2027 Bennington 26 MSBA

This new 2027 Bennington 26 MSBA, stock #5016, is finished in luminous blue over matte black and the letters at the end of the model name are the ones that matter: the A stands for arch.

A sport arch changes how a pontoon gets used. It carries the ski tow point up high, which means a cleaner pull and a rope that stays out of the water and away from the swimmers on the platform. It carries the speakers up where you can actually hear them over the engine. And on this boat it comes with an integrated bimini, so the shade structure and the tow point are one clean piece of hardware rather than two competing ones. If anyone in your family wants to be pulled behind the boat, the arch is worth every dollar it adds.

Everything else is M Series done properly. Premium upholstery with detailed stitching, luxury captain and co-captain reclining chairs, premium woven vinyl flooring, wireless phone charging and USB ports, RGB accent lighting and illuminated cupholders on equipped boats, and large under-seat and in-floor lockers. The Midship Swingback lounge converts between forward-facing and aft-facing, and rated capacity is eighteen on a 28-foot 3-inch deck.

The SPS+ performance package sits underneath, with three full-length tubes, lifting strakes, performance foils, and an under-deck wave shield. It is the setup Bennington specifies for higher-horsepower boats, and behind a Yamaha 300 on a 4,243 lb hull it gives genuinely composed handling. Hydraulic steering, a VIVID UX touchscreen with GPS, sonar and depthsounder, and digital Yamaha monitoring handle the helm. Audio is Rockford Fosgate Bluetooth.

One nice detail aft: the extended swim platform is fitted with a Bennington LilliPad boarding ladder, which is far easier to use from the water than a conventional folding ladder, particularly for children and for anyone who has spent the afternoon surfing.

Why this is the right boat: if watersports are a regular part of your weekends rather than an occasional thing, the arch-equipped 26 MSBA is the version of this boat to buy. It seats eighteen, it pulls tubes and skiers properly, and it is priced within reach of a normal family.

It is new and in stock at Kelly's Port in Osage Beach, family owned on the Lake of the Ozarks since 1977, with slips, storage, a gas dock, and our same-day service guarantee on site. Call 573.348.3888 about stock #5016.