Captain's Report by Capt. Steve--



The Aqua Patio 240 turned out to be quite a performer, reaching a top speed of 44.8 mph during our recent test, powered by a 250-hp Evinrude E-TEC.

Mission Statement

The Aqua Patio 240 was designed to provide upscale toon-style luxury and performance combined with the roominess that pontoon boats are so well known for. She features a quality build, a respected brand name, and with her ability to handle a 300-hp engine she makes a versatile family watersports platform.

Distinguishing Features

• Innovative aft seating- The aft L-shaped seating converts, at the touch of a button, to a sunpad with a flip-up chaise lounge seat back.

• Stainless scuff plates on all four corners- These are strategically placed to ensure protection against docking maneuvers gone wrong. The forward scuff plates also integrate docking lights and nav lights.

• Three boarding gates- Gates are important and this model has three of them -- one at the bow, stern and portside.

• Performance packages available- The optional “G-Force III” package includes under-deck skin, lifting strakes, power assist hydraulic steering, an additional 27-inch center tube, and a 50 gallon fuel tank.

• Luxury interior- The seats are overstuffed for additional comfort and multiple components add additional support in key areas of the body.

Construction

The standard Aqua Patio 240 features triple tube construction each measuring 25” (63.5 cm) in diameter. All tubes are constructed in two pieces with a single seam in the center of the tubes full-length.



Curved spray rails make a part of the G-Force III package.



Aluminum framed fences are offered in a choice of five colors. Notice the shims that keep the fences off the deck so water will not get trapped in the corners.

Cross channels are bolted to saddle brackets on 16” (41 cm) centers. All fasteners are stainless steel and fences can be ordered in five different color schemes. Our test boat was fitted with optional keel stripes and lifting strakes.



Cross channels are bolted to saddle brackets on 16” (41 cm) centers.

Performance

Our Aqua Patio 240 had an LOA of 25'1" (7.64 m) and a beam of 8'6" (2.59 m). With an empty weight of 2,380 lbs (1,079 kg), one quarter fuel and three people on board we had a test weight of 3,566 lbs (1,618 kg). With an Evinrude E-TEC 250 HO turning a 14 3/4 x 17" Viper propeller we reached a top speed at 5750 rpm at 44.8 mph. At that speed we had at 25.7 gph fuel burn giving us a range of 82 miles.

Best Cruise. Best cruise came in at 3500 rpm and 22.3 mph. That speed reduced the fuel burn to 8.56 gph and we could maintain that speed for five hours and 30 minutes or 122 miles while maintaining a 10% reserve.

The Evinrude E-TEC 250 HO gave us quick times to plane averaging 3.2 seconds. We reached 20 mph in 4.5 seconds and accelerated through 30 mph in 7 seconds. These fast times to plane mean she will be popular with skiers and wakeboarders.

Features

Starting at the bow. The foredeck extends 18” (45.7 cm) beyond the forward fences and carpeting runs out into this area as well. An opening gate forward presents an opening that measures 2'6" (.76 m) and all of the gates are held in the closed position by dropping into a bracket at the bottom.



In all four corners are stainless steel scuff plates to handle the impact point from errant docking. Pull-up cleats are embedded into these scuff plates. The bow plates also features integrated docking and nav lights.

Two sofas with forward-facing chaise lounges lie to both sides of the bow. The seats have roto-cast molded bases and storage is under all seats. Both of the chaise seat backs flip forward with a trash receptacle inside the port seat, and on our test boat the starboard seat had the optional ice chest with beverage and cup holder.

The seats are thickly padded and all upholstery is double-stitched with GX50 expanded vinyl all around. Speakers are located to the rear of each seat, and our test boat was fitted with the optional upgraded sound system that included additional speakers, subwoofers and amplifier.



The port and starboard chaise seatbacks flipped forward to reveal an ice chest and beverage holder to starboard, and a trash receptacle to port.



Here you can see the multiple components that go into making up the additional support in key areas of the body.

A sizable sole storage locker lies in the center of the deck. The floor of the locker is lined with rubber matting to protect gear. The hatch has stainless fittings and is gasketed all the way around to reduce vibration while underway. I didn't notice any ventilation to the compartment so moisture build-up may be a factor in the long run. A second reboarding gate is located in the center of the portside.



The sole storage locker was roomy and padded at the bottom to protect gear. Notice the hatch has no ventilation.

The helm console to starboard houses a carry-on 25 quart (23.6 L) cooler secured in place with brackets. This hatch opening is also gasketed to reduce vibration. The helm features a comfortable captain’s chair with a high-rise back that swivels, slides, and reclines and also includes self leveling arms.



The helm console adds a distinctive level of class to the Aqua Patio 240.

Dual faux wood panels with rocker switches flank a center cluster of gauges and a three-spoke wood wheel with leather trim is mounted to a tilt base. A low-profile smoked windscreen is not only attractive but functional directing the breeze right over the top of my head.



A removable 25 quart (23.6 L) cooler is located under the helm console.

The stern deck features L-shaped seating wrapping around a standard stern cocktail table with an aft facing chaise lounge to port. Much like the bow couches, the stern couch has the same roto-cast molded base with storage under each seat and another trash receptacle inside the chaise seatback. This time however the chaise lounge has its seatback exposed to the wind which kept blowing it open while underway. A simple latch system would solve this problem.



By pulling this seatback aft you expose a trash receptacle underneath. The wind will blow this open, but a simple latch placed in the center will keep it in the closed position.



The aft seat switches from back-to-back seating to a sunpad with the flip of a switch (at my hand in the left photo).



A versa teak deck is standard and the scuff plates with pull-up cleats are also at the stern. Stainless chains provide safety but are slated to be swapped out for rails in future versions.

An aft facing seat at the swim platform makes a comfortable place to relax while at anchor, beached or any other time the Aqua Patio 240 is not underway. And while being able to convert an aft seat into a sunpad is not a new trick, Aqua Patio has a bit of a new take on the concept. A rocker switch to the starboard side of the seat activates and actuator that and flattens the seatbacks to form the sunpad measuring 5' x 5' 8” (1.5 m x 1.8 m).

Additional speakers will be facing inboard towards either the aft facing seat for the deployed sunpad. Optional versa-teak decking covers the walk-through and aft swim platform of our test boat.



The aft facing seats also have seatbacks that elevate in chaise lounge style and are supported by brackets.



The aft facing seat has two speakers facing inboard and a stereo remote is integrated into the starboard armrest.

A four-step reboarding ladder curves away from the pontoons as it goes deeper into the water creating a comfortable 22-degree angle. The treads are quite wide making them very comfortable against bare feet. I found the swim ladder difficult to retract however and perhaps a small chain railing that can be pulled would ease the operation.

Observations

Aqua Patio has lived up to its reputation for quality construction with this 240. She combines a marked comfort level with ease of handling and roomy layout. In addition to adding watersports, her ability to carry a huge engine will make large lake or river runs a bit smaller and therefore more manageable.

• Top speed for the Aqua Patio 240 (2013-) is 44.8 mph (72.1 kph), burning 25.70 gallons per hour (gph) or 97.27 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Aqua Patio 240 (2013-) is 22.3 mph (35.9 kph), and the boat gets 2.61 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.11 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 122 miles (196.34 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 250-hp Evinrude E-TEC 250 HO.