Legend 18 Fun EXT

By Andy Adams

Form follows function

You’ve heard the expression before; form follows function. So, what form should a boat take if it’s designed to do the following things; carry up to 8 passengers comfortably seated, have a plush helm seat and control centre for the captain, two forward-facing fishing seats outside of the fencing, have an aft deck swimming area including 5-step swing-down boarding ladder, a convertible Bimini top to ward off burning rays or driving rain, be a stable platform for both fishing and moving about when you’re anchored out at the sandbar and to have sufficient horsepower to do a great job of pulling the kids on a tube?

The answer to that ridiculously long list is the Legend 18 Fun EXT model from Legend Boats. The 18 Fun EXT is light enough that you could tow it on a trailer behind a reasonably sized vehicle and if you order the trailer with a swing-tongue, you might be able to store it in your garage or elsewhere on your property. That can save a lot of money and your 18 Fun EXT would be ready to go at a moment’s notice when the weather or the family wants to go.

With a larger vehicle you could get a trailer for your pontoon, which means that you could store it yourself if you have space and also take it to new waterways as you explore Canada next summer.

If you have a place on the water, just tie it to the dock. The included Bimini top is removable but most people will want it for weather and shade in these days of high summer temperatures. The top will protect the upholstery and keep the seats dry. Plush upholstery does trap water in the seams and edges so best to keep it dry.

It starts here

Legend is famous for delivering great value and the 18 Fun EXT is an ideal example of that. In total, the deck length is 18-feet by 8-feet so there is a lot of flat floor, all finished in durable EZ-Clean vinyl flooring. Legend lists maximum capacity as 8 persons or 1,075 lbs so it’s got a lot of room or cargo space and the price starts at $34,999 plus taxes, ready to go.

Also under a seat is an aerated live well. Drink holders are spread throughout the interior for convenience.

One thing that helps hold the price down is the standard Mercury 25-horsepower ELPT 4-stroke engine. That would be fine for a small lake or river and the 25-horsepower will sip fuel, troll all day and will push a reasonable load. However, it won’t be fast enough for many families who want to take a load of people and summer fun stuff or fishing gear, particularly on larger bodies of water where you may encounter high winds or rough water.

Our test boat had the upgraded Mercury 60 ELPT 4-stroke CT engine and that adds $8,299 to the price. There are also 30-horsepower, 40 CT and 50 CT models to choose from and the higher power models all include Mercury’s CT lower unit that has a larger propellor hub, sits deeper in the water and swings a bigger prop. CT stands for Command Thrust and that option gives more control, especially in docking.

Layout and interior

The basic layout for the 18 Fun EXT features a fully fenced interior with comfortable seating all around for family and friends and it has lots of floor space for little ones of the two or four-footed variety. You can relax as they enjoy the ride in safety with the freedom to move about. There are two gates to enter/exit the interior, one in the centre of the bow and a second gate at the stern behind the helm seat.

At the bow is an open section of deck where two bases are installed and removable swivel chairs are included. These are great for fishing and there is space to install a trolling motor, have your tackle box near at hand and to stand up to land a fish.

The central pod between the tubes provides a secure amount for the 40 hp Mercury CT and carries the fuel tank as well. Note the centre door section that leads to the aft swimming deck and the nice swing down boarding ladder that has a lanyard so you can pull it up easily.

The stern deck area behind the fencing has room for swimmers to stand to jump in or drip-dry. It’s not a big space but it works. And, to starboard is a great 5-step boarding ladder that has a clever and simple snap strap to secure the ladder to run or to pull it back up when it’s time to go. I really like that many people could deploy the ladder from the water should they accidentally fall overboard.

The interior seating is all built on roto moulded plastic bases so there is no wood to rot and water drains out easily. The bases have toe-kick space as well and there’s an interior courtesy light. Storage under the seat bases can accommodate such items as PFDs, paddles, coolers, lines and fenders and water toys too. The seats lift for access. Several drink holders are included and there is additional storage for small items in the port side seat divider and in the helm console.

Performance

The Legend 18 Fun EXT is a two-tube design. They also offer three tube models and often, the centre tube will be a larger diameter tube. With sufficient horsepower, the three-tube models lift up and plane the way a vee-bottom boat does. These ride with the bow higher, bank into turns and can be surprisingly seaworthy, even on a moderately rough day. But more is always more. The 18 Fun EXT is fun in large part because it’s so affordable for all its capabilities.

The swivel helm seat was very comfortable and included armrests. The helm console included a Bluetooth AM/FM stereo with an MP3 port and two speakers. There is also a 12-volt power outlet. Instrumentation was the multi-function Mercury tachometer with warning lights and fuel.

Two-tube pontoons tend to run flat and lean out a bit on turns although the 18 Fun EXT was not bad that way and acceleration was strong with two of us aboard, going from a standing start to a max speed of 15 mph in about 7-seconds. That will be fine for pulling kids on a tube and the 18 Fun EXT turns quite well. For cruising we thought that 3,500 rpm doing 8.5 mph would be a quiet and economical speed. The steering seemed a bit stiff but the boat was new and the steering could be adjusted.

Overall, the Legend 18 Fun EXT offers a ton of capability for a modest investment. The Legend people have long provided great value in their boats, almost all of which are priced “ready to run” and their website includes financing with monthly payment information too. The FUN series is their entry-level but buyers can step up to their Q-Series, upgraded E-Series, the Q-Series with more stylish body shapes and even their V-Series with ultimate luxury.

But we really liked the 18 Fun EXT for its combination of features and value. Form follows function in the 18 Fun EXT.

PERFORMANCE

RPM MPH
1,000 2.1
2,000 4.7
2,500 6
3,000 7.4
3,500 8.5
4,000 10.4
4,500 12.8
5,000 14.7
5,300 15.3 max

SPECIFICATIONS
Length OA: 19’0” / 5.8 m
Beam: 96” / 2.43 m
Maximum horsepower: 60
Fuel Capacity: 20 US Gal / 75 L
Deck length: 18’0” / 5.48
Pontoon diameter: 23” / 0.5842 m
Base price: $34,999 Cdn.

Pricing and test boat supplied by Legend Boats, www.legendboats.com