It's time to Party -- on the water!
February 25, 2012 
Leo’s looking for a humongous Trawler for his retirement days, but that’s far away, if ever! But I found something more down-to-earth at the Miami International Boat Show. The name alone screams: “Leo” The boat company is Premier – same name (but different company) than the one that syndicates his Tech Guy Radio Show. And the model is – wait for it --- the Grand Entertainer -- just like Leo himself! It’s a pontoon, or party boat. Actually this one has 3 pontoons, so it’s more like a tri-toon boat! It comes in two lengths -- 26’ and 29'. And this is very unique: it’s available in two different widths (or beams) – 8’6" and 10’. I’ve seen a lot of pontoon boats over years, but never one with a sexy, curved, full-service bar! The bar on the Grand Entertainer even has built in adjustable bar stools, and if you want, a bar rail! At the end of the bar there’s a gas-fired (propane) grill. There’s also a refrigerator and an Alpine sound system with six speakers throughout the boat. For clean-up, there’s a sink with a water pressure system. Since you’ll have plenty of new friends if you buy one of these, you’ll be happy to know the 260 has a USCG capacity of 16 people and the 290 is approved for 18 people. I’d never take out that many people at one time, but whatever the number, make sure you have life jackets for all. There are three batteries. Two run the refrigerator, water pump and the LED lights on the bar. Yep, LED’s! The third battery’s for engine(s) start-up. Engine-wise, the company recommends a minimum of 115 hp. At the top end of power options, is the boat I saw at the Miami Show. It has with twin 300 hp, four-stroke Suzuki outboards! Reported speed is 50 to 52 mph. The Grand Entertainer also has a raised Command View Platform for the skipper. With plenty of seating forward of the helm, the raised platform lets the captain see over the heads of the seated guests. And remember, the captain shouldn’t visit the bar, except of course, for soft drinks. Price depends on power options, but the boat I saw at the show was about $100,000. I would guess that by moving to a single engine, the cost could be reduced by about $20,000. And Premier offers lots of other models.
Giz Wiz Video: http://youtu.be/zTZdVpSRyg8
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