JC Tritoon 306
This is the 1999 JC Tritoon that I’m selling. It’s in fantastic shape and has a built in Mercury 350 Magnum engine with Multiport injection which delivers 300hp! You’re guaranteed to enjoy the reactions of boat owners as you pass them by with ease – when conditions are right, you’ll get up to 40mph! (Manufacturer claims 45mph)
How I found my JC Tritoon!
About four years ago I started my search for the perfect boat. I wasn’t sure what boat I wanted. Having visited many boat dealers only to leave stunned by outrageous prices and feeling as though I survived a shark attack, I decided to consider used pontoon boats.
Two years later, I noticed a pontoon boat flying through the water at incredible speed; so fast that it was actually passing regular boats! I knew then I was narrowing in on the right boat!
I caught up with the owner (turned out to be a neighbor) of the pontoon boat to find out exactly what made it so fast; turns out, it was JC Tritoon and I quickly received a tongue lashing for calling it a pontoon.
My neighbor told me that although his boat was fast, his dream boat just came up on eBay, the flagship of the Tritoon line, a 1999 JC Tritoon 306. The 306 is a 30 ft party boat powered by a built in 350 Mercruiser that fits over 20 people and comes with a hardtop that also serves as a sunning / diving platform.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught up and passed boats that you would think should be able to leave a deck boat in the dust; the confused looks are most rewarding (yes, I’m still a child at heart…).
Over the last two years, I’ve had a blast; unfortunately, my wife and daughter can’t handle anything faster than a few miles per hours on perfectly calm water. It doesn’t matter how stable the boat is, a few waves or too much speed and they begin to get nauseous.
I’m also new to fishing and have fallen in love with the sport. It doesn’t matter how big the waves are or how cold it gets, fishing is my new form of meditation. My ideal boat will allow my friends and I to easily manage down riggers, fish in cold (covered top with heat), and have a deep V to handle the big waves of Lake Michigan.
It’s time for me to sell my boat. The JC Tritoon was $60,000 new, I paid $28,500 two years ago, have taken excellent care of it and now selling it.
If you want the fastest pontoon (Tritoon) on the water (40 mph!), the ability to pull multiple water skiers at once, then come visit and let me show you what this party boat can do! I promise it will be a ride you won’t forget!
Tritoon Specifications
This 30 foot long powerhouse comes with a custom made cover and hard sun top (diving platform) makes this the best sun boat on the lake. A Hoosier triple axle trailer is used to transport this party barge from lake to lake.
The 306 is the flagship of the TriToon line. Truly the best riding of all the JC line, and that is really saying something! With the v-8 in the stern, you can glide across the roughest of inland lake chop. JC has been building the TriToon for over 25 years. In fact, the word”TriToon” is a registered trademark of JC Manufacturing, Inc. With it’s unique unibody tri-hull construction and full planning capability, it offers deck boat performance combined with pontoon boat comfort.
Have guests that fear motion sickness? A TriToon, unlike your standard pontoon, is much more stable and easily cuts through waves making for an enjoyable ride!
Additional options included are:
Preferred option package (includes L-group, bow lounges, kidney shape table, 18 gallon reserve tank, pullout stereo (601) w/4 speakers, stern boarding ladder, upright cooler, docking lights, courtesy lights and blinkers (for that added effect).
- Double wide captains chair
- CD player
- Deluxe Mahogany wheel and dash
- Fish finder
- Ski storage in deck
- Bow anchor locker
- Seat and helm covers
- Hard top sun platform
- Dual battery provisions
I paid $28,500 for this two years ago. I’m asking $22,000 and it’s in great shape. The hour meter on the boat is 415. I’ll post more pictures once I can remove it from storage. This is located in West Michigan and I’d be happy to take you for a spin!
Notes:
The captain’s seat is beginning to wear at one of the seams. You can see the picture below – it’s not that noticeable, but something that is going to need to be repaired at some point.
On a small section of the boats side, the paint has peeled – touch up paint should do the trick.
The right frame of the upper platform has a couple of welds on one leg that have come undone and need to be re-welded. This has been like this since I bought the boat and I have not noticed any instability when hanging out on top.
I ran over something (wood, rocks?) when I first bought the boat and insurance replaced the lower unit. I replaced the prop with a special prop that will strip rather than damage the lower unit should you repeat my mistake (a lot less hassle and easy fix); I have a spare prop as well, along with the old one as a reminder – everything runs perfect.
That’s it for any surprises – The boat is in great shape and most importantly, the engine runs perfect.
ABOS Blue Book values the boat at $23,230.27
This boat has premium upgrades:
The book assumes a 190hp; upgrade bumps the horse power up to 300hp!
The book assumes a Bimini top, upgrade includes the hardtop.
Book doesn’t factor the trailer into the picture.
Before upgrades:
Note: these prices are what show up in the average blue book which do not include the extra’s / upgrades:
ABOS Low: $15,291
ABOS High: $18,011
ABOS Retail $22,464
ABOS Bluebook Values:
These are the correct values, so make sure when you are pricing out the boat, you include all the upgrades / premium features mentioned above.
ABOS Low: $19,607
ABOS High: $23,230
ABOS Retail: $28,972.40
It’s truly a unique boat – Chances are, you won’t find another tritoon like this on your lake!
You can contact me by leaving a comment and I’ll drop you an email. All comments are moderated, so your contact information won’t appear on the site.
Update on the Tritoon 9/15/09:
The captain’s seat had a section where the seam was coming apart – it’s very noticeable now. I put a beach towel on it to protect from further damage.
I have been having sporadic problems with the engine – It sounds like it’s running out of gas but I still have power. I was told there is water in the gas and that I need to change the water separator filter. I did this but still have the problem.
I asked a local boat mechanic to take a look at this, and he replaced the spark plug wires, rotor cap to no avail. He then suggested I replace the ignition module – I picked it up from him and replaced the module but no luck. He now thinks that it’s the electronic control module, but that is $1,000. If that fixes the problem, I’d buy it, but he is not sure and once I buy it, I can’t return it. He does not have an ECM tester, so he suggested I wait until he gets a boat in with the same ECM and he’ll (after asking the owner) try it in mine and see if that fixes it. If so, then problem solved. I talked with him today and he said it should be a couple of weeks and that boat should be in.
I have a person ready to do the welding on the back sun-deck support arm that I have photographed.
I plan on getting everything except the seat fixed before the end of the season (soon) but if you think you can do the work and want to negotiate it out of the price of the boat, I’m all for it.
Note: It is sporadic; two days ago, I went out 15 miles into Lake Michigan and didn’t have any problem. The time before I went to White Lake and it sputtered a few times and then ran great.
That is the latest and I’ll keep updating this website with more information as it happens.
If you want to wait until I get everything fixed and find out what the problem is, great. If you want to look at it now and take it for a spin, that’s fine also, just let me know.
Update on the Tritoon 12/02/09:
After a ton of stress I came to find out that the sporadic problems turned out to be a distributor rotor and could rotate freely .25 to half an inch. It was the wrong size and could be moved by hand. That is the World’s Most Expensive Rotor coming in at $800! Makes a grown man want to cry! Here is a picture:
It’s in heated storage now and ready for play next year…
As far as price goes, I would have to get an updated ABOS quote and we would go from there.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Has this boat sold ?
Hello D.
It is still for sale. All I have done so far to advertise the boat is to create this site and get it running. Last week I finally got around to posting the pictures and I feel everything is ready.
My plan is to start with Craigs List and refer back to this site in the post, then eBay, then others from there.
When I do sell the boat, I’ll make sure to clearly note that on this site.
Thanks for asking and I’ll send you an email as well.
Best regards,
Jim
Salt or fresh water use?
This pontoon has never seen salt water. I have no idea what it would take, if any, to run it in salt water. It’s only been run in fresh water.
Please contact me. I would like to see it in person.
Thanks,
Rich
Does your tritoon come with a lift?
Rich,
I sent you my contact information.
Mark,
I don’t have a boat lift; it stays in the water tied to the dock. Every so often I clean off the pontoons – it’s fresh water, so it’s easy to clean the algae off.
I also have a cover for the boat.
Best regards,
Jim
I am interested in Your JC 306 if it is still for sale. Can a canvas enclosure be added to the boat. Lots of bugs where we are.
thanks
Frank
Hi Frank,
Yes, it is for sale.
Sorry for the confusion: I thought about selling it last year but never did anything more than put it up on my site – Now that I have this site finished and the warm weather is just around the corner, It time to get it listed.
I’ll send you my contact information.
Best regards,
Jim
Hi Frank,
I took pictures of the items that you were concerned about. You presented some good questions that others may inquire about so I’ve added them to this page for everyone to see.
Best regards,
Jim
Does your pontoon come with a cover? Does it come with a trailer?
Hi Tracy,
Good questions and yes to both.
The cover is custom made – full camper package
The trailer is a Hoosier Triple Axle with less then 700 miles on it.
Gas tanks hold a total of 101-150 gallons and Beam is 8.5 feet.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best regards,
Jim
Hi Jim-
Your boat and website is awesome! Loved the video. I’ve never seen anything like your boat, but can imagine it would be perfect to fish from and take my kids with me for some skiing. I’ve been seriously contemplating buying a pontoon for the family for awhile now. I’m assuming it’s still for sale?
Great job, btw.
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for the Kudos! I put a lot of time into the site and it’s nice to receive the complement
The boat is still for sale. The last offer I received was far too low and it’s not a case where I need the money, but rather that it’s a lot of work keeping it clean and docked.
I live on a section of the lake where the wind is extremely strong at times and waves are heavy. If I lived on a smaller lake, I could have a covered dock and not worry about keeping it clean or a storm breaking the ropes.
I love the boat and now that summer is here, I find I’m second guessing myself (again). If I receive a decent offer, I’ll sell, if not, that’s OK to.
Thanks again and have a great day!
Jim
Jim -
I am a little limited on towing capacity on my truck – only 5000 pounds. Any idea what your weight looks like (dry or wet)? Also, can you give me the city name so I can figure out the drive?
Thanks!
Mark
Hi Mark,
The ABOS blue book shows my Tritoon to be 3400 pounds. I didn’t see the weight in any of my manuals or documentation. It’s all aluminum, so it’s a lot lighter than one would think.
The trailer is the WFB 328-12 Float-On Hoosier Trailer with an overall length of 36′
The trailer has the Optional Load Guides and Step Stand Assemble, can hold up to 6000 pounds and weighs 1215 pounds
Says Manufactured by Spreuer and Son, Inc
115 East Spring Street
LaGrange, Indiana 46761
(219) 463-3513 or 463-7471
Trailer and Tritoon is 4,615 pounds.
I’m in Muskegon, Michigan.
Best regards,
Jim
Is this pontoon still for sale?
Hi Harry,
No, the tritoon 306 is no longer for sale. I still have it, but I decided to keep it – I hate keeping it clean, but LOVE being out on it and now that summer is here, it’s play time
Best regards,
Jim
Please provide your email contact IF you decide to sell your pontoon at end of season or early next please let me know, we are looking for a tri pontoon in this price range
Jim,
Please contact me if you decide to sell in the future. This boat is exactly what my wife and I are looking for. We recently sold our Mastercraft X2 because we have a 2 year old and are looking for a boat that we can take the whole family out on.
Thank you. -Brent
If you change your mind i too would like to purchase this boat from you and i will take it right now if you are still interested in selling it.
Winter is approaching, storage is going to run me $800 and I’ve used it a lot less that I had hoped.
Although every time I take it out, I love it, it’s too much for just my wife and daughter, so I’m putting it up for sale.
I’ll post some updated pictures soon and I’ve written everyone that has asked to be notified.
Have a great day!
Jim
Jim, I am interested in the tritoon if you have decided to sell. Curious if you have resolved the engine issues and if there is any other issues after the summers use? What is the asking price? Thanks, Rick
Hi Rick,
I’m not sure on the price – I have try and get a quote from ABOS again.
Still waiting for the mechanic (who is still waiting on the boat I discussed above to come in) so that we can swap out the ECM.
My daughters friend’s father is a mechanic as well (cars) and he thinks it could be the mass intake valve (or something like that) and all I need is to clean it out. He was going to come out late last week, but it looks like it might not be until next week.
I called a welding guy who charges $95 per hour (he said he’d make it right (price that is)) for fixing the broken weld in the picture above, but I have yet to hear back from him.
Things should start moving fast now – the cold weather is sneaking in…
I’ll keep the site updated as things happen.
Enjoy the day!
Jim
Jim, is your tritoon still for sale. I am located in Spring Lake, Michigan. Send me an email.
Thank you
let me know if your boat is for sale and asking price. I have 26 foot jc without hard top would like a little bigger and hard top.
thanks bill
Jim,
I have a 45′ tritoon that I want to sell. What do I need to do to get on your site?
Lee
Hi Jim
I happened upon your site, not in the market for a boat, but I had a similar engine related problem with a GM 350 engine in my 2002 GMC Van. I am not a mechanic, but I do like to tinker with my own vehicles. I had replaced the ECM ($600), mass air flow sensor($450) and several other components to no avail. I had spent upwards of $3k at a local GM dealer and the problem was not resolved. I spent 5 hours @ $90/hour at my dealer and they did test afte test. Their best guess was the heads needed to be rebuilt($1500 per side). I did not do it. The engine finally stopped working one day and I ended up pulling the distributer and the drive gear was worn away. A $62.00 part that took ME 15 minutes replace, resolved the problem. All the diagnostic equipment on the world will not diagnose a worn gear. It will only diagnose symptoms and relate them to an electronic failure. Have your mechanic take a few minutes to pull the distributer and rule out this possible problem.
Good luck.
Dieter
Hi Dieter,
I brought the pontoon into a big pontoon place yesterday. The first thing the parts guy suggested as the kill switch. He said that it can come loose and cause this problem. I already had it on the trailer and didn’t want to take it back home and mess with it – he said they would look at that first.
Your suggestion is an excellent one and I’ll call them and ask them to do this as well – I’m not getting it repaired there, it’s just that they have a tester for the ECM.
Thanks for taking to share, it is GREATLY appreciated!
Have a great day!
Jim
Hi Jim!
What a riot! I went from your other great website, “AuditMyPc.com” to this one because i love fishing and boats. I have been reading with interest every word posted here and would have to say that i think you have a keeper. Both the website, and yes your boat!
I almost cried when i sold my boat, and have often thought back about just how much fun we had at the lake when I had it. Hard to replace now, I had an 26 ft Sea Ray with the cuddy cabin that slept 6 pretty comfortably, and too had the full camper canvas package, which was really handy. Not for cold weather mind you, for monsoon season here in Arizona. The weather can change in 30 mins from wonderful to wild and it always kept us dry. Great work on both of the websites, and remember, summer will be back before ya know it, and your family is going to want to hit the water.
Throw the mooring cover on, and sit back and smile till then! From sunny Arizona, I say have a great day!!
Ted
Jim, is your boat still for sale? it looks great. I’d love to discuss it with you.
Thanks, Jim Wise
Thanks for the “audit website”, from pc audit to tritoon!
Great looking boat is it still for sale?
Hi, is your pontoon still for sale?
Still for sale? Where?