|
|
|
Pontoon Opulence - Avalon Excalibur Elite 27
by Go Boating Test Team
The new Avalon Excalibur Elite 27 is a classy customer with pampered features
Print This Article
|
Email This Article
It’s fair to say that not all pontoons are created equal and that as these boats become more popular, you can expect manufacturers to offer an ever-widening variety of craft. One example is the brand-new Avalon Excalibur Elite 27, which is not only a new boat, but also is one in a brand-new line of pontoon boats being offered by a manufacturer with more than 30 years of experience in the business.
The idea behind the Excalibur Elite 27 (and the shorter 25- and 23-foot Excalibur Elite models) is to offer a stylish luxury cruiser that includes an upscale list of standard features that you’d typically expect to see as expensive options.
Avalon also works to give the 27 a distinctive look with a curved bow and transom. No one wants to be a square, and we agree that the curves give the 27 the look of class and elegance that Avalon is shooting for.
From the deck down the construction of the 27 is in line with what we’ve seen on many of today’s modern pontoons. You’ll find a pair of 25-inch, .080-gauge chambered aluminum tubes with keel protectors and nose cones supporting a treated plywood deck -- the flooring, cross beams and pontoon structure are covered by a lifetime warranty. At the transom you’ll find a .190-gauge heavy-duty motor pod, which is more than sturdy enough to support this craft’s maximum horsepower of 150.
Above the deck, however, you’ll find a laundry list of pampered standard features and construction materials that allow Avalon to deliver on its promise of a luxury cruiser pontoon.
Inside
The first thing we noticed in the curved bow is how the entryway is set off-center to starboard -- this further adds to the craft’s distinctiveness. You’ll also find a pair stainless steel pop-up cleats in the bow and recessed docking and navigation lights on each side, all of which come standard.
Under your feet you feel the plush 28-ounce diamond carpet -- vinyl flooring is an option for those who want something easier to clean. The carpet is also extended to the toe-kicks under the seats -- this is another small detail that adds a lot of class.
Instead of roto-molded seat bases, Avalon uses aluminum-framed seats with expanded rubber mats inside on the floor for protected storage and vents to keep the areas dry. The seats themselves are upholstered with a Matrix 50 gauge vinyl that has the fine look and feel of leather but is made to withstand the elements. The raised seatbacks are high and the comfort is certainly a step above that of many other ‘toons we’ve tested.
While many manufacturers have gone the way of portable upholstered cupholders, Avalon decided to keep things tidy with hidden double cupholders that fold out of the seats. This ensures everyone has access to a cupholder or two while keeping the boat clutter free.
You’ll find another clutter-free measure in the see-through hatch just forward of the helm, which is dedicated storage for the three fenders that come standard with the craft.
The helm itself also features a number of niceties worth mentioning. Right in the center of the dash is a Humminbird GPS/fish finder/speedometer, something we rarely see standard on any trailerboat. The dash and tilt wheel are done in wood-grain accents with gold bezels on the gauges. Down to port of the wheel is the standard waterproof Clarion marine AM/FM CD player (four speakers) that is Sirius satellite capable -- additional speakers are optional.
Avalon calls its captain’s chair a Command Chair -- and for good reason. The chair has big stuffed armrests and a headrest and is ridiculously comfortable -- it also reclines, swivels and slides back and forth.
Right next to the helm is the craft’s refreshment center, which includes an integrated cooler with drain and a freshwater sink (1-gallon tank). Below, behind a door is dedicated space for the standard 25-quart cooler.
Across the way to port of the helm is a port entryway and gate -- all the gates have monogrammed plates and netted storage on the inside. Just aft of the port gate begins the L-shaped cockpit seating, which has the same features as the seats in the bow plus one unique surprise.
In the port rear corner of the seat at seatback level you’ll find another triangular see-through hatch, but instead of fenders, this one sports your very own wine cooler. It has a bucket with enough room for ice and a couple of bottles of champers or wine and a wineglass holder capable of holding four stemmed wineglasses. Nothing says posh like being able to break out a couple of bottles of chilled bubbly to toast the night away.
Aft of the rear seat you’ll find a large sunpad with a raised padded border and plenty of room for two or three sun worshipers. Below the forward portion of the pad is a pop-up changing room (another standard) and more storage. A 10-foot Bimini comes standard when shade is a priority.
The gated starboard rear entry accesses the standard boarding ladder and an area of exposed deck big enough to qualify as a small swim platform. Our craft had the optional stainless steel ski tow bar -- something we highly recommend for those of you with watersports on your agenda.
Performance
With a 90 hp Yamaha F90 four-stroke and a twin-tube setup we were expecting more of a comfortable cruiser than a punchy performer, and that’s just what we got.
We had two people aboard for our test and a half tank of fuel (about 18 gallons). Our Yamaha F90 was spinning a 13-inch-pitch three-blade aluminum prop. We posted a 0- to 20-mph time of a little over 13 seconds and a top speed of 22.4 mph at 5,900 rpm, which is right there near the top of the Yamaha’s 5,000 to 6,000 WOT rpm range.
We found a comfortable cruising speed of 14.3 mph at 4,000 rpm, which only registered a little over 70 dB on our sound meter. A quiet ride really goes a long way to punctuate this craft’s elegant attitude.
The craft took the turns in true pontoon fashion with a wide and gentle turning radius. As hard as we tried, we couldn’t get the prop to blow out in hard-over turns.
Those of you who do want more performance will be glad to know that a triple-tube setup is optional along with the ability to increase the size of the tubes to 27 inches. You can either outfit the craft with up to 150 hp with an outboard, or, if you have the triple-tube setup, you can even drop in a MerCruiser stern drive.
Overall
The Avalon Excalibur Elite 27 is being billed as a high-end luxury pontoon, and we think the handsome list of standard features and the fine quality of materials used in the boat’s construction allow this boat to deliver on that promise.
The stylish curves in the bow and stern, the decked-out helm and the plush furniture point to a craft that can entertain 18 people in class. The ride is smooth and quiet, so your passengers will be comfortable and won’t have to shout to be heard.
With a base price of $26,995 (including our Yamaha F90 test motor), the Excalibur Elite 27 isn’t much more expensive than other large ‘toons, and the price is more than fair given its size, attention to detail and bevy of upscale standard features.
Performance-wise the boat has the potential to up the thrill factor a notch or two with more horsepower and a log down the center, but we enjoyed the quiet cruising we experienced on our test boat -- it just seemed to suit the craft’s classy attitude.
Contact Information: Avalon Pontoons; (800) 334-2913; www.avalonpontoons.com.
|
This article first appeared in the October 2005 issue of GoBoating Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
|
|
|
|
