Premier has been hard at work creating pontoons that perform like no other. And the boats don’t lack for luxury either. Here’s how to be the envy of your neighbors on the lake.

Premier has been building quality pontoons since 1992 and its dedication to keep pushing itself is evident in the quality of the toons it builds. It also has a handful of patents the company has garnered for some clever features that are sure to have other manufacturers scratching their heads and thinking “why didn’t we think of that?” Perhaps the reason why is that they do not listen as well to their customers, which is where Premier tells us they get most of their ideas. Let’s take a look onboard and see if the 235 RE should be added to your short list, and while we’re at it, we’ll see if Premier lives up to its name.



The Premier Intrigue 235 RE has a roomy floor plan that allows for casual cruising and comfortable lunches at anchor and cruising cocktails. Notice the extended aft platforms and optional teak decking.

First the Innovations...

As we said, Premier has brought some clever ideas to the table, and to protect those ideas, they’ve patented them. Here’s a sample of what we’re talking about--



First there’s the J-Clip fastening system for holding the canvas in place. We’ve all struggled with snaps, pulling the canvas tight to make the snap reach, and then when we try to unsnap the canvas, that snap pulls out altogether and the two pieces of the snap are attached together for life.

With the J-Clip, it’s a no fuss attachment with a wide fastening point, and it’s easily unhooked for removal.



Then, there are the rail spacers. Often you’ll see builders securing the side panels right to the deck. This has the advantage of making the rail solid and secure, but rain water will puddle up until it can finally run out an entry door. Premier came up with the idea of building the side panels up off the deck so water runs right out. This makes for easy cleaning and a fast drying boat. It’s like having freeing ports all around the boat!

The Standards

We also love the list of standards that set the Premier Intrigue 235 RE apart from the pack.



Rope lighting under the furniture toe kicks not only gives you better visibility on the deck, but a very attractive ambiance as well. Speakers are everywhere. How about a moonlight cruise?



The “Command View” helm is on a raised platform that allows the captain to see ahead even if there are guests seated in front. Notice the recessed drink holder to starboard of the helm. We prefer that the throttle be mounted horizontally of ease of use and more precise calibration. The gauges are all LED backlit to aid visibility while reducing power draw. And check out the reclining captain’s chair – portly skippers will appreciate this detail.



Just ahead of the helm is a convenient sink. This is a great feature for washing down fruits and veggies, in addition to simply cleaning up before a meal. The faucet is electrically driven, so no hand or foot pumping to get the water flowing. Notice the drink holder is on a circular base. Lift it up and underneath, a paper towel holder is attached.



This aft double sunpad is great for the tanning goddesses on your trip. See that handle? Lift it up and a host of options can go inside; from a standard changing room to an optional enclosed porcelain head with vanity mirror.



The captain isn’t the only one that gets a comfortable seat. Forward are two more reclining seats. Notice the optional vinyl-teak decking and even in-deck storage in the center toon. Here again, you can see how the rail panels are off the deck for easy draining.



Here the bow fenders are standard, but the bumpers on the pontoons are optional, as are the pop up cleats, dock lights, stainless grab handles and teak decking. We’d say the bumpers are an optional “must.”

Performance

Another noteworthy item is the optional PTX Performance package. Premier developed an optional center pontoon hull that is unique in that it’s actually a V-Hull, with a flat bottom planing surface aft and lifting strakes forward. In addition, lifting strakes are added to the inside of the outboard pontoons. In addition to lifting, the strakes also keep the spray down.

We’ve seen other builders add lifting strakes to the outside of the pontoons, and it has a desired effect of bringing the hull up higher out of the water faster. But during a turn, those strakes can dig in and cause adverse turning characteristics. With the strakes in the insides of the outer pontoons, Premier says that they allow the Intrigue to handle more like a sportboat, and bank into the turns. They also tell us that the flat bottomed center toon gives quicker planing and better performance in chop. It acts like a “pad” on conventional mono hulls.

We haven’t tested the Premier Intrigue yet so we can’t verify those claims, but the physics of the engineering certainly have merit.

Power Options

The Premier Intrigue 235 RE is powered by Suzuki outboards. Horsepower options will depend on the number, and type of pontoon hulls you choose. With twin toons, you’ll power with 150-hp. With triple tubes, you can opt up to 250-hp. If you opt for the PTX center pontoon, you can power with a 275-hp.

With so many choices in the pontoon boat market, having an option that combines luxury with performance and handling can certainly narrow down the field of choices. We think the Premier Intrigue is a model that deserves a test ride. That will not only show her handling characteristics, but how well she handles her guests while underway.