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Brief Summary
Manitou's biggest selling series is the Oasis line and within that the 23 Oasis SR is the most popular model. The Oasis line is what one company spokesman calls it's "good value" series because it is not a "basic" entry-level, nor is it a "pull-out-all-the-stops" type of boat like the Legacy and X-plode Manitou lines. Oasis is in the middle. It is available with two-toons or three-toons, but with three toons the patented V-Toon design comes standard. It is this clever design which gives the 23 Oasis SR its sportboat-like performance.
Key Features
- Patented V-Toon design
- Versatile interior layout
- Well-equipped as standard
- Premium helm seat
- Special nose cones
- Full length keel
- Underdeck skin
- Special seat hinges
Test Results
RPM | MPH | Knots | GPH | MPG | NMPG | STAT. MILE | NM | dBa |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
500 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 0.18 | 13.33 | 11.59 | 528 | 459 | 57 |
1000 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 0.58 | 7.65 | 6.65 | 303 | 264 | 69 |
1500 | 5.9 | 5.1 | 0.99 | 5.94 | 5.16 | 235 | 205 | 66 |
2000 | 7.8 | 6.7 | 1.58 | 4.91 | 4.27 | 194 | 169 | 73 |
2500 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 2.49 | 4.37 | 3.8 | 173 | 150 | 78 |
3000 | 15.8 | 13.7 | 4.15 | 3.81 | 3.31 | 151 | 131 | 79 |
3500 | 18.6 | 16.2 | 5.74 | 3.24 | 2.82 | 128 | 112 | 78 |
4000 | 22.3 | 19.4 | 7.32 | 3.05 | 2.66 | 121 | 105 | 83 |
4500 | 25.7 | 22.3 | 9.54 | 2.69 | 2.34 | 107 | 93 | 82 |
5000 | 28.2 | 24.5 | 11.92 | 2.36 | 2.05 | 94 | 81 | 85 |
5500 | 31.6 | 27.5 | 13.78 | 2.29 | 1.99 | 91 | 79 | 86 |
5650 | 32.8 | 28.5 | 15.1 | 2.17 | 1.89 | 86 | 75 | 87 |
Specifications
Length Overall | 24' 4'' / 7.42 m |
---|---|
Beam | N/A |
Dry Weight |
2,900 lbs. 1,315 kg |
Tested Weight |
3,520 lbs. 1,596 kg |
Draft | N/A |
Deadrise/Transom | N/A |
Max Headroom | open |
Bridge Clearance | N/A |
Fuel Capacity |
44 gal. 167 L |
Water Capacity | N/A |
Total Weight |
3,520 lbs. 1,596 kg |
Acceleration Times & Conditions
Time to Plane | 3.4 sec. |
---|---|
0 to 30 | 7.6 sec. |
Ratio | N/A |
Props | 14'' Viper |
Load | 2 persons, 1/2 fuel, full water, 50 lbs of gear |
Climate | 85 deg., 78 humid.; wind: 0-5 mph; seas: calm |
Engine Options
Tested Engine |
1 x 150-hp Evinrude E-TEC HO |
---|---|
Std. Power |
Not Available |
Opt. Power |
Not Available |
Warranty
Deck Warranty Extended | Limited lifetime warranty |
---|
Captain's Report
Mission of the Manitou 23 Oasis SR
The Manitou 23 Oasis SR is designed to be an upscale family cruising boat or a watersports boat for people who want sportboat handling in a pontoon boat. Further, the mission of the 23 is to satisfy the needs of owners who often have a sportboat, but who want more room for friends and family and more seating for comfortable entertaining. By pricing the 23 Oasis between its entry-level Aurora and the high-end Legacy and X-Plode models, Manitou has found a sweet spot that gives customers what they want at a moderate price.
Distinguishing Features
●
Patented V-Toon Design.
Manitou's toon configuration has a 27" center toon and an outboard 23" toons with lifting strakes that enhance top-end performance and hole-shot speeds. The big difference in this system and other three-toon designs is created by the center tube which is 5-1/4" lower than the outboard tubes.
●
Patented Concept.
Manitou's patent covers the depth of the center hull which is a critical aspect of the design and it is this which allows the boat to lean into the turns.
●
Warranty.
Manitou has a limited lifetime warranty on the deck, pontoons, motor mounts, boat undercarriage structure, fence assemblies and Bimini top frames. It has a 5-year limited warranty on vinyl upholstery, Bimini top fabric, carpet, and Aqualon and Sunbrella mooring covers. It has a 3-year warranty on all other components, stem to stern.
●
Versatile Interior Layout.
Manitou will work with each customer to customize with a wide range of seating configurations.
●
Well-Equipped as Standard.
The 23 Oasis SR has a long list of standard equipment, and everything that is necessary for genteel cruising.
●
Prestige.
Manitou is an up-market brand with a sterling reputation.
Major Features
●
Premium Helm Seat.
The boat comes standard with a helm seat that has a recliner with arm rests. It slides fore and aft.
●
Special Nose Cones.
These anti-spray cones have integrated splash fins to throw water down and out.
●
Full Length Keel.
Manitou uses a single piece of extruded aluminum that extends the full length of the toons.
●
Underdeck Skin.
This aluminum underdeck skin protects the plywood laminate, but more importantly, improves high-speed performance by providing a smooth surface rather than one with exposed under carriage structures which cause drag, and make noise when the water hits it.
●
Special Seat Hinges.
When seats are raised it is usually because someone wants to put something in or take something out of the storage bin. If there is no seat retention device, one hand must be used to hold up the seat while the other roots around in the bin. Manitou employs on every seat special hinges that lock the seat in the open position so both hands can be devoted to the task.
●
Quality Materials.
Manitou uses vinyls and fabrics from the leading manufacturers for marine use, such as Spradling vinyl, Shaw carpeting, and Surelast Bimini fabric.
Two Toons or Three?
Two-Toon.
The 23 Oasis SR can be purchased in either a two-toon or three-toon configuration. The two-toon version costs less not only because there are only two tubes, but also because the outboard engine used is smaller.
The two-toon version should be considered by people who don't plan to get into aggressive watersports activities. Two-toon versions of the 23 Oasis SR are more appropriate for sedate cruising, moderate-speed tubing, and using the boat as a moveable swimming and entertainment platform.
Three-Toon.
Boaters wanting to go fast or take part in wakeboarding or waterskiing, should consider the three-toon version. This boat can quickly get up on plane and should have a top speed of over 40 mph powered by a 250-hp engine. Because the center toon on the 23 is 5-1/4" deeper than the outboard toons, it leans into turns rather than away from them.
V-Toon Design
70% of the boats sold by Manitou are three-toons incorporating the patented V-Toon configuration. It is this design which truly sets the 23 Oasis SR apart from other brands on the market.
Toon Numbers.
As mentioned above, the outboard tubes are 23" in diameter and the center tube is 27" in diameter. Manitou lowers the center tube 1-1/4" below the tops of the outboard toons, which makes it a total of 5-1/4" deeper in the water.
Lifting Strake Design.
Lifting strakes are one of the few places where pontoon boat builders can easily differentiate their products. Manitou does not use reverse angles, which it says can cause pounding, but rather uses positive angle strakes to provide lift. Further, it puts them on the outside of it its tubes as well as on the inside.
Sport Handling Package (SHP) Toon Configuration.
Manitou offers two configurations for its three-toon, V-Toon concept: 1) SHP that will handle outboard engines up to 250-hp on the 23 Oasis SR, or, 2) the VP (Value Performance) design that handles up to 150-hp on the 23.
Designed and Built for Speed.
The SHP has wide, positive angle lifting strakes on both sides of all three tubes for greater lift and faster hole-shot speeds. These strakes give the boat more stability at high speeds. It also has power assist hydraulic steering, and what the company calls "Barracuda" nose cones. Because the boat can go faster the aluminum is thicker and constructed slightly differently to handle increased stress.
Value Performance (VP) Toon Configuration.
The VP features many of the same V-toon hull characteristics of the SHP. The VP is simply designed for boats that operate at less aggressive speeds and lower horsepower. SeaStar hydraulic steering is standard, lifting strakes are only used on the center toon, and the nose cones are conventional. Maximum horsepower on the 23 Oasis SR with the VP toons is 150-hp.
Performance Test
With the Evinrude E-TEC 150-hp turning a 14” viper prop, we reached a top speed at 5650 rpm of 32.8 mph. At that speed we had a fuel burn of 15.1 gph giving a range of 86 miles while still maintaining a 10% reserve.
Best cruise
is a little harder as the fuel burn stays pretty linear, but with that said, I found her to be most comfortable at 3000 rpm where we were running at 15.8 mph while burning only 4.15 gph. And we could keep that up for 151 miles and 9 ½ hours. We got up on plane from a level attitude in 3.4 seconds, accelerated through 20 mph in 4.1 seconds, made it through 30 mph in 7.6 seconds.
Handling
With five turns from lock to lock and fairly stiff steering, she’s not necessarily a sportboat, so there’s no cranking and banking going on, and that’s a good thing to remember when approaching the dock. Plan accordingly. But at speed, she does roll into the turns quite comfortably thanks to the VP tubes.
Trim.
Another characteristic to keep in mind is that more speed doesn’t equate to a tighter turn, just a faster turn with the same radius. Again, plan accordingly. Once at speed, the trim will need to come up a bit to bring the spray back from the helm area to the stern. Be sure to lower the trim when maneuvering or the propeller will quickly ventilate. When taking power off, she settles back into the water from a level attitude.
Docking.
When docking remember that this is not a sportboat. Don't expect her stern to come around with a quick shot of throttle. Her turns will be wide. This is a characteristic of all pontoon boats.
What Does the "SR" Stand For?
"SR" stands for "split rear". Manitou has designed a versatile seating arrangement that has two seats facing each other both port and starboard. Down the middle is an aisle to the transom gate and the swim platform aft. Therefore, the seating plan is "split" in the rear by the aisle.
We're told that this new seating arrangement has proved to be popular and we can see why. The seat back of the forward-facing seat swings forward to create a sun pad. There is enough space between the seats that a café table can be placed in either or both locations. Storage for the tables and pedestals is in a compartment outboard of the seats under the gunwale.
Optional Features
Many boats these days are being offered with bare bones equipment to keep the base price down and allow the consumer to option out the boat in the direction wanted. The Manitou 23 Oasis SR, as we have noted, differs from some other boats in class because it builds in as standard a number of premium amenities. Nevertheless, the 23 Oasis SR can be enhanced to better serve the specific plans of an owner by adding some options. Here are the major ones available--
Center Bow Gate Seating
Table Options
Full Enclosure Canvas
Optional Swim Ladders
Privacy Station
Simulated Teak Decking
Observations
Because virtually all pontoon boats are made with aluminum tubes, plywood decks, and vinyl upholstery, it is easy to figure that they are all pretty much the same, and indeed they usually look the same -- from a distance. Get up close and one begins to see the difference between a premium product and a pontoon boat made by a small sheet metal shop on the wrong side of town. Manitou is one of just a few premium pontoon boat builders in the U.S. today.
We find four things particularly compelling about the 23 Oasis SR. First, is the patented V-Toon design which has a lot going for it in terms of handling and hole shot, both aspects that are important to aggressive watersport-oriented boaters. Second, the warranty ranks as one of the better ones in class.
Third, we think that the "split rear" design is a good layout for a family because kids will love hanging out in the facing seats. With the back cushion down it can be a sun pad or aft-facing lounger.
Finally, we like the fact that Manitou has a less-costly line, the Aurora series, which lets us compare and contrast the features, materials, and overall appearance and utility of boats at both price points.