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2011 G3 Boats Sun Catcher Elite 325 Cruise Photos
2011 G3 Boats Sun Catcher Elite 325 Cruise Test Details
| Category | Pontoon Boat |
| Length | 25ft / 7.62 m |
| Beam | 8ft 6in / 2.44 m |
| Max Horsepower | 225 |
| Fuel | Gas |
| Fuel Capacity | 151.4 L |
| Hull | Aluminum Pontoon |
| Weight | 3,150 lbs |
| Dealers | Contact Dealers |
| Buyers Guides | Search For Buyers Guides |
| Boats For Sale | Search For For Sale |
2011 G3 Boats Sun Catcher Elite 325 Cruise Description
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The term Renaissance is used to describe the period roughly between the 14th and 17th centuries in Europe. It is derived from a combination of the French words of âriâ and ânascere,â meaning âagainâ and âto be bornâ respectively. It was a time of political, social and cultural rebirth that bridged into the modern age.
Well, I most certainly think pontoon boat building is experiencing a Renaissance period, with new and exciting design developments that are propelling this increasingly popular boat into a modern age of its own. In the past, pontoons have been regarded as your dadâs slow cruising, single-purpose party boats. Now, theyâre powerful and versatile machines that can be equipped for fishing and watersports while offering the space and amenities to entertain a crowd. A perfect example of this is the 2011 G3 Sun Catcher Elite 325 Cruise.
At 25 feet long with an 8-foot, 6-inch beam, the 325 has the stats of a big day boat, but on the inside it looks like your typical pontoon. You know what I mean⦠the standard facing seating at the bow and an L-shaped lounge to stern. While others have tried to spice this layout up, G3 believes thereâs no sense messing with a good thing. However, when you look closer at the little details of the 325 you see thereâs much more than just a standard pontoon layout.
The first thing that caught my eye was the placement of the wet bar. Many âtoons out there mould the wet bar into the helm stand as one complete unit. Although this is great for both looks and functionality, it often means you sacrifice a starboard entrance. On the 325, the wet bar is on its own just aft of the port-side gate. With the extra space, G3 has managed to include a starboard gate as well, so now you can dock on either side of the boat. And with 25 feet of boat to manoeuvre, itâs very nice to have that option.
The finish of the carpet, the vinyl and the Rotocast bases are what youâd expect from a leader in the pontoon game. The contemporary and elegant helm station includes a flush-mounted Garmin 430S GPS, recessed rocker switches and faux wood accents.
But I think what excited me the most about this Sun Catcher was what was below and behind it. This model had the Elite Tri-Log Performance Upgrade package that gives you such features as three jumbo foam-filled logs, power steering and lifting strakes â just to name a few. And when you start to add these things, you now blur that line between pontoon and sport boat. I mean, itâs almost like a sport boat masquerading as a pontoon boat or vice versa.
Now you have to rethink your boating needs and start considering pontoons as your versatile day boat. With the ability to reach speeds well into the 30s, you can pull skiers and wakeboarders behind this âtoon. And G3 expects you to, so the 325 has a standard removable ski tow bar and a changing area, as well as a massive storage locker in the third pontoon that could easily swallow up multiple boards and skis.
The Elite Performance Package also includes an upgraded heavy-duty all welded motor pod to support high horsepower motors. This is in addition to the already impressive 13-point attachment system G3 uses on its motor pods. A combination thatâs great for our test boat, which came equipped with Yamahaâs exciting new VF225 LA outboard â better known as the 225-hp V-Max SHO (super high output) Four Stroke. Yamaha originally launched this outboard on bass boats, but the company wanted consumers to know the engine performs on all platforms so this G3 pontoon was a perfect fit.
Not my first encounter with the V-Max SHO, I was greeted by the familiar low, confident rumble as I idled out to the navigable section of Lake Couchiching. When it came time to accelerate, the Yamaha smoothly growled and pushed the over 3,000-pound boat to life.
The addition of a powerful engine gives the pontoon the opportunity to do what itâs designed to do. And thatâs just what this pairing did. I trimmed up the motor, the bow lifted, and the 325 loosened into a free and easy cruise. Of course, itâs still a pontoon, so the reality is itâs simply not built for sharp turns. Otherwise, though, the 325 handled well.
On test day, we were faced with some pretty strong south-westerly winds that kicked up a good two-foot chop that the 325 gobbled up. Heading directly into the waves at the impressive top speed of 44 mph, this pontoon just skipped across and barely flinched. It accelerated swiftly, proving as comfortable putting along at 15 mph as it was sailing along at 35 mph. It was definitely a fun ride.
With tops speed of almost 45 mph, 25 feet full of comfort and features, seating for 15 and a powerful 225-hp motor, the Sun Catcher 325 Cruise is proof positive that weâre in a Renaissance in the pontoon category. Versatile and exciting, these really arenât your dadâs pontoons anymore.
2011 G3 Boats Sun Catcher Elite 325 Cruise Test Specifications
ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-30 / 6.42
TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
6000 / 44.2
CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
3000 / 17.3 ; 3500 / 21.6 ;
4000 / 26.9 ; 4500 / 32.4
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