First Impressions
Comfort. That’s the first word that popped into out heads when we laid eyes on the Versailles from Princecraft. And the fact that it’s known as the Weekender, we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed when we finally had the chance to try her out. At first glance, we didn’t expect much in the way of performance, but were genuinely surprised that this 26-footer went as fast as she did with a Mercury 75hp four-stroke. It just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Consumer Test
The versatility and roominess of this boat will make it difficult to head home when the weekend is over. New features on this year’s model are what make it a true Weekender. The 60-inch rear galley, 12-volt receptacle, built-in cooler with drainage, courtesy light, cutting board and sink with portable water tank help make the time on the water even better. All of this is provided without sacrificing deck space. It also comes standard with a large privacy enclosure to ensure discretion while out on the water.
When choosing optional upgrades, the best feature is the full camping enclosure to keep you comfortable for an overnight stay. The front and rear sections can both be converted into sleeping sections (the bow pull-out sleeper bed conversion is considered an option). There are two separate versions of the camper enclosure. The regular enclosure is a fully enclosed canopy with vinyl windows, and the second adds a privacy kit with zip-up windows and a mid-ship separator that divides the boat into two separate rooms, making it the ultimate family pontoon. Other options include a refreshment table with sliding top and cooler, a chemical toilet and a pedestal-mount gas grill.
Seating on the Weekender won’t deny you any comfort either. The doublewide luxury captain’s chair not only slides forward and backwards, but it also swivels which is new for this year’s model. The sculpted vinyl furniture with the embroidered Princecraft logo offers good support. It is soft and wide, accommodating the shortest to the tallest boater. There is chaise lounge seating up front with plenty of storage under all of the seating.
The sundeck on this pontoon easily accommodates two people with the pop-up privacy enclosure and optional chemical toilet located below.
The fiberglass molded helm console contains a locking glove box and integrated cooler. The classy looking mahogany steering wheel nicely matches the console. The console has a thermoformed wood grain dash panel with lighted switches. For ease, you’ll like the smoked windscreen with a quick release feature. Even though it works well enough in its current design, we did feel there could have been a little more room in relationship between the throttle and chair position.
In every aspect, we were pleasantly surprised with the overall look and feel of this boat.

Inspection Test
Below Deck
Two 25-inch round pontoons, which are made of .080-gauge aluminum, support this pontoon. The pontoons are divided into four airtight chambers and the weld quality receives an excellent rating throughout, with no sharp edges. The nose cones have been redesigned to make them even more hydrodynamic. The Z bracket cross members spacing range from six to 22-inch centers, providing more stability near the transom. In addition, the undercarriage is very clean and the wires are chafe protected and well secured.
Above Deck
The single-walled Rotocast furniture bases offer 23-feet of total seating on this pontoon. Princecraft uses high-density foam and expended marine vinyl to construct this model. The seatback height is 18 inches, which makes for a very comfortable, as well as safe design.
The molded fiberglass helm is well constructed with excellent under the helm wiring and installation quality. The console itself uses well-labeled gauges that are easily readable and the full instrumentation includes both digital and analog gauges. Rail height is an important safety feature, so we really like the 29-inch tall rails in both the fore and the aft sections on this boat. All the gates use the lift and lock design and each are aluminum braced for extra support. Worth noting if you have smaller children, the gates do not have any type of pinch protection on them.
Finish Work
The attention to detail was excellent on this boat. The wiring under the helm was not really accessible, but from what we could see it is well protected. There weren’t any sharp edges or screws to be found and everything was well constructed. The 22-ounce carpet is well applied and the reversed French stitching on the furniture adds nice detail.

Performance Test
Powered by a Mercury 75hp four-stroke, the Versailles 26WK performed better than we expected for a 26-footer. At full throttle we reached a top speed of nearly 22 mph in relatively calm waters. The boat pulled a little to the right but was great coming out of the hole, but it did top out rather quickly. She jumped up on plane in a little over four seconds and then held her speed really well. We experienced no propeller cavitation at all and she leaned nicely in the wide turns.
Overall, the Versailles handled really well and we were impressed with what it could do in the performance department. On an added note, this pontoon can also be equipped with a Princecraft performance package that combines a third pontoon, an under deck spray shield, a hydraulic steering system and lifting strakes, making the boat a high performance recreation machine if desired.

Final Thoughts
The Versailles performs surprisingly well with the smaller outboard. We would have loved to test it with a larger engine to see what more this model could do. From the removable cup holders in the front of the boat to the full camping enclosure, Princecraft did an outstanding job with the additions to this year’s model. It would be a difficult decision at the end of every weekend to decide whether to head back to the real world or spend another day on the water.