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2024 Godfrey Monaco 235 SFL

Boat Reviews

Boat Review by: Rick Layzell

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For over 60 years, Godfrey has been crafting beautiful pontoon boats to meet evolving consumer demands. After being acquired by Polaris Industries in 2015, the Godfrey brand has undergone a transformation while continually enjoying steady market growth. Today, Godfrey offers 7 unique series of models from the Mighty G to Xperience to Sweetwater to Monaco, AquaPatio, Sanpan and XP. With dozens of interior configurations and exterior features and models ranging from 15 to 28 feet, Godfrey really does have something for everyone.

The Monaco series is purposefully designed with lounging in mind, and with her Single Flip Lounge configuration the 235 SFL hits all the right notes for endless days of on-water relaxation and family fun.

Resting dockside, she is tastefully appointed with triple tone exterior fence panels. I found the combination of black, grey, and white fencing, and the creative use of styling curves in the colours themselves, really set the Monaco apart from its competitors. Add to that the use of curved, straight, and angled anodized rails and this really is an eye-catching package. And if that wasn’t enough, throw in the bling of stunning stainless steel in the stern section with twin gates, a ski tow bar, and a unique (and highly functional) stainless steel comfort climb ladder. This boat is pure eye candy.

In her interior bow section, she carries a pair of luxurious chaise loungers that are meant to please your guests. Multiple seat foams are used to create comfort and support, and the exterior styling cues are brought inside with a beautiful array of multiple vinyl colours, piping tones, and tasteful stitching. I appreciated the lack of interior floor space clutter in this design – it creates a free flowing interior layout from bow to stern. My one critique would be the need for a bow and stern charging port to satisfy our insatiable desire to charge our devices (even though I personally support leaving phones tucked in one of the many storage compartments so you can enjoy the water!).

The Monaco helm station is almost too good to be true and it starts with the absolute nicest helm seat I have ever had the pleasure of using. The quilted Captains seat swivels and reclines and sits on a 10” pedestal and incorporates the coolest flip-style arm rests that I’ve ever seen on a pontoon. In front of you is a well-appointed dash with easy access to sound, vessel system toggle switches, digital gauge package, plus she sports a racy automotive-style look and feel.

To the port side is a generously sized L-shaped lounger with a wide backrest that quickly flips forward or aft. This is the magic of her SFL – Single Flip Lounger – configuration, and with the security of the stainless steel gates and bars on her transom, this is what allows guests to face forward or aft while underway. To starboard behind the captain’s seat is the optional, and very clever, storage/toy box. I really liked how this storage solution was creatively inserted into an additional seating solution – very clever and totally useful.

This hull design will handle up to 300 HP on her transom and our test boat was powered by a Mercury 250 V8. I was understandably eager to get off the dock and out to our testing grounds. Godfrey had also equipped our test boat with the GTP 27” center tube package adding performance characteristics with lifting strakes and underdeck skinning to the standard 25” outer tubes.

We eased away from the docks with the Mercury V8 purring like a kitten knowing full well that she was eager to play and show us her capabilities. Our fuel gauge showed 53% full, meaning we were carrying around 25 gallons of fuel of her 45 gallon/170 L capacity. We also had three of us, plus a variety of camera gear, onboard. Lake Wawasea was calm and quiet for this test. As always, I like to start with a gradual take off to put the boat on plane and begin to feel her running surface. We moved to a long, wide-open run where I was able to throttle up and begin working the boat in a variety of turns and common maneuvers.

The GTP package outperformed my expectations as we consistently found ourselves appreciating how capable and seemingly eager this package is to play. With a full length of 23’11” she feels light and nimble on the water. We rocked our hole shot tests consistently coming on plane in under 3.3 seconds, and I was sure that Mercury was smiling. Top speeds were very pleasing as we readily found our way to 45 mph with her power purring at 5,700 RPM – I’m sure after break in there’s a little more to be had here, but 45 mph is right on point for this machine.

Cruise capabilities are endless with our test crew finding both 22 and 27 mph as her preferred riding speed. As always, we urge all Captain’s to safely take the time to gauge your daily conditions and find your own optimal speeds. With decades of manufacturing strength and engineering expertise, Godfrey is well positioned to continue expanding their marker share. Monaco owners will benefit from the brands commitment to quality products, the depth of their pontoon technologies and experience and the 235 SFL will be making memories for years to come.