Speed figures are from the GPS. The boat speedo is pretty close but my be off as much as 5mph at top speed (says 55 when gps reads 50) and speed at the low end on the boat speedo is not as graduated (doesn't have the fine speedo marks to really tell how fast your are going) 25-45 mph seem pretty close.

With the prop down all the way I would have to say the draft is at around 2 1/2 feet. But you can run it shallower by trimming the motor up a bit.

Not sure of the actual wieght of the vinyl but it has held up very well to 3 summers of serious use on the beaches just about every other weekend and I haven't noticed any fading.

As far as fuel consumption goes it varies quite a bit. Depends greatly on how you use it. Keep it below 3k rpm and you can run forever. Bump it up to 5k and it really starts sucking the gas but man does it haul the mail.

Typically I fill it up every other weekend If I'm skiing and traveling any distance. If I'm just going back and forth to the island and hanging out on the beach I typically fill it up once a month. As just about any boat owner will tell you fuel consumption is probably the largest variable when comparing boats and motors. Bottom line... moderate speed = longer times between fill ups; hauling the mail = fill it up every trip.

Trying to be non-biased I would say the fit and finish are a little better than average. I've seen better fit and finish on higher end boats and worse on lower end mass production boats. I give it a solid 7 out of 10.

As far as the warranty, I believe there is a one year on the boat and the hull and a 3 year on the engine. If you have any problems with the boat just give the folks at splendor a call and they will make sure it gets taken care of. If you don't get someone to answer I always got a call back the same day. NO automated answering services... you get real people. As for the engine, you can take care of any warranty work at any certified Mercury Marine dealer. My warranty is expired so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing happens.

The splendor is definitely not a common boat to see at the lake or beach. I've only seen one other. But everyone that sees it is definitely impressed and I'm very happy. The only thing I would trade this boat for would be a large pontoon with at least a 250hp outboard and a pair of jet skiis. This boat would be the next best thing.

Hope this helps let me know what else I can help you with.

Below is a pic of the boat with the prop down.

Thanks Jimmy for your update. Sounds like a great boat and builder!

I am not sure about the look of the swim platform. I see the outsides are right at the water level but it looks strange and does not look very sturdy. Does it flex much? It also doesn't look very good to use as a rear fishing platform. How hard was the impeller change? How about access to alt, starter, water pump, plugs and driver belt? How does it handle chop and large wakes? Do you have any idea of the gph used at 30mph?

BTW we have the pair of jetskis and were considering the performance pontoons but they are very expensive for the same performance as a deckboat. They also consume more fuel. I hope Splendor gives you comissions as you are an excellent spokesman!
Sorry to ask so many questions but it is not like I can go down to the dealer and check them out, and they are still not cheap enough to be unhappy with the purchase of one.

Edit: I wonder how a pair of mecury 200hp jet drives, one in each sponson would work? Small draft, lots of hp and turn like only a jet boat can!

Jimmy,
Thank you for the update. I have looked at these boats once at the St. Louis Boat Show. I never got to crawl through like I would like to as the owner of the company and I got to talking. I guess we talked for about 25 minute and the next thing I knew my better half was dragging me away to the next exhibit.

I will look at them closely next year. It seems like a great family platform and a very personable company!

JimmyC,
Thanks for your informative, first-hand posts on Splendor boats
For what it is worth, I don’t see anything biased what-so-ever.
I have never been a fan of the appearance - but you make a solid case for anyone considering the whole package

Yeah definitely not getting any comissions from Splendor, but I know how many of you who are looking at the splendor boats feel especially since you don't see many people with these boats. I was looking at the big name brand boats (SeaRay and Hurricane) when I got this one. I just couldn't justify the cost. I got my boat for about 10k less than comparible models with less features. This boat definitely is not standard and while a lot of the options are not industry standard its is extremely very functional. The only thing I would think would be comparable to this boat would be a hi-performance pontoon or tri-toon with at least a 250hp motor. But you still wouldnt get a wrap around windshield or a hiddden port-a-pottie area.

As far as the port-a-pottie. There is enough room for a full sized adult to use the facilities with the doors shut. It isn't the roomiest when trying to drop or put your wet swim suit back on but it works and when you got to go you got to go. Perfect size for the kiddos. The only problem I have is that the port-a-pottie section has plenty of room to store all of my gear so I usually fill it with life jackets anchors towels and clean clothes and if I need to use it I usually end up having to drag all the stuff out to make room enough for adults. There's plenty of other storage on the boat but I just like the fact that this is a one stop shop for all items expecially the large items to include tubes, umbrellas, empty coolers, my fishing seats and the sort.

As far as the engine compartment is concerned. It has plenty of room for general maintenance as all the components are located at the front of the engine. For oil changes there is a oil drain tube that extends outside the center drain plug so you don't have to worry about pumping out the oil from the engine. The major components are located at the front of the engine compartment but if you had to change the plugs or do any maintenance on the exhaust manifolds it isn't very mechanic friendly and you will end up paying extra for them to do the work. My impeller change was a couple $100 but I got that done with the scheduled maintenance and I'm not sure of the actual cost. You could call Splendor and I'm sure they could tell you exactly how much it should cost by itself.

I was looking for the best compromise for what I was going to be using the boat for. I wanted a pontoon but being in the salt water I wanted something that would provide a little more of a deck boat/runabout feel that could pull skiiers and something I could fish from.

There are nicer boats out there. But you will pay 10k and more for the same setup with those. I got this boat brand new. Knowing what I know now, it was a great deal compared to buying a brand new Hurricane or SeaRay deck boat... Best bang for the buck. But if you're looking to fit in with the rest of the boat crowd, I would recommend buying a used SeaRay or Hurricane. If you could find a used Splendor you would really be in the money but that is the problem. Most people who own these boats don't want to get rid of them. Believe me I looked.

As far as the swim platform I didn't really like the non-symetrical look when I first got it but it is definitely more functional than I could have ever wanted. The lower portion is flush with the water when the boat is sitting still and rises out of the water when the boat is on plane. The elevated portion is necessary to be able to raise the stern drive up full trim. I thought it would be pretty cool to have a perfectly flat swim platform with a hinged center section that would raise up when the motor was trimmed up and lay flat when the trim was down but this was all they offered at the time. Maybe future development will provide better options but the current platform is very functional expecially when getting out of the water or standing on while fishing. As far as the sturdiness of the platform I weigh about 210 and my brother is close to 260 and it doesn't flex at all while either of us are gettin on or off of it while it's on the trailer during everyday cleaning.

Bottom line I took the road less traveled and I'm still very pleased. I haven't had any maintenance issues but I'm sure in the future like any other boat owner these expenses will come along. You're always going to have them if you own a boat. If you want to compare maintenance cost on this boat with any other mainstream boat I'm sure they would be very comparable but I don't know that for a fact because I haven't had to do anything other than scheduled maintenance on it.

Below is a picture of the engine compartment with the rear seat removed and the head compartment filled with both my fishing seats coolers table top and a bunch of other stuff. You could probably get a picture of it empty from the Splendor site. Don't let if fool you it really is quite caverness when it's empty...

Thanks for the detailed report Jimmy. That is very good design the way they used 2 doors for the head compartment instead of one huge curved door. More builders should take a look at that solution.

Kelly

Yup, thanks.

Most deck boat shallow vee I/Os are about two and a half to three feet draft, I thought. Where's the 12" draft, only when using a paddle/engine off/drive tilted into trailer position?

I would bet that alot of folks think its 12" draft with the engine on and the drive down rather when using a paddle.

It fooled me as I thought draft meant the lowest part of the drive? It still is more shallow than most. I wonder how an outboard would do?

Drat! My Kayot book does not give draft for their Legend. But the hulls on the Legend are nearly flat bottom, vs half-Vee on the Splendor. So my bet is that the Legend drafts less.

Kelly

Looks like the Harris/Kayot Legend is no longer being made (at least it is no longer listed on the website). I really like the Legend. The few high hp used ones I have seen are very expensive. Asking 39,800 for a 2000 with a 454. The new Splendor is not much more. There was a VIP deckliner for sale in the area but I didn't find out about it until it was already sold. I will continue looking, but am leaning toward the Splendor. According to boattest the Legend has a max draft of 28" but is rather heavy at 4590.

Some years Kayot shows the Legend and in some they don't. Clearly they have not thrown away the molds. If you ask, they may build one to order, even though it's not currently shown. To really throw $$ at a cat, there is always Advantage, Conquest, Eliminator, E-Ticket, Hallett, Magic, etc. Used ones can be found.

Kelly

I checked out the Conquest boats. I would love one but $$$ is the one thing that prevents one living in my boat shed. I looked at the no longer in production Deckliner 255 and liked it especially the fishing deck front and rear, which is what is missing from the Legend and most deckboats. The Deckliner 255s are hard to find late model with large hp. Under powered boats are frustrating to me. They always seem to be straining.