Pontoon Boat Builders To Watch in 2021

As masters of versatility, pontoon boats have been the focus of all sorts of amazing innovations over the years. We’ve seen these boats develop from little more than basic rafts with lawn chairs bushed by a 9.9 to exceedingly powerful, refined and luxurious vessels with every imaginable amenity, including heads, full galleys and even upper decks complete with a water slide. No wonder so many boat industry innovation awards have gone to pontoon boat companies in recent years.

But as always there are a handful of builders that stand out from the pack. Here are half a dozen of our favorites, who each come to market with so many new goodies this year that they rank among the top pontoon boat builders to watch in 2021.

Avalon

Avalon Waketoon

Pontoon boats can do a lot of things really well, with one notable exception and that’s wake surfing. They’re just not suited to it, due in part to their basic hull design and, in part, to their outboard engines. Avalon set about to change that, with a completely re-engineered pontoon that uses some nifty engineering and a Volvo Penta forward-facing sterndrive to give it legitimate wake surfing capabilities. The Avalon Waketoon, as it’s now known, made its debut in 2020 and promptly won an award for its incredible innovation. Look for this concept to continue to evolve in 2021, since most people still don’t even know it even exists.

Barletta

Barletta Corsa 25UC

Barletta has only been building pontoon boats for three years, but the company continues to open eyes with its focus on quality and innovative designs. That includes things like its unique Slide-Toon model, that extends on each side to go from a beam of 8-feet 6 inches up to 14 feet 10 inches. If that’s not enough, Barletta comes to 2021 with its all-new Corsa lineup of mid-level sport pontoons, which are reminiscent of a classic muscle car. All Corsa models – offered in 21-, 23- and 25-foot lengths – come with a variety of furniture layouts including quad-lounge, UltraLounge and Entertainer floor plans, each one boasting enough high-tech goodies to stand out in any crowd. With a lineup like this, it’s no wonder Barletta is one of the top up and coming pontoon boat builders in the industry.

Godfrey

Godfrey Aqua Patio AP256 SB

There’s been a lot of changes at Godfrey Marine since the company was acquired by Polaris in 2018, and it’s all coming to the fore with the 2021 lineup. For starters, there are four new Aqua Patio models available with twin engines – a first for Godfrey – ranging in length from 25 to 28 feet. There’s also newly designed forward lounge seats in all models, with armrests, automotive-style drink holders and USB charging, as well as user-customizable, under-seat RGB lighting that allows a dialed-in glow to suit any mood.

Harris

Harris Crowne 270 SL TE

Harris is one of our favorite luxury pontoon boat builders and the company has always prided itself on running at the front of the innovation pack, and that’s definitely clear in its 2021 top-of-the-line Crowne series. Of course it gets the innovative seating, luxurious upholstery and comfort options one expects in a premium pontoon. But what makes this builder one to watch in 2021 is its incorporation of C-ZONE digital switching technology to automate all sorts of functions in the boat – from turning on the navigation lights automatically as the sun dips on the horizon, to pairing with a smartphone for effortless operation (“Hey Siri, start the engine”). And no, we’re not kidding.

Manitou

Manitou XT

Manitou has made its name as a performance pontoon boat, due in no small part to being owned by BRP. With the demise of BRP’s Evinrude outdoor motor brand earlier this year, all 2021 Manitou pontoons will now come with Mercury engines, making this a brand to watch is it gains access to a whole slew of new power options up to 450 horsepower. With innovative features including cool-touch vinyl seating that doesn’t get hot in the sun, fully digital controls and joystick steering on twin-engine models, Manitou’s luxury XT lineup is making a serious move to capture a bigger chunk of the high-end pontoon market. Manitou is definitely one of the pontoon boat builders worth keeping an eye on.

SunChaser

SunChaser Eclipse 25 SSB

The company made a huge splash in 2015 when it unveiled its then all-new, top-of-the line Eclipse series, and now SunChaser is doing it all over again with its remarkable 2021 lineup. Fishing models get an all-new, completely redesigned stern fishing station with an integrated live well, drink holders, rod holders, rod storage and more, while the stern fencing on all models is replaced by stylish black rails – some with dual aft gates for greater convenience when boarding from the dock. Newly redesigned furniture provides even greater comfort and versatility than before, including swingback seats with adjustable tables that convert to sun pads, while drivers get all-new helm consoles with flush-mount touch-screen displays. If you can put it in a pontoon boat, you’ll likely find it somewhere in the lineup, making SunChaser one of the pontoon boat builders to watch in 2021.