

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Dogs are frequent guests aboard pontoons, and this L25UCA is equipped with water bowls that slide out from the console base. Using the new Doggie Dockview see-through panel in the bow and portside gates, Fido can keep watch. It also improves the captain’s view forward when docking. Clever features and loads of luxury define this pontoon from Barletta.

How We Tested

Engine: Mercury Racing 450R
Drive/Prop: Outboard/Mercury Enertia 14.2″ x 18″ 3-blade stainless steel
Gear Ratio: 1.60:1 Fuel Load: 13 gal. Crew Weight: 190 lb.

High Points

Anchor locker on a pontoon—brilliant!
Excellent battery access below the aft lounge.
High-performance Hertz audio sounds crisp and clear.
See-through gate and slide-out pet bowls for man’s best friend.

Low Points

Windscreen at the helm console would enhance driver comfort and visibility.
Man’s best friend not on the options list.

Toughest Competitor

The 27-foot-9-inch Bennington 26LXSBA (base price about $84,000 with Mercury 150 outboard) features the triple-tube ESP Performance Package with a center-mounted 50-gallon fuel tank, SeaStar power steering, a convertible Swingback lounge with aft-facing Kicker speakers, and a sport tower.