Boating — December 2018

SEE THE
VIDEO

High Points

XFour loungers and a reclining

captain’s chair provide plenty of

opportunities to kick back

and relax.

XOur test boat’s tri-toon offered

V-hull-like handling and pleasing

turn of speed with a 200 hp

Honda outboard.

XAbundant stowage resides under

all of the lounge seats and the

helm console.

Specs

· LOA: 22'0" · BEAM: 8'6"

· DRY WEIGHT: 1,690 lb. · SEATING/

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 13/2,500 lb.

· FUEL CAPACITY: 30 gal.

How We Tested

ENGINE: Honda BF200

DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/Mercury

Vengeance 14" x 19" 3-blade

stainless steel

GEAR RATIO: 1.86:1

FUEL LOAD: 15 gal.

CREW WEIGHT: 450 lb.

Price

$64,900 ( as tested)

HAMPTON

2285 SE

loungers to ensure you always have a

beverage handy.

At the helm is a captain’s chair with

fold-down armrests. When you’re not un-

derway, you can swivel the chair to join

the festivities or recline it to take a re-

laxing catnap. In the bow, a pair of facing

loungers (4 feet long on the port side and

5 feet long on the starboard-side) invite

crew members to kick back and soak up

the sun, or enjoy a snack using the pedestal

table that secures into a fl ush base in the

forward deck. You’ll fi nd storage under all

of the lounges.

The sleek fi berglass console on our

test boat sported hydraulic steering, an

in-dash compass, and a full complement

of gauges. A Simrad GO5 chart plotter/

fi sh fi nder helps guide the way and warn of

shallow water. A four-speaker, Bluetooth-

enabled Infi nity stereo helps keep every-

one entertained.

A special touch aboard our test boat

was an RGB LED controller that lets you

adjust the courtesy lights in a rainbow of

colors to suit your mood. The system will

even automatically rotate the colors.

The Hampton line of pontoon boats has an

advantage over other brands. It hails from

storied builder PlayCraft, of which owner

Jim Dorris and his sons continue to per-

fect the performance side of pontooning.

While a Hampton might not achieve the

same eye-watering speeds of its PlayCraft

sister ships, we could feel the pedigree

from behind the tilt-and-lock wheel of the

Hampton 2285 SE tri-toon.

The tri-toon hull design

took full advantage of the

200 hp Honda outboard on

our test boat. The Hampton

2285 SE vaulted out of the

hole and achieved a pleasing

turn of speed. Our test boat

also proved nimble, carving

turns in V-hull-like fashion,

banking nicely during lateral

acceleration.

We could also see the

heritage in features like the

patented staircase boarding

system built into the aft end

of the starboard tube. Combined with a

three-step fold-down boarding ladder, it is

the easiest reboarding system in the pon-

toon market. The aft swim platform on our

test boat included a beefy stainless-steel

ski-tow arch over the Honda outboard for

enjoying watersports such as water skiing

and tubing.

Attractive woven-vinyl fl ooring pro-

vides traction when wet. It’s easy to clean

and adds a stylish touch that complements

the 2285 SE’s plush two-tone upholstery

and classy lines. In the aft interior, we

found an inviting 7-foot-long lounge on

the port side and a 4-foot-long lounge

to starboard. A gate leads to the swim

platform that spans the transom. Mov-

able drink holders slide into the crease

between the backrest and seat on the

PHOTOS: BILL DOSTER

HAMPTON BY PLAYCRAFT

Richland, Missouri; 572-765-3265; hamptonpontoons.com

To see our video
review of the
2285 SE, scan
this tag or visit
boatingmag
.com/bbg18/
hampton2285.

C

PONTOON

CERTIFIED

TEST

RESULTS

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