2021 Crest Continental NX 270 SLS review

The name Crest Pontoon Boats may not resonate with many Australian boaters, but this Michigan, USA-based maker of pontoon deck boats enjoys an excellent reputation in its home country.

Founded in 1957, Crest pontoon boats were produced for nearly five decades by the original family-owned company, Maurell Products, prior to being bought in 2010 and renamed Crest Marine by an investment company.

In 2018 Crest Marine changed hands once more, becoming Crest Pontoon Boats after the sale of the company to leading tow-sports boat manufacturer MasterCraft Boat Holdings Inc.  

In the capable hands of MasterCraft (which also owns US brands Aviara and NauticStar) Crest Pontoon Boats has flourished, the boat range expanding in recent years to meet increasing worldwide demand for high-quality pontoon deck boats. 

In the Crest Pontoon Boat range, customers can choose from 10 different model lines. Most are available with double and triple pontoon tube hulls, and with several different floor-plan layouts for a total boat range of around 70 models. 

Hull sizes range from 6.0 metres to 8.8 metres, and most models can be rigged with single or dual outboard engines.

For this review, we have secured one of the largest, most luxurious twin-engine models, the Continental NX ("next generation") 270 SLS. 

Crest Pontoon Boats dealer Queensland Marine Centre stocks a varied range of Crest models with packages starting from $70,000 for a base model Crest Classic LX 200, rising to nearly $400K for a fully optioned version of our test boat, the Crest Continental NX 270 SLS Twin.

That last price is a fair ask for a big pontoon deck boat, but the full fruit version is a proper luxury sports boat and comes with every available option including a pair of 400hp Mercury Verado outboard engines and a $35,000 wake tower/arch for tow sports. 

Thankfully, you can get into the excellent boat for a lot less money. Pricing for a single 300hp Mercury outboard engine version of the crest Continental NX 270 SLS starts at a more reasonable $280,000, and includes a lot of standard gear and equipment.

If you're happy to cruise about the bay and harbour with a relatively modest top speed of 35 knots or so, this walk-up package will serve you well.

An added bonus of opting for the smaller, single-engine pontoon boats is that you can carry more than double the number of people on board; the single 300hp engined models are rated for 18 passengers while dual-engine rigs are limited to just eight. 

Our Crest Continental NX 270 SLS test boat was modestly optioned and fell pretty much in the middle of the above two package price extremes at $345,000 when rigged with a pair of 300hp Mercury V8 four-stroke outboard engines with power steering and digital throttle and shift. 

Other options include under-deck RGB lighting; powder-coated deck trim; tan/tweed Seagrass flooring to the entire deck; in-floor storage; three-drawer storage unit amidships; moveable cup holders; upgraded ski pole; stainless steel rub rail; Crest fender docking kit; and the Crest Saltwater package. 

The latter includes special surface protection that is applied to key alloy components, as well as transom-mounted sacrificial zinc anodes and stainless steel upgrades to fittings and fasteners. 

All told, the above list of options is pretty small, which is a reflection of how well these boats are outfitted directly from the factory. Everything else you can see in the accompanying photos is included in the standard inventory. 

The Crest Continental NX 270 SLS is fitted with Crest's triple pontoon tube hull known as the CP3 NX Performance. This high-speed rated hull is included as standard on all Crest models powered by single or twin outboard engines with a total output of 300hp or more. 

The CP3 tri-hull provides better handling, more stability and greater safety than the dual-pontoon hull. 

The increased buoyancy provided by the middle tube, which extends all the way aft, is also perfect for carrying big loads and dealing with the weight of two hefty outboard engines hanging off the stern. 

The three-round pontoon tubes beneath the Crest Continental are made using 3.0mm thick alloy with a diameter of 660mm. Four sealed, pressured chambers in each tube add strength and increase safety; these craft are all but unsinkable. 

Overhead there is a grid or network of alloy cross members supporting a marine plywood deck. Notably, the cross members are staggered closer together in the stern of the boat than up forward to provide extra transom/engine support. 

The Crest Continental NX is available with three slightly different floor plans that change the seating layout at the stern of the boat. 

Our SLS test boat had an L-shaped lounge on the port side at the stern with the entry gate situated at the transom on the port side. 

The second version, the SLC, has two identical aft-facing chaise-style lounge seats at the stern, on each side of the boat, with the entry gate centred at the transom.

The third layout is the SLCR, which is a variation on the SLC model. Instead of having integrated upright chaise seats aft, the SLRC has two big aft-facing bucket chairs fronting two forward-facing bench seats with reversible backrests. This allows two people to sit on each side of the boat aft while facing each other.

The two sets of rear seats in the SLCR model can also be turned into aft-facing loungers.

Apart from the rear seating differences, the three Continental NX layouts appear to be identical. 

Regardless of which layout you choose, the quality of the fixtures and fittings inside this boat is excellent. Seats are made with fibreglass-moulded bases and dressed with high quality, leather-look soft-touch vinyl. 

Of the three different aft seating layouts, I prefer the L-shaped aft lounge configuration of our SLS test boat. It just seems to make the best use of the available space.

The centre section of the L-shaped lounge can also be re-configured into an aft-facing chaise lounge (for swimming off the stern of the boat via the telescopic ladder) or folded down flat to create a handy sunbed.   

Similar to the two big side seats up in the bow, the seat cushions in the stern hinge out to provide access to storage lockers underneath, as well as a battery compartment. 

Beneath the bow side seats, there are three storage compartments, one of which is insulated for use as an icebox. 

There's also a small, removable cooler bin ahead of the port side console, beneath one of the speakers for the deluxe Bluetooth audio system.

On the foredeck, beyond the bow entry gate, is a moulded fibreglass anchor locker on the port side and a similar-sized locker opposite.

As noted there is a second entry/exit gate at the stern, and another amidships on the starboard side.

The Crest Continental has what Aussies would consider a bow rider layout in the sense that the forward seating area is separated from the stern via a full width, centre-opening windscreen and companionway. 

You can even close off the space between the two consoles to stop wind and weather flowing through to the stern. 

Similar to a conventional bowrider, the Crest Continental also has port and starboard side helm console units moulded from fibreglass and finished with a stunning gloss graphite metallic gelcoat with contrasting aluminium billet fascia panels, and tan vinyl accents. 

The helm console is wide, good looking and functional. A Garmin multifunction display occupies the centre of the fascia flanked by engine instrumentation, switch panels and the tilt-adjust sports steering wheel. 

The binnacle throttle box is side-mounted and close by the skipper's right hand when seated in the enormous, and comfortable reclining bucket helm chair that would not look out of place in front of your TV at home. 

The helm and co-pilot chairs are configurable every which way for maximum comfort and adjustability. 

Some of the other surrounding features include driver and passenger footrests; underfloor ski locker; port side glovebox and side storage nook; 12-volt socket; a pop-up canvas change room; Klipsch Bluetooth audio system; powder-coated fence rails; and cup holders all over the place.

There's even what Crest calls the "Captain's Cooled Cup Holder", a refrigerated cup holder at the helm that will keep a drink cold.

The layout, features and fit-out of the Crest Continental are impressive, but nothing quite prepares you for the remarkable performance of this craft.

With a pair of 300hp extra-longshaft Mercury V8 four-stroke outboard engines on the stern, our test boat accelerated to a top speed of 50 knots.

More remarkable is how it gets there. Nudge the throttle forward gently and the Crest tri-toon hull glides easily onto the plane at around 1800rpm. There is no discernible bow lift; it just transitions imperceptively from a displacement to a planing speed.  

Gun the throttle from that point – or from any point for that matter – and the hull explodes forward, building astonishing momentum in a matter of seconds. 

And yet, once the Crest reaches speeds of 40 to 45 knots and you ease off the throttle, the hull is so big, smooth and well planted that it feels like you're travelling at half that pace. 

With so much performance on offer, you'd think that twin 300hp outboard engines would be the maximum you can fit, but if you want crazy fast speeds, option the boat with a pair of supercharged 400hp Mercury Verados. 

Equally, you might choose to save a few dollars and throttle back to a pair of 200hp Mercury V6 four-strokes, which I suspect would still yield a top speed close to 40 knots. 

Pontoon boats are not designed for offshore waters, but I did run the test rig through the Gold Coast Seaway and it handled the calm seas with ease. 

In bay and harbour chop, the triple pontoon hull cuts easily through the waves, while the welded spray chines on the outer tubes dampen and suppress spray.

At rest, the Crest Continental is wharf-like stable; it barely moves when you cross from one side of the boat to the other. 

Performance*

*Both engines
Range on 95% of the 456L fuel supply: 247.4nm at 3000rpm

Pontoon people-mover or high-performance sports boat? The lines are definitely blurred here. Whilst pontoon boats such as the Crest Continental don't have a tight turning circle, they certainly have the straight-line performance you need for social tow sports.

There's almost no wake behind these craft, so you can pretty much forget about wakeboarding. But for social waterskiing, pulling the kids around on tubes or simply blasting about the bay or harbour on a warm summer's day, then you'll have a ball with the Crest Continental NX 270 SLS.

One of the few downsides is that you'll have so much fun zooming about in this craft that you will burn through lots of fuel. 

The purchase price is right up there too at $300,000-plus, but if you can afford a family fun-boat of this calibre, why not do it? You only live once. 

Specifications
Model: Crest Continental NX 270 SLS Twin
Length overall: 8.9m
Hull length: 8.6m 
Pontoon diameter: 660mm
Pontoon thickness: 3mm
Deadrise: N/A
Weight: 2242kg (hull only)/3000kg (dry, with engines)
Maximum power: 2x400hp
Engines as tested: Dual Mercury 300hp V8 four-stroke outboards 
Fuel: 456L
Passengers: 8

Priced from: $280,000 with a single Mercury 300hp V8 longshaft (20-inch) four-stroke outboard engine with SeaStar electronic power steering, digital throttle and shift, or $315,000 with a pair of Mercury 200hp V6 four-stroke outboard engines. Add $15,000 to $25,000 (3500kg-4500kg ATM) for a custom aluminium trailer. 

Price as tested: $345,000 including a pair of black-coloured Mercury 300hp V8 extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard engines with SeaStar power steering, digital throttle and shift; Crest Saltwater Package; under-deck RGB lighting; powder-coated deck trim; 2 moveable cup holders; Crest fender docking kit; Seagrass flooring to entire deck; in-floor storage; three-drawer storage unit; upgraded ski pole; and a stainless steel rub rail insert. 

Supplied by: Queensland Marine Centre