Manitou 23 Encore SR VP (2015-)

Brief Summary

The Manitou 23 Encore SR VP is an upscale pontoon boat designed to provide more versatile seating with facing booth-style seats abaft the helm. She has a healthy list of standard features including a serious stereo, portable tables, a depth finder and a privacy curtain.

Key Features

• AM/FM Polk Bluetooth radio and 4 Jensen speakers
• Stainless Bimini top with sway brace
• Tan Shaw carpet
• Central easy-open sundeck latch
• Kidney-shaped dinette table
• Comfort-touch marine vinyl furniture
• Extended starboard chaise
• Automotive-style slider helm chair
• Ski tow bar
• Rear entry wide 4-step ladder

Specifications

Length Overall	24' 4'' / 7.42 m
Beam	N/A
Dry Weight	2,995 lbs. 1,359 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

Engine Options

Tested Engine	Currently no test numbers
Std. Power	Not Available
Opt. Power	Not Available

Captain's Report

With a 150-hp outboard, Manitou’s triple-pontoon patented VP runs at planing speeds, giving her runabout-like capabilities for cruising and towing.

Performance Design

VP Bottom Design.

Born out of Manitou’s patented V-Toon technology, the VP (Value Performance) bottom has a 27” diameter center pontoon equipped with lifting strakes and it’s mounted 5 ¼” lower than the outer pontoons, which are 23” diameter and do not have strakes. The VP is designed for outboard motors up to 150-hp.

Expanded Fuel Capacity.

Since the VP models offer improved performance, Manitou equips them with a 44-gallon (167 L) fuel tank instead of the 24-gallon (91 L) version found on its twin-pontoon boats.

Standard Ski Tow Bar.

The 23 Encore SR VP has the ability to tow skiers so Manitou includes a substantial stainless-steel ski tow bar as standard equipment.

Features Inspection

Cockpit

With gates in the bow, to port and in the stern, passengers have options when boarding the 23 Encore SR VP. Once on board, they’ll find a long chaise-style lounge to starboard ahead of the helm console. There’s a single person seat to port in the bow and an aft-facing shorter lounge to port adjacent to the helm. The backrest for this lounge opens to reveal the wastebasket. The standard boat comes with a carpet in the cockpit and vinyl on the stern deck.

Cockpit storage is provided in all the seat bases, which are built from rotocast plastic and have integral drainage trays to keep contents dry. Additionally, the seat bottom cushions open on hinges that lock so crewmembers can use two hands to retrieve gear. There is a locker in the helm console as well.

Customized Ride.

At the 23 Encore SR VP’s helm, a tinted windscreen will provide glare protection for the instruments that are installed in two raised pods on each side of the tilt steering wheel. All boats in the VP Series come with Seastar hydraulic steering. Two large instruments contain the tachometer, speedometer, fuel, hour, volt, trim and volt-meters without eating up dash panel space. A digital depth sounder comes standard and there’s space in the middle of the dash for electronic upgrades.

Grab a Booth.

In the aft seating area, the facing lounges on both sides of the boat have tall armrests and a removable table can be used between the seats on the starboard side. A privacy curtain comes standard but the portable head is an option. The centrally positioned stern gate provides easy access to the aft deck, which has a ladder with substantial raised stainless-steel rails that facilitate boarding.

Power and Performance

We haven’t tested the 23 Encore SR VP, so we don’t have numbers on it. Maximum power is a 150-hp outboard and Manitou will rig it for whatever brand a customer wants.

Test of a Similar Boat.

We did test a Manitou 23 Oasis SR VP with an Evinrude E-TEC 150-hp outboard. Both boats are the same length and weight. The Oasis SR VP ran 32.8 mph at 5650 rpm and burned 15.1 gph, giving it a range of 86 miles with 10% of the fuel load in reserve. Best cruise was at 3000 rpm with the 23 Oasis SR VP running 15.8 mph while burning 4.15 gph. The boat planed in 3.4 seconds and accelerated through 20 mph in 4.1 seconds, reaching 30 mph in 7.6 seconds. Two levels of splash fins on the noses of the pontoons are designed to knock down spray.

Construction

Manitou builds the 23 Encore SR VP’s smaller pontoons with .090” thick aluminum in the forward sections and .100” in the rear. The larger middle pontoon is .100” thick in the forward sections and .160” in the rear. Up front, the outer pontoons’ nosecones are .090” thick on top and .100” while the center pontoon’s bow is .090” on top and .110” on the bottom. Extruded aluminum cross-members spaced support the deck, which attaches to them with Manitou’s M-brackets and stainless-steel fasteners.

Options to Consider and Price

• Barbecue grill, leg mount ($363); rail mount ($350)
• Center in-tube storage ($1,500)
• Battery charging system ($400)
• Dual battery smart switch ($375)
• Manitou Smart Screen at helm ($1,500)
• Raised helm ($313)
• Porta-Potti ($106)
• Stainless steel sockguard with ss corner castings and fuel fill ($2,250)

Price

The boat only is $34,913 and the base boat with a 150-hp Evinrude outboard is $50,229.

Observations

The 23 Encore SR VP is the equivalent of a high-end Toyota Camry, Nissan Maxima or an Audi 6 that is not expected to be a full-on luxury model like a Lexus, Infinity or Audi 8. (For that kind of sumptuous luxury, Manitou has other models.) The upholstery, rails and side skins have the upscale feel to validate the price and boat is well-equipped with items such as a ski tow bar, a Bimini top, full instrumentation including a depth-sounder, a privacy curtain and removable cockpit table. The triple-pontoon VP bottom has proven itself and with a 100-hp or 150-hp outboard it should make the 23 Encore SR VP an attractive all-around family boat that can putt along at no-wake speeds or get up on plane and cruise and pull tubers, boarders and skiers.