ULTRA FINE
Voyager Express toon brings it all togetherPDB Staff Report
There’s definitely a fine line between “sticking with what works” and venturing into the undiscovered country of pontoon boat design. To straddle the two takes a lot of expertise and more than a little courage. As for one particular three-logged cruising model, Voyager has certainly found that line, and has taken the art of boat building to new heights in the process.
Our case in point is the new Voyager 25 Ultra Cruise Express, a 2004 model that we were fortunate enough to test this summer at the Lake of the Ozarks near the company’s headquarters in Camdenton, MO.
First Impressions
We first encountered the boat on its way off the factory floor, where we took note of new features that will be found in several new Voyager models in the coming year. Most striking in this unique layout are the radius gunnels at amidships, which curve into the deck space to provide a spacious boarding platform. (More on that later.)
The 25-foot boat—fitted with a Yamaha 150 four-stroke—offered up a sleek rounded appearance throughout its floor plan. The seating looked plush and comfortable fore to aft, especially at the chaise lounges and the helm. We were also impressed with the sleek forest-green striping and graphics work throughout the exterior.
Creature Comforts
Access from the dock was easy from the port and rear gates. We also noted a bow gate, which becomes usable by removing the base of the center bow seat.
The tan/off-white color scheme is a long-time buyer favorite, and goes well with the thick carpeting and design work of the furniture.
In terms of user-friendliness, this boat is as friendly as it gets. The front half of the deck is wide open but full of bench seating, including lengthy storage underneath for boards and even skis. The seating in general, crafted in-house at Voyager’s manufacturing facility, offers excellent support. As expected, the chaise lounges were comfortable to the extreme. Underneath each of them we found easy-access compartments with snap-and-lock panel doors. This may not seem like an earth-shattering feature, but it is indicative of the convenience of use and overall fit-and-finish quality of the entire boat.
Good comfort greeted us at the helm as well. More importantly, perhaps, the ergonomics were just as impressive. The swiveling captain’s chair sports flip-back arm rests, a flip-up bolster and excellent access to the console. This boat’s dash was packed with easy-to-view instrumentation set in gold-beveled gauges and bordered by a conveniently-placed CD player (lower left).
Other great features on this boat include a ski tow bar for its obvious water sports capabilities, fore and aft table mounts, a full-featured refreshment center including a wash-down sprayer, 12-foot bimini top, courtesy lights and a telescoping ladder at that aforementioned amidships boarding area. (The unit slides in under the deck when not in use, making this exclusive boat feature all the more notable.) Furniture components on this boat convert very well, such as the aft bench seating. The base slides down, out and back in for an increased lounging area. The fully bolstered sun deck sits over a unique setup for the boat’s changing room. On most toons we test, the room lifts up from starboard to port. On the Voyager it lifts forward, creating an extra measure of privacy between the room and the main deck area. A very thoughtful design, to say the least.
Construction Notes
The standard hull material for Voyager is .90 gauge aluminum, plus .100 gauge at the nose cones. The Ultra series forgoes that disparity with .100 gauge throughout.
Support features include Z-bar brackets on 16-inch centers, all through-bolted to the deck.
Voyager has come a long way in fine-tuning its triple U-log hull configuration with added strake and keel features. The tubes are foam-filled, not just in the main trunks but also in the nose cone chamber for added buoyancy.
As we’ve noted in the past, it’s quite obvious that craftsmanship is the heart and soul of this Missouri-based builder's pontoons. Each boat is built, from start to finish, by a single team of two or three craftsman. This type of customized production—involving an array of plans to choose from—allows the company to tailor its floor designs to meet the buyers' specific needs.
The Ultra series—as well as each vessel from this builder—is supported by 25-inch by 23-inch U-shaped pontoons. All models are built with stainless steel fasteners and Rotocast furniture. Pressure-treated plywood is the mainstay flooring material, although interlocking aluminum decking is offered as an option.
We found no dangerous or sharp edges on this boat and the hidden areas are all well finished.
On The Go
This boat gets excellent marks for overall performance. It’s butter-smooth out of the hole, stable in its handling and very good through choppy waters and cross-wakes. We clocked the boat with GPS at 34.7 MPH—just right for the class of boat and its 150 HP power plant. At a mellow 3500 RPM the boat rode beautifully along at 23 MPH.
We did experience some slip on tight starboard turns at full throttle, but we feel this is more of a propping issue than anything relating to the boat itself. In fact, we were quite thrilled with the performance in those same turns because of the boat’s ability to bank. Combining that attribute with its more than sufficient horsepower and top speed, this boat is a perfect cruising pontoon that can double as the family sport boat.
Verdict
This classy tri-hulled toon offers a unique blend of features—some familiar from past tests, some not. Its ease of boarding and on-deck amenities truly set it apart, and its performance capabilities should satisfy boaters of all persuasions. For more information on this boat and other items in the Voyager Marine lineup, log onto www.voyagerboats.net or call 573-346-1904.
(This article appeared in the August 2004 edition of Pontoon & Deck Boat Magazine.)
