Jeff Webster•7 Feb 2014

REVIEW

Misty Harbor 2585 Biscayne Bay

Name: Misty Harbor 2585 Biscayne Bay
Brand: Misty Harbor

The ultimate smooth-water dayboat, a great party pontoon rated to carry 15, and exceptional value to boot

LIKES

- Planes at just 7.0 knots

- Massive stability

- Great helm layout

- Lots of seating and deck space

- Comfortable, hardwearing upholstery

- Rated to carry 15 people

- A great party boat

NOT SO MUCH

- Bow and stern cleats optional -- not standard

- No formed anchor well

- No factory provision for galley/sink/stove/fridge, etc

OVERVIEW

- Aussies warming to pontoon-style deck boats

Pontoon deck boats have not traditionally been all that popular with Australian boaters. A number of local and imported brands have come and gone during the last few decades, but according to northern NSW pontoon boat dealer, Tweed Coast Marine, the local indifference toward pontoon boats is changing. Aussies are finally warming to these enormously stable, large-decked open boats.

Tweed Coast Marine is a Queensland dealer for US pontoon boat brand Misty Harbor. Built in Fort Dodge, Iowa, by a company called the Kevcon Corporation, Misty Harbor is a respected brand in America where pontoon deck boats are very popular.

Misty Harbor boats was established in 1990 and specialises in the manufacture of aluminium-tube pontoon deck boats from about 4.3m to 7.8m in length. There are more than 40 different Misty Harbor boats available within the brand’s Skye, Adventure, Explorer and Biscayne Bay boat ranges.

Thanks to Tweed Coast Marine we were able to step aboard one of the biggest Misty Harbor models, the Biscayne Bay 2585CU.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

- A lot of boat for your money

Misty Harbor boats have been available in Australia since 2010 through a select number of dealers. The boats are partially built in the US, before final assembly in Australia.

Components like engines, trailers, electronics, canvas covers and biminis are all sourced or made locally for quality control and to ensure full compliance with local regulations.

As you would expect, not all Misty Harbor models are available from local dealers, but they do have a range of different sizes and floor plans to choose from.

The model we tested from Tweed Coast Marine is one of the Biscayne Bay series boats. The 2585CU or cruiser model is the largest in the Biscayne Bay range at close to 8.0m in overall length. There are two smaller hull sizes available in 6.0m and 7.0m lengths and with around four different interiors layouts. There’s even a dedicated fishing range.

The Biscayne Bay CU range is new for 2014. It is designed for maximum seating with four chaise style lounges in addition to up-sized helm and passenger chairs.

The 2585CU has an enormous amount of deck space, with three entry boarding gates, storage space under all seats and lounges, a deluxe helm console with tilt-adjustable steering wheel, two-piece full length bimini top, and lift-out cockpit tables at the bow and stern.

Other standard features include vinyl flooring, Alpine Bluetooth four speaker stereo system, stainless steel cup holders, 106 litre fuel tank, rear boarding ladder, bilge pump and LED navigation lights.

Packaged with a 90hp Mercury four-stroke outboard, smooth water safety gear and registration, the standard 2585CU package is exceptional value with a price of $47,790. This is a great price when you consider this is a 25ft boat!

Add a locally made tandem-axle trailer to the kit and you are up for another $6200 plus registration, but this still makes for a bargain boat package.

On the subject of trailering, the Biscayne Bay is light weight for its length and has a low profile so it will tow comfortably behind a regular 4WD vehicle -- though a towing permit and flags may be required due to the boat’s over-width beam of 2.59m.

The test rig was fitted with several options which lift the package price (with trailer) to $63,300. They include a power upgrade to a Mercury 150hp four-stroke outboard, teak-look vinyl flooring, hydraulic steering, and a Humminbird 597ci HD fish finder/GPS combination unit.

There are a number of other factory fitted options available to improve your day boating experience, including portable bench seats, different upholstery colour combinations, a pop-up changing room/privacy enclosure, snap-in carpet, ski-pole, different coloured fencing rails and surrounding fence panels, additional interior lighting.

There is no provision for a chemical toilet with the CU version of the Biscayne Bay, but the CS version (which has a different seating layout) has space for a portable toilet and a pop-up privacy screen in the portside stern corner.

A number of locally made options can also be purchased from Misty Bay dealers including pop-up bow and stern cleats (not standard), different seating and bimini options, camping and storage covers, and various fishing accessories, etc.

Missing from the list of factory options was any kind of galley/sink/stove unit -- which I would consider important options for this style of boat. There is no fridge option either or even a formed ice box to keep your drinks cold. Thankfully the dealer has assured me that these items can be fitted locally.

A factory fitted galley is optional on only two Misty Harbor models, the flagship Skye series 2385SG and 2685SG.

MECHANICAL & HULL

- Optional performance packages

The Biscayne Bay is available with two different hull options. The standard boat, as tested, has twin outside pontoon tubes, separated by a plywood deck and connected by a series of aluminium cross struts. The tubes are made from 2.3mm alloy (or thereabouts), have a diameter of 635mm, baffled internal chambers and external keels for protection.

Stainless steel fasteners are used throughout and all seams are fully welded.

An option for this hull is what Misty Harbor calls the Performance Shield, which is a sheet of smooth aluminium that is attached at the bow behind the standard boat’s spray chines, and extends all the way aft -- under the top-deck and between the sponsons or tubes. The Performance Shield is claimed to reduced drag and increase engine efficiency and boat speed.

Both the standard hull and upgraded Performance Shield hull have a streamlined engine pod at the transom between the two hull tubes. This pod or centre tube directs clean, undisturbed water through to the propeller to prevent cavitation.

The second hull option for the Biscayne Bay series is what Misty Harbor calls the Tripletoon hull. This hull has a slightly more rounded forward deck and three full-length aluminium tubes instead of the regular two.

The Tripletoon offers improved performance and is designed to accept a single outboard up to 250hp -- though I am not sure why you would even need that much power. A larger fuel tank can be carried in the third, centre tube and there is provision for a large ski-storage locker.

INTERIOR LAYOUT

- Seating, storage and deck space for fifteen people

Like most pontoon boats, the Misty Harbor Biscayne Bay is basically one huge rectangular deck surrounded by aluminum-framed 'fencing' with a gated entryway at three points.

Overhead is a two-section, Australian-made bimini top. The two sections can be folded up or down individually so that you can leave half the boat covered and half open to the sunshine.

The bow and stern layouts are similar with large chaise-style lounge seats at each corner.

The seat cushions have stainless steel hinges so they fold out to reveal roto-moulded polyethylene storage bins underneath.

The battery, master switch and fuel filter are located in one of these storage bins down at the transom.

The stern gate nearby opens to gain access to the aluminium boarding ladder and the 106l fuel tank located within the central engine pod under the transom.

The Biscayne Bay does not have a formed anchor well. In the test boat the anchor was temporarily stowed in the locker under the helm console. A better spot would be a storage bin under one of the forward lounge seats.

The helm console in the Biscayne Bay is quite elaborate, and well designed. It is a wide unit, topped by a small windscreen and wood grain-look instrument panel. The test rig was fitted with a bracket-mounted sounder/GPS, an Alpine stereo and switch panel.

The binnacle-mounted throttle box is well placed and the tilt-adjustable steering wheel works well, in combination with the fore and aft sliding helm chair, for achieving a comfortable driving position. The backrest on the helm chair (and co-pilot chair opposite) could also be adjusted for an almost car-like driving experience.

ON THE WATER

- A solid, stable and surefooted platform

When stepping from a wharf onto a pontoon boat like the Misty Harbour the first thing you notice is that it’s almost like stepping from one wharf to another. That’s how solid and stable these boats are. Little wonder the Biscayne Bay is rated to carry 15 people!

Stability is unquestionably the hallmark of these pontoon boats, but they also feel solid, surefooted when running through the water.

The Misty Harbors and most pontoon boats are designed for enclosed-water applications, but that doesn’t mean they are poor performers. The twin hulls of the Biscayne Bay (or triple hulls in the case of the Tripletoon model) cut through typical bay chop with ease.

Conditions for our test were calm so there wasn’t a lot of wave action about to test the boat to its limits, but we did cross a few hefty boat wakes to confirm the Biscayne Bay’s prowess as a well-rounded inshore performer.

From a standing start, the Biscayne Bay moves from a displacement to planing speed with no discernible hump or rise. It just glides onto the plane and achieves this at a speed of just 7 knots or so.

At the helm the Biscayne Bay is easy to drive, easy to handle. You can basically set a speed and course, then sit back and relax. There is little requirement for steering wheel or throttle input.

At speed the Biscayne Bay is manoeuvrable enough, but it does have a very wide turning circle and a limited trim range. Experimenting with the height of the motor on the transom might improve the trim range, but there is no pressing need for it in this style of craft.

Interestingly, when subject to waves or wind chop from abeam, the Biscayne Bay has a much quicker or jerkier rocking action than a regular monohull. Powered cats too have a quicker sideways movement, but it is accentuated in pontoon-style craft.

The Biscayne Bay is no high-performance skiboat, but it will easily pull a skier or a couple of kids on tubes.

As tested, with the 150hp Mercury, the Misty Harbor has plenty of power, but this translated into a top speed of just 27.6 knots. This was due partly to the way the big Mercury was propped (to carry and push a boat load of people), but also to the speed-resistant pontoon hull shape.

I suspect you could drop down to a 115hp outboard and achieve a similar top speed with a lightly laden boat. Add a dozen people onboard, however, and that is when you will appreciate the extra power of the bigger Mercury outboard engine.

VERDICT

- Just the ticket for day boating with family and friends

There is no doubt that pontoon craft like the Misty Harbor Biscayne Bay are here to stay. It has taken a while, but Aussie boaters are finally catching on to the advantages these craft have to offer for enclosed-water boating.

As a party platform for an extended family or bunch of friends, these craft have no peers; they have more deck and seating space then any other type of craft on a length-for-length basis.

The Biscayne Bayne is a fine example of the breed, too. I lament the absence of galley and fridge facilities on this particularly model, but understand the need to keep the entry price to a minimum.

PERFORMANCE

5.2kts (10km/h) @ 1500rpm

6.7kts (12km/h) @ 2000rpm

9.5kts (18km/h) @ 2500rpm

13.3kts (25km/h) @ 3000rpm

17.1kts (32km/h) @ 3500rpm

21.0kts (39km/h) @ 4000rpm

24.9kts (46km/h) @ 4500rpm

27.6kts (51km/h) @ 5200rpm

Specifications:

Price: $57,000 including 150hp Mercury four-stroke outboard, Humminbird 597ci HD fish finder/GPS, teak-look vinyl flooring, hydraulic steering, 12 months registration and smooth water safety gear. Add $6200 plus registration for a tandem-axle Oceanic trailer with mechanical over-ride brakes.

Priced from: $47,790 with 90hp Mercury four-stroke (no trailer)

Length overall: 8.0m

Deck length: 7.62m

Tube length: 7.7m

Tube diameter: 635mm

Maximum beam: 2.59m

Hull weight: 998kg

Towing weight: Approx. 1900kg

Deadrise: N/A

Tube alloy: 2.3mm

Maximum power: 150hp

Engine as tested: Mercury 150hp four-stroke

Fuel: 106 litres

Maximum Persons: 15

Supplied by:

Tweed Coast Marine

147 Pacific Highway

Tweed Heads South, QLD, 2486

Telephone: (07) 5524 8877

Website: www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au

Email: sales@tweedcoastmarine.com.au

Misty Harbor 2585 Biscayne Bay

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