INDEPENDENT BOAT TEST RESULTS

Sanpan 2500 Family Entertainer

Reprinted from "Pontoon and Deckboat" April 2000

w e knew going into this year's Shootout that a superior luxury-class pontoon boat must have three critical attributes: supreme comfort, high-end amenity features and a beautiful fit and finish. In our evaluations of the top luxury boats, the Godfrey Sanpan 2500 FE met the first two criteria extremely well. But hardly to our surprise, the Sanpan truly dominated in the third. It had one of the best fit and finishes we've seen on a luxury pontoon, or any pontoon for that matter. The welds were absolutely perfect. The carpeting was perfectly cut and tucked. The furniture bases were snugly secured to the deck. There was hardly a hint of any irregularities in any of the exterior cosmetics, railing or fencing. Inside and out, from its storage basins to step ladders, from its smooth steering to its triple-stitched seats, this boat proved to be nearly flawless in our on-trailer inspection. From our subjective on-the-water "consumer" testing, we got a better feel of how all this attention to detail adds up for an enjoyable boating experience. All the gates {including special pinch guards) and latches provided smooth, easy access. Up front we encountered a plush wraparound bench and two full- fledged captain's chairs along the front port side. All of the seating here {as well as the L-lounge in back) was well above average in comfort. But believe it or not, this still paled in comparison to the superior comfort of the Sanpan's helm seat with lumbar support. If we had an award for the most comfortable helm chair, this would be our hands- down winner. In fact, the entire Sanpan helm is a work of art in a class all its own. Mounted on a molded glass console base, it features VDO marine technology, a packed custom dash, tilt steering and plenty of forward storage. The beauty of the 2500 FE (that's Family Entertainer in Godfrey parlance) is far more than skin-deep, however. The nuts-and-bolts have always been one of Godfrey's strong points, and here with the Sanpan we found no exception. Just for starters, Sanpan construction features a heavy-duty aluminum "K" channel motor mount system, stainless steel fasteners throughout, waterproof below-deck wiring connectors and a full-length keel. On every Sanpan you'll also find 3/4" pressure treated plywood decking, extruded aluminum saddle brackets, bolted decks, heavy-duty expanded vinyl, raised rails and a whole lot more. The 2500 we tested came equipped with a 90-hp Mercury, which proved to be a nicely balanced package. The 90 is a far cry from the boat's maximum horsepower rating of 150, but it proved to be perfect for what we feel is the Sanpan's forte: kicked-back cruising in the lap of luxury. The engine topped out at 5800 rpm, giving the boat its top speed of just over 24 mph. About 3500 rpm seemed ideal, moving the boat along at a mod- est 13 mph and offering great fuel economy at more than 6 miles per gallon. Best of all was the 70-decibel hum of the Mercury, capping off a very quiet, enjoyable ride. On a boat with such attention to aesthetic detail and superb construction, that's just what we had hoped for, and we weren't disappointed.

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