First Take

It’s okay to toss around accolades such as “dream boat” when referring to this Sanpan from Godfrey Marine because it truly is an amazing high-end beauty that’s absolutely loaded with features you might not even realize are available on a pontoon.

Kind Of A Big Deal

The anodized metallic black rails and chrome accents are part of the Midnight package that really pops with the smooth pearl white railskins. Inside, the symmetrical layout starts with the plush Simtex vinyl seating then moves to the dual raised helm platforms with adjustable captain’s chairs and ends with twin outboards in the stern for a near-perfect mirror look. Worth noting, we love the optional pro tour red quilting accent on the seats that flows well with the color scheme. Hidden convenience is built in throughout such as the two USB/USB-C charging ports, located in both the bow and stern loungers. The “SBW” in the model name stands for split bench windshield and when paired with the Power Action Tower with JL speakers you truly have a sporty-looking boat.

At the helm is a Simrad touchscreen in the center of the dash with lighted push buttons on the left, but it’s the 12-inch Garmin chartplotter/FishFinder that rightfully gets a lot of attention. The captain can control the top-of-the-line JL sound system from the touchscreen and there is a second set of stereo controls in the stern for the passengers. The rocking sound system includes eight RGB speakers including two on the tower, plus a 6-channel DSP amplifier and 70-inch subwoofer.

Besides the identical helm chair, the first mate has the same cooled cup holder as the driver. There is extra storage on the side of each helm as well as an extra glove box to store those loose items.

This pontoon, which clearly falls into the dream boat category for a reason, also includes the optional Mercury JPO Control Steering that makes docking as simple as twisting the joystick for complete and easy maneuvering. Just outside the fiberglass stern door is a large swim platform with a black ski/tow pylon, a curved and easy-to-use stainless boarding ladder along with the twin 400hp outboards from Mercury.

Closer Look

Below deck the standard Twin Impact+ triple tube package includes two 27-inch diameter outer tubes with a 29-inch diameter center tube with lifting strakes, solid keel, under-deck aluminum skin, inside skirting and a 121-gallon fuel tank. Overall the pontoon earned high marks for its craftsmanship and overall quality.

Performance

Since our test, Mercury has released its new V10 400hp 5.7L outboards. The boat we tested was powered with its 2.6L outboards, yet the twin 400hp engines still hit a top speed in the 60s. Besides sheer power with a blistering zero-to-20-mph time of 4.5 seconds, we were more impressed by how she handled and was able to dive into some tight turns. The larger diameter center pontoon makes a huge difference as we were able to turn like a V-hull for an extremely thrilling ride.

Final Thoughts

While not for every budget, this dream boat truly is loaded with some amazing features and is backed by serious performance capabilities. While having 800hp on the back and diving into sharp turns put smiles on our faces, this pontoon has so much more to offer as a high-end luxury model.