PONTOON 2015 BOAT BUYERS GUIDE COURTESY SYLVAN u Fishing-oriented amenities include aft fishing station with built-in rod holders, livewell, cutting board and lockable rod storage to starboard. u When the livewell isn’t keeping bait frisky, it can be used to keep your beverages frosty. u No bare-bones fishing chairs here: Seats are plush high-backs with flipdown armrests. u Optional gate-filler seat creates one continuous lounge forward with over 11 linear feet of passenger space. Each lounge has three cup holders. u Unique portside couch opposite the helm fits in multiple passengers, or a single occupant can stretch out with both forward- and aft-facing backrests. u Yamaha 150 outboard blends fuel-efficient cruising with 36 mph top speed. // Specs u LOA: 23'10" u Beam: 8'6" u Dry Weight: 2,100 lb. u Seating/Weight Capacity: 12/1,650 lb. u Fuel Capacity: 30 gal. // How We Tested ENGINE: Yamaha F150 LA PROP: Reliance 14½" x 15" 3-blade stainless steel GEAR RATIO: 2.00:1 FUEL LOAD: 23 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 150 lb. MIRAGE 8522 PARTY FISH Partying isn’t the only thing that happens on a pontoon. A lot of fishing takes place too, and Sylvan caters to anglers with the Mirage 8522 Party Fish. Check out the built-in aft fishing station. With a cutting-board top, built-in rod holders and 24-gallon livewell, it’s ready for everything from prepping to parallel lounges, with the starboard seat trolling to measuring your catch on the a full 5 feet in length and the port seat 3 ruler etched into the livewell lid. Look to feet 6 inches. Add the optional gate filler starboard and you’ll note a lockable rod seat, and you complete one long, storage locker, lengthy enough to J-shaped wraparound lounge. It’s handle 7½-foot rods. Rather than the portside couch opposite the bare-bones fishing chairs, Sylvan helm, however, that’s unique. Over offers up comfortable high-back 4 feet in length, it’s a great spot for models with flip-down armrests, multiple passengers to sit opposite just like you find at the helm. the driver, but with its fore and aft That way you can make full use backrests, it can also allow a solo of the area when not baiting a occupant to stretch out and gaze in hook. Along those lines, two drink either direction. Seating surfaces are holders are inset into the tabletop To see our full video covered in a rich, lush vinyl. Trios and the insulated livewell serves review of the Mirage of cup holders are set into each and double duty as a cooler. 8522 Party Fish, scan this tag or visit every lounge. Our test boat featured a boatingmag.com/ The 8522 was powered by a new twist on seating for 2015. bbg15/sylvan Yamaha F150 outboard. It cruised Forward you’ll find the familiar mirage8522. BOAT BUYERS GUIDE $34,005 (with test power) happily just shy of 24 mph, burning a mere 6.5 gallons per hour. Drop to trolling speed and the engine will sip next to nothing. Planing was nearly instantaneous, and the boat passed the 30 mph mark in just 6.4 seconds. Top speed? A respectable 36 mph at 5,800 rpm. BOATING Certified Test Results EFFICIENCY stat. n. mi. mpg range MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED u Contact SYLVAN New Paris, Indiana; 866-766-9698; sylvanmarine.com OPERATION sound angle level