2009 Princecraft Versailles 29 I/O

I don’t know if Princecraft had France’s Château de Versailles in mind when first deciding to use the name for a line of its pontoons, but the association with the opulence of King Louis XIV’s royal residence would not be entirely misplaced.

From the bow-to-stern carpeting to the wood-grain accents at the helm to the ultra plush and heavyweight upholstery, the 29-foot, 1- inch Versailles 29 I/O oozes luxury. The sheer size of this tri-toon will let you hold court on the water with power, seating and amenities enough for entertaining plenty of family and friends.

The Versailles 29 can comfortably seat about 10 and probably fit evenmore. There is an L-shaped seat aft and two large benches forward – one to port and one to starboard. All three include chaise lounges for comfortable cruising and lined storage underneath for stowing away lots of gear.

When you’ve docked or dropped anchor, simplymount the removable snack table in place and the L shaped aft bench becomes a great spot to eat lunch. Conveniently located next to the table, the cooler and galley unit in the helmconsole – equipped with sink, faucet and portable water tank – will definitely come in handy for entertaining.

And once it’s time for play, guests can lounge on the large transomsun pad or take a refreshing dip off the extended swimplatform. After the fun is done, the pop-up privacy enclosure will allow the option of changing out of wet swimsuits.

All the recreation on the Versailles 29 is not solely for its passengers, though. The captain gets to drive in comfort as well, with a luxurious reclining helmchair with slide and swivel that offers a clear view of all the SmartCraft gauges. Visibility is good through the low-profile smoked windshield.

And you’ll need that clear view with the way this tri-toonmoves. In our test, the 300-hp MerCruiser stern drive popped the Versailles 29 onto plane in 3.6 seconds and from 0 to 20 in 4.7 seconds. Acceleration was smooth, with good response through the mid-range. As you’d expect from a pontoon, turning was not very tight, but the third log really grabs, keeping the boat extremely stable.

If you opt to travel with the Princecraft Versailles 29 I/O, you’ll be boating in style and comfort fit for a king.

TEST BOAT ENGINEMerCruiser 350MAGMPI, 300 hp,with a Mercury aluminum 14-1/4” x 21” propeller

ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-20 / 4.7 ; 0-30 / 8.3

TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
4900 / 38.8

CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
3000 / 21.2 ; 3500 / 25.7 ; 4000 / 31.4

SOUND LEVEL AT CRUISE (3000 rpm)
Helm– 91 dbA ; Aft cockpit – 94 dbA

SOUND LEVEL AT TOP SPEED
Helm– 98 dbA ; Aft cockpit – 103 dbA