Odyssey Millennium 2303
Author:
Steve Griffin Gather the family. Call some friends. Load them all -- as many as 14 of them -- onto this 23-foot two-tube pontoon. This new model splits the deck between Odyssey’s shorter pontoons and its big boats, making sure to provide maximum space for lots of fun. Using the same technologies and materials -- decking, tubes, rails and other materials -- as its higher-priced boats, Odyssey Pontoons here offers an economical craft ready to hit the water for a party. A full-wrap pit group encourages conversation. Backrest lounges make for comfortable sitting, even if you have to sit side-saddle to watch tubers. (With our modest 90-hp, three-cylinder Mercury test engine, this boat could have pulled the kids on a casual ride.) The captain directs things from a fiberglass helm with binnacle-rigged controls. An aerated livewell waits beneath the double-wide, flip-up helm seat -- in case the fun features fishing. Up front are two sleeper sofas. They’re a pair of benches, and a table between them stands ready for a cold drink or a deck of cards. Remove it and pull out the sofas, and they form an approximately queen-size bed. There’s even an optional full camper cover available for extended voyages. But this boat is designed especially for people with a place on the lake. The interior on our standard test boat was dedicated to providing people room in a full wraparound configuration, great for evening cruises with neighbors. However, if you’re going to camp on the boat, you can opt for the available pop-up changing room/bathroom enclosure. The sun deck is in three sections -- one for the gas tank, one for access to the motor and its battery, and one for storage. Attractive options that we’d spring for include a towbar for tubing, a mooring cover and the flat aluminum underbelly that streamlines the movement of the Millennium over the water. Nice Touches 1. Depth/fish finder comes standard, for navigation and fishing fun 2. Stylish docking lights for evening cruises 3. Double-wide flip-up helm seat accommodates two people 4. Stainless-steel fasteners are salt-water ready 5. Gates open inward for easy entry
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