Godfrey's Mighty G

On a chilly day in northern Indiana, we had the opportunity to test another release that Godfrey has been working on: its Mighty G. The Mighty G is the brand’s first pontoon designed from the ground up to be powered by electric or gas-powered engines. It was also on display at the Minneapolis Boat Show and that's where I got my first peek at it and discovered the inspiration behind the new model.

“With electric motors gaining traction with current boaters and those looking for their first pontoon, our product team designed the Mighty G with electric propulsion in mind right from the start – it wasn’t an afterthought or an add-on,” said Ben Duke, president of Marine, Polaris. “The teams incorporated design elements to support maximizing the efficiency of the platform, such as using full-sized tubes to enable ideal flotation levels and minimize drag in the water, making Mighty G optimal for customers looking for an electric pontoon.”

Power Options
The Mighty G is rated for up to 50hp for the gas-powered version or a Cruise 3.0, Cruise 6.0 or Cruise 12.0 from Torqeedo for the electric offering. While in Indiana we did a comparison between the two, using a Yamaha 50hp four-stroke for the test with the Torqeedo Cruise 12.0 for the other.

We met on Heaton Lake, which is not far from Godfrey headquarters in Elkhart, Ind. While one boat was being launched, the other was already in the slip with the cover on it. It was my first look at the Nightshade Cover that is not only easy to use, but towable! Having a cover that you can keep on while trailering is a huge advantage and just one more indication of the innovation advances this manufacturer is making these days. The efficient and easy-to-use cover is trailerable up to 70 mph and provides convenient access to the boat when deployed.

First Impression
Technically my first impression came at the boat show, but actually driving the Mighty G I quickly learned to appreciate how compact and highly maneuverable the Mighty G really is, making it the ideal entry into pontooning and boating.

It is built on a true pontoon foundation for a familiar and comfortable ride and purpose-built with either electric or gas propulsion. With a length of 15 feet, 7 inches and a 7-foot, 6-inch beam, the Mighty G offers plenty of room for up to seven passengers. The shortened deck height off the tubes creates a stiffer chassis that lowers the pontoon’s center of gravity and helps contribute to efficiency and added performance to both electric and gas versions.

Electric-Powered
I was impressed with the torque of the Torqeedo Cruise 12.0; she was extremely responsive. Clearly designed for smaller lakes, the quiet outboard reached a top speed of 8.2 mph at full throttle on this specific day. With electric outboards you can increase your run time between charges by easing off the throttle a little and we found that at 33 percent of the input power we could cruise for an estimated time of 2.5 hours or 14.8 miles if we kept the boat at just under 6 mph.

Gas-Powered
On the second Mighty G with the Yamaha 50hp there was a jump in top speed numbers, with the same responsiveness that we liked about the Torqeedo version. With the gas engine we just missed the 20 mph mark at full throttle with a top speed of 19.7 mph, which is enough power for tow sports and not just tubing. Yamaha's recommended cruising RPM of 5000 puts the Mighty G at 15.8 mph at a rate of 5.10 miles per gallon or 3.1 gallons per hour.   

Standards & Options
Standard features include durable yet comfortable bench-style seating, a telescoping EZ Climb Ladder, and a robust Clarion sound system. Full 360-degree RGB underdeck lighting is available, as well as an optional sunshade for protection from the sun and a cell phone mount at the helm station. The suggested retail price with the Yamaha 50hp is $24,925 and with the Torqeedo 12.0 with battery and chargers is $39,845.