2009 Sylvan Mandalay 8525

By Amanda Comission

Family and tradition are almost synonymous. Whether it’s Christmas dinners with grandma’s secret scalloped potato recipe, Canada Day weekends at the cottage or a family baseball game for Father’s Day, there’s truly something comforting in the familiarity of a family tradition.

Tradition in the business world, however, may suggest a static way of doing things. This is not so with the Smoker Craft family of boats, which prides itself on a tradition of quality craftsmanship while continually striving for new and innovative designs.

Sylvan’s flagship Mandalay series of pontoons melds both of these into a luxurious package, which offers comfort, convenience and performance – that’s right, performance on a pontoon… but we’ll deal with that a little later.

First, it was time to board the 25-foot, 3-inch Mandalay 8525. Stepping through the midship portside door opposite the helm into the expansive 8525, you are immediately struck by the amount of seating available. At the bow are two bench seats with lounger head, which both include lots of under storage. Towards the stern is an L-shaped lounge, which provides more under storage, and a kidney-shaped table with built-in cup holders. All the seating – including the helm – is outfitted in very plush upholstery.

For all those days you are sure to be entertaining family and friends, the test boat was also equipped with the optional snack bar. Conveniently located next to the galley aft, which includes a built-in sink and quite a bit of storage, the snack bar design provides three upholstered adjustable stools with foot rail at a large-sized countertop. Add the optional refrigerator at the galley, and you’re well equipped for a day out on the water.

And when things get hot and your guests jump into the lake for a quick dip to cool off, the Mandalay 8525 offers them the privacy of a walk-in change room. If you plan on lots of day cruises, the porta-potty option may be well worth adding. If you’re considering overnighting or using the 8525 for extended cruising, you may also want to add the optional half or full enclosed camper top.

Knowing all the guests on board are comfortable, the driver can relax in the lush captain’s chair behind the tinted windscreen – especially with all the gauges at-the-ready in the fully lit instrumentation panel.

Understanding beauty is only skin deep, Sylvan has equipped the Mandalay pontoon with the ability to really perform on the water as well. And for all those who still equate pontoon boats with a floating barge or cottage or deck, you are in for a big surprise with the 8525, as it is equipped with Sylvan’s RPT (Revolutionary Planing Technology) tube design.

Unique in the marine industry and only available on the Smoker Craft family of products, RPT replaces the traditional circle tube with an innovative new shape that mocks the shape of a V-hull. Along with the lifting strakes, the RPT design gets the pontoon out of the hole quickly, offers cruising speeds like runabouts, allows for more top-end speed per horsepower and helps the pontoon handle more responsively.

This definitely held true during our water test as the Mandalay 8525 reached an impressive 40.9 mph at WOT (5300 rpm), hopped up and out of the hole to 20 mph in 4.1 seconds and offered up an incredibly tight turning radius throughout various manoeuvres.

Although this boat did not have the third log for added stability, it performed and handled as if it were tri-toon, cruising solidly and comfortably down the lake at 20.7 mph at 3500 rpm and 25.1 mph at 4000 rpm. Sound levels were good at all speeds, allowing for easy conversation both forward and aft.

There truly has been a revolution occurring in the pontoon category. Traditionally, boat buyers considering purchasing a pontoon are looking for space, comfort and convenience. Many pontoon manufacturers are now offering them flexibility and performance as well.

With innovative design, thoughtful options and its RPT hull design, Sylvan demonstrates it can hold onto its tradition of quality craftsmanship while evolving with the times and demands of the boating public. After all, you can’t get where you’re going without knowing where you are and where you’ve been.

TEST BOAT ENGINE
Suzuki 200 four-stroke with a three-blade stainless steel prop.
ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-20 / 4.1 ; 0-30 / 6.9
TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
5300 / 40.9
CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
3000 / 16.9 ; 3500 / 20.7 ; 4000 / 25.1
SOUND LEVEL AT CRUISE (3500 rpm)
Helm – 89 dbA
SOUND LEVEL AT TOP SPEED
Helm – 93 dbA