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Boat Organization & Storage Tips | Pontoon-Depot

Boat Organization & Storage Tips | Pontoon-Depot

A place for everything, and everything in its place—here's 20 of the best onboard organization solutions for your boat.

By: Zuzana Prochazka

No matter how big the boat, onboard stowage options never seem to be enough. Some captains even insist that for each item that comes aboard, something has to leave. That’s when it’s time to get creative—and organized. Let’s see how some clever crews have managed to fill a boat almost to the point of needing to raise the boot stripe.

1. CREATE SPACE IN THE COCKPIT

When it comes to boat organization, we think of space as being inside or on top of something but a good eye will spot spaces that are simply created. For small cockpit items like sunglasses, sunscreen and cellphones that are always sliding around in the cockpit, try making Sunbrella pockets. Canvas holders can be custom designed around the binnacle, handrails and dodgers. This keeps small stuff from getting lost or broken.

2. MANAGE THE OUTBOARD (AND OTHER HEAVY STUFF)

Even small dinghy outboards can be heavy so many boaters carry a davit to help raise and lower them to the tender (especially on a sailboat). But davits can be expensive to purchase and install and take up space on deck. Some sailboats can solve this with a shackle and block and tackle that will fit in a shoebox. Just hang the rig from the main or mizzen boom and you have a great lifting device for the outboard, dive gear, jerry cans of water or fuel and even coolers.

3. STOW THE LONG STUFF

Boathooks, deck brushes and even dinghy paddles are awkward to stow and take up valuable space in the lazarette. Try leaving them on deck in PVC junction fittings. A row of 3-4 fittings can be lashed to the pushpit and hold these tools vertically. They’re affordable and hold up well in the sun. Just be sure to lay the brushes on deck before a photo op.

4. COLLAPSE WITH CANVAS

Another item that’s not lazarette-friendly is the bucket. Instead of bulky buckets that can crack when you jam them in, consider getting collapsible canvas buckets for deck duty.


Nobody likes spending time untangling the lines—now, you won't have to.

Nobody likes spending time untangling the lines—now, you won't have to.

5. WRANGLE THE RODE

Line is a space hog. What to do when every space and outside locker is already full of docklines and fenders and you need a stern anchor line? No worries, Quickline has a flat rope reel that can hold up to 265 feet of flat polyester or floating polypropylene webbing out on deck. The reels are 15” – 24” in diameter and only about 1” thick. They may be mounted to a railing or stanchion and have a handy etched measure on them to let you know how much line is out.

6. WRAP THE WRENCHES

A set of wrenches usually comes in a bulky plastic case and if you have room for it, they’re nicely organized. But if space is tight, consider canvas wrench roll-ups. Fold, roll and tie wrenches up like a burrito and easily spot a missing wrench that’s not in its designated pocket.

7. TACKLE THE FASTENERS

Boats are fastener-hungry. There’s no end to the nuts, bolts, screws and hose clamps that a boat will consume and keeping them handy isn’t always easy. Why not use clear tackle boxes to organize the small stuff?

8. STORE THE SANDPAPER

Sandpaper is another consumable that boats love. Most sandpaper comes in bulky cardboard boxes that get wet and ruin the paper inside and you can never find that half sheet of 80-grit that you knew you had leftover from the last varnishing project. A better way to keep lots of sandpaper is with an expandable pocket file from an office supply store. Label each pocket with the grit level and keep small leftover pieces where they belong.


cap

Yes, common office supplies can come in handy while onboard.

 9. MANAGE MANUALS

While you’re at it, buy two pocket files. They’re great for organizing small manuals and quick reference cards for things like electronics. They’re also good for ship’s papers like insurance, registration and schematics.

10. MAKE PILLOWS THAT AREN’T

We love pillows – they’re comfortable, decorative and really pull a “look” together. But they take up room as do sheets, blankets and towels. Why not combine them into one? Pretty accent pillows can be stuffed with towels and that leaves room in lockers for more jeans to mysteriously find their way aboard.

11. HANG YOUR HAT

Piles of hats accumulate on boats and soon can smell musty. Why not hang baseball caps and sunhats on a single plastic hanger? Just clip them on with clothespins or Velcro. This works great for flipflops on the back of door handles too.

12. VACUUM BAG PUFFY STUFF

If you’re going to keep heavier items aboard year round, consider getting a vacuum sealer. Pack fleeces, jackets and blankets into special bags and suck the air out. Not only does that shrink the contents, it keeps them mildew free.

13. CHOOSE SQUARE CONTAINERS

Galley organization is always a challenge. Not only do you have to find room for boxes and bags of basics like sugar, pasta and chips, you also have to keep them fresh and dry. Plastic containers are great but be sure to choose square ones that will butt up against each other without leaving precious space between round packaging. Label and date the containers if the food will be there a while—and toss out the cardboard that can bring cockroach eggs aboard.

14. SAVE SPACE WITH WIRE RACK DRAWERS

There are never enough drawers on a boat. But you can create them by converting a locker into drawer space using wire rack drawers that are lighter, airier and take up less room inside than actual wooden drawers. Rail and rack solutions can be found in organization outlets like the Container Store.

15. PREP THE PERISHABLES

Perishables, especially produce, can take a beating on long passages. But what to do when you just don’t have the counter space to stow all those vegetables and fruit? Hammocks utilize the space we don’t think of as space—air. String a veggie hammock near the galley. Not only does it make room out of thin air, it’ll keep produce well ventilated and swinging free so it doesn’t get bruised. Also, onions and potatoes may be kept perfectly in pantyhose. Place an onion in the hose, tie a knot, repeat. Hang the hose vertically. Just be sure to separate the two veggies because the moisture in onions makes potatoes sprout.

16. SHRINK WITH SILICONE COOKWARE

Silicone has become a “thing” in household kitchens and it makes even more sense aboard. Bulky galley tools like pot lids and strainers now come in handy collapsible versions that are easy to clean and you can even put them in the oven. Look for pots, baking dishes and even ice cube trays that can be folded and squished into tiny spaces.

17. SECURE THE KNIVES

A knife drawer is inefficient and unsafe on a moving vessel but who has room for a knife block? You do. Cut an existing block or make a new one and mount it on the side of a locker or bulkhead. Slip the knives in and make a canvas cover so you aren’t dodging flying knives in a rough seaway.

insert cap

Anyone need a drink? Become the fastest bartender on the water.

18. PREP YOUR DOCKTAIL PARTIES

Throwing a party in the anchorage? Try the Docktail Bar. Manage your spirits, mixers, wine, Solo cups, limes and swizzle sticks in a handy tray that mounts on a gunwhale or rail or even slips into a rod holder. The bottles stay secure and you have more room on tables and chairs for food and guests.

19. SECURE BOTTLES AND GLASSES

Transporting the goods to your party can be tricky and noisy. Slip those wine and rum bottles into old socks and pile them into the bilge. They’ll be cushioned and silent. You can also build wine rack below the cabin sole. Oh, and glasses can be protected by hair scrunchies so you can pack them closer together even in bouncy conditions.

20. BRING THE BUNGIES

Finally, you can never have enough bungy cords. They secure everything from fishing rods to slapping halyards. An over-the-door clear pocket organizer will keep dozens of cords of various sizes, tangle free.

These simple solutions expand space aboard so you don’t need to worry about where to stow and hide everything down to the last M&M.

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Food to Take on a Pontoon Boat Pontoon-Depot

Food to Take on a Pontoon Boat Pontoon-Depot

Food Ideas if You Don’t Have a Grill On-Board

By: PonoonOpedia

There’s a wealth of information online available and on Pontoonopedia about cooking on your pontoon boat, using a grill or BBQ. But what happens when you don’t have a grill on-board? You might need something that you can eat one-handed, that you don’t need to heat up on board, but still tastes delicious… if so I have some great ideas for you that are both tasty and convenient.

I can’t take the credit for most of these, as before I bought my pontoon grill set-up I just used to take pack lunches and small picnics to have when we beached our boat up. To be honest, I am a cheese and ham type of guy, and my family soon became a little bored of that. I asked them to investigate what else could be great food to take on a pontoon boat that doesn’t require heating ,cooking or grilling.

Here’s just some of their ideas which I hope to give you some inspiration if you are looking for pontoon boat food ideas for a party, picnic, or just a day’s fishing on the lakes. Whether it’s a snack idea, something for a lunch or dinner, or party food, you should find something interesting below you can try for yourself.

Food to Take on a Pontoon Boat

So here are those pontoon boat food ideas, in no particular order. If you do decide to use any of these ideas, then I recommend you have the following items at hand:

  • Plastic zip lock bags
  • Aluminum foil
  • Paper plates
  • Plastic drink coolers with spouts
  • Portable cooler (can keep things hot as well as cool)
  • Thermos flask for hot water (or keeping hot dogs warm!)
  • 12v beverage warming device (stick it in your mug for a hot drink)
  • Garbage bags

I also always carry a marine-grade cooler, with the Yeti Tundra being my personal favourite. You can see thearious cooler sizes available on Amazon various cooler sizes available on Amazon.

Ideas That are Fast & Easy

Some people won’t take bread for sandwiches, purely because bread doesn’t do too well in the heat. They will also worry about taking food with them that needs to be kept cool. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can take a cooler box with you or keep things cold in a bag with frozen water bottles for a few hours.

Handy Hint: Scroll down past the food ideas as I have put together some recommendations on some great gear you can use make the food you take on your pontoon boat even more enjoyable. 

Cooler Corn on the Cob

I love this idea, it’s so ridiculously simple yet effective and you can do it before you leave your house really quickly. All you do is buy a cooler box (perhaps like this marine grade cooler on Amazon). Throw the corn in and cover it with boiling water. Then seal the cooler box back up.

Cooler Corn

Corn on the cob cooked in a cooler! The perfect snack or food to take on a pontoon boat. (Image copyright thekitchn.com)

Bring some spray butter with you, and when ready out on the pontoon boat, open up the cooler. Make sure you bring some tongs because the water is still going to be steaming hot. You can take this approach for a big party of people as well.

Cooler or Thermos Hot Dogs with Steamed Buns

You can use exactly the same idea with hot dogs. Before you leave for the day, quickly boil up some hot dogs, then throw them into a smaller cooler with boiling water covering over them and they will start to cook. You can even use Thermos flasks (you can fit loads of dogs in this 64 oz bottle) for this as well. They will remain warm and cooked for hours and can be eaten at any point during the day.

Hot dogs in a Thermos Flask

You can cook hot dogs and keep them warm in a Thermos flask or cooler. License: (Image credit: Creative Commons Uploaded by: Wikivisual)

Once ready to eat, place a bag of bread rolls in the sun for 15 minutes in the sealed bag and you have steamed rolls. Then bring the hot dogs out with ketchup and mustard! Just wow… just wow.

Handy Hint: We also have some pontoon boat grill ideas with meat and vegetarian options. 

Chips… But Only Pringles!

If you take chips, make them Pringles. Why? Because you have less mess as they kept in the tube rather than splitting open large chip bags where the crumbs can go everywhere. I hate crumbs on my deck!

Pringles

Pringles rule… more so when kept in the can.

Candy, Popcorn & Trail Mix Containers

Try filling cylindrical plastic containers that have lids with items like trail mix, popcorn and even M&Ms (from the cooler). These are perfect for placing in the boat cup holders and for passing around to your guests.

Trail Mix

Trail mix makes for a health and simple pontoon boat snack option.

The food contents can also be poured out into semi-wet hands without making the rest of the dry goods soggy. This snack idea never fails. Simple, easy, and quick.

Sliced Fruit and Veg

Fruit will help to keep you hydrated on hot day, and it’s easy to pack too, as is sliced veg. We always slice ours up before hand, and then take some form of dip, all wrapped up in aluminum foil and keep in a small cooler box.

Fruit slices

Sliced fruit or vegetables can keep you hydrated when boating.

Ideas You Will Need to Prepare Before Hand

Don’t be worried about taking warm food onto your pontoon boat. If you cook something beforehand and put it in an empty ice chest or portable cooler, then it will stay warm all day… just as long as you don’t add ice!

If it’s food that needs to keep cool, obviously you can use a portable cooling box, or even use individual foil packs or aluminum foil and keep the food out of the sun in a shaded area for a couple of hours.

Chicken Salad on Wheat Thins

You can create this mix in advance of your trip, and then bring it out once everyone is hungry. All you do is get a couple of cans of shredded white chicken, some sliced grapes, chopped almonds, diced celery, dried cranberries, chopped scallions, garlic salt and a little mayo to moisten it up.

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad can be spread on wheat thins for an amazing pontoon boat food or snack. (Image copyright loveandzest.com)

When ready, spoon the salad mix up onto wheat thins.

Jack Daniel’s Pulled Pork with Slider Buns

Cook Jack Daniel’s pulled pork from Sam’s Club in a crock pot in the morning, and then bring the crock pot on board your pontoon boat. It will keep warm if left covered for quite a few hours.

Pork Sliders

These are amazing! (Image copyright cheerstothehost.com)

We just slide our crock pot under a seat and leave it there. Then when ready to eat bring it out with slider buns a coleslaw.

Tasty Tacos in a Doritos Bag

This is an easy, delicious and portable idea. Simply make your taco meat mix up the night before and then put it into a sealed container.

Taco bags

Tacos in a bag… simple yet effective food to take on a pontoon boat

When on your pontoon, open up a bag of Doritos and crush them up a little. Then you can add the meat, lettuce, onions and cheese in from your container to tacos in the Doritos bag. They will taste awesome – give the bag a shake up for maximum taco-ness (if that’s a word…).

Grilled Chicken and Steak Sliced Wraps

This is one of our favorites. All you do is marinate some chicken the night before, then grill it up in the morning at home before you go on your boat trip. Alternatively, you can use thin steak slices, they work just as well.

Chicken wraps

Mouth watering chicken wraps (Image copyright sweetbabyrays.com)

You can then make some really tasty wraps with lettuce, onions, peppers, salsa, black beans, sour cream, guacamole, and virtually anything else that goes with it. It’s a big hit!

Hawaiian Bread Rolls with Your Choice of Fillings

Make some Hawaiian bread rolls. Just slice the entire bread roll horizontally then layer with your favorite deli meats and cheese, mustard mayo or your preferred spread. Then put the layer of bread back on, put back in the cardboard tray, slice them into squares or leave whole for pull apart, slide tray back into wrapper and put in a portable cooler.

Rolls

Easy to make, easy to store, and popular with pretty much everyone on board (Image copyright anaffairfromtheheart.com)

You can make a few different ones with various meats and toppings. Write on wrapper what they are so that there is something for everyone and they don’t get mixed up.

Snack Kabobs (Vegetarian, Meat, or Mixed)

Break wooden kabob sticks in half and you can create snack kabobs with different fruit and vegetables, including grape tomatoes, olives, chunks of string cheese, slices of pepperoni and more.

pontoon boat snack ideas including kabobs

Healthy, easy, and popular snack kabobs (Image copyright barefeetinthekitchen.com)

Make sure that you wrap them in aluminum, clearly label them, and leave them packed into your portable cooler box.

How About a Portable Grill for the Beach or Deck?

Even if you don’t want to buy a grill and mount for your pontoon boat, you can still buy portable grills that you can set up on the beach, so you can the cook brats, hot dogs, burgers, and vegetable kabobs.

If you do decide to buy a portable grill then I would also recommend that you take cheese balls, summer sausage, cut up watermelon and cantaloupe. Anything tastes better on whilst on the beach and your pontoon is tied down!

In the past I have used the Smoke Hollow portable grill. It’s affordable, robust, and is easy to transport. It makes the cooking of burgers and sausages ridiculous simple as well as giving an awesome smoky taste to any meats.

Alternatively try wrapping some potatoes, beans, onions, spices, olive oil, and chicken (or other meat) into some aluminum foil. Then throw the foil package onto your portable grill once you are on the sandbar – it’s easy and tastes great.

Use a Portable Refrigerator

Our pontoon boat is very much an extension of our home. What is easy for my home should also really apply to my boat. And that includes refrigeration. I have a small portable refrigerator that plugs into the cigarette lighter port. It keeps food frozen and food cold if we’re out for a few days or a weekend.

The one I have seen pontooners use most on their boat is this wheeled electric cooler fridge. It has tons of room inside, and once on your pontoon can be plugged in so it’s ready to go. You would pack it with food before you leave for the day as it’s also a standard cooler box, then get it connected to the power supply once on the pontoon boat.

Dietary Restrictions

If you’re preparing food for a group of people other than your own family, it’s important to consider what their dietary restrictions are. Not everyone’s diet is the same, so here are some things to think about.

Food Allergies & Intolerances

Before you plan and prepare any food for the boat trip, ask the passengers if they have any allergies you need to consider on their behalf. One of the biggest ones you probably already know about are nut allergies, with lesser known intolerances including gluten, beans, dairy and shellfish.

If you get this wrong, it can be very dangerous so always check before hand to find out what the passengers own special food requirements are.

Health Conditions

Older people in particular can have medical conditions that require a healthier approach to food. It could be that they suffer with high blood pressure or diabetes meaning you should be mindful of the types of food that you prepare and pack.

Lower salt food ideas are ideal for those with blood pressure; processed meats will have high salt levels so try not to include those. Diabetes sufferers will appreciate low carb and high protein food choices.

Dietary Preferences

Passengers with vegan and vegetarian lifestyle choices should be made to feel at home with something that is specifically prepared for them. Both of these types of diet have become increasingly popular over the last decade, so make sure you can offer something in this range for your pontoon guests.

The Internet is a great way to find suitable options, and in particular for vegan diets where you might not be familiar with that can and can’t be included in a snack. Take a look at the Vegan Society website for some great ideas that are simple to prepare.

Keeping Your Food Safe to Eat

If you don’t want to spend money on a portable refrigerator, or just have concerns on how you can keep your food safely stored when on a long day’s fishing trip or day’s leisure on the water, then here are some tips.

By following the guidance below, not only will your pontoon boat food still taste great no matter when you eat it, but it will still be safe to eat!

Pack & Store Smart

By far the best way to ensure that you keep your food safely stored when boating, is to only pack stuff that doesn’t need keeping cold in a refrigeration unit.

If you also want to keep your belly feeling full for a long day on the water, it’s essential that you think about foods that are high in protein and have whole grains in them.

Peanut butter sandwiches are a winner here as they tick that box, but also don’t need to be kept cool. As long as they are wrapped in aluminum and kept in the shade, there should be no contamination risk.

On a similar tip, fruit is also a great food idea, in particular apples and oranges. They also contain higher than average amounts of fiber like whole grains do, keeping your passengers feeling full for longer.

Keep Your Food Cool

In the list of food ideas listed above in this guide, there are some options that do need to be kept cool, ideally refrigerated. Now we know that’s not always possible on a pontoon boat, so what can we do?

As previously discussed, a portable cooler box will help, and I have listed a couple of recommendations further up the page in this guide. By using a cooler box with ice packs, you can pack your food with the peace of mind in knowing it will keep safe for hours.

If you don’t have ice packs, then a simple solution such as a frozen water bottle can work just as well when thrown into the cooler box.

Keep Your Food Away from Water

It’s important to protect your food and snacks from the water. Why? Because fish, and fresh water in particular can have bacteria in them which could be very bad for you if ingested.

Pack everything into sealed plastic containers, zip lock bags, or at the very least very tightly wrapped aluminum foil. You don’t want any water to get into the packages or touching the food.

Where you store the food on your pontoon boat is also really important. Have it stashed somewhere away from the sun and water. If you are fishing then you don’t want the food to be close to the area where you are pulling fish out onto the deck.

When it comes to eating your snacks, always wash your hands before handling the food. Those anti-bacterial hand wipes work perfectly for this, as you want to avoid cross-contamination at all costs.

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The Best Beverages To Bring Boating | Pontoon-Depot

The Best Beverages To Bring Boating | Pontoon-Depot

By: 844 Lets Boat

Summers in Georgia are hot, there are no two ways about it. So don’t you want to stay cool with beverages that will leave you feeling sated and chilled? Whether you’re boating or laying out next to the kiddie pool in your backyard to try to stay cool this summer, these beverages will ensure that you don’t overheat as the weather heats up. Keep in mind to check out the Georgia drinking laws to ensure everyone on the boat stays safe. We also encourage you to read Common Misconceptions About Drinking And Boating to ensure that you know more about BUIs.

At Freedom Boat Club, we want to make sure that everyone stays safe and out of trouble. While every person who comes boating on Lake Lanier wants to have a good time, we also want to ensure that you, your family, friends, and even your dog, Fluffy, abide by the Georgia boating laws. Additionally, no matter what you may be inclined to drink, it’s important that you continue to drink water to stay hydrated. One of the biggest issues that can happen when boating is dehydration and exhaustion, even to people who aren’t drinking. Make sure that you bring plenty of water when you visit us on Lake Lanier.

Drinks To Try This Summer

Keep in mind that we do not encourage you to drink and boat, but we do want you to have a good time as long as the rules and regulations are followed. In addition to packing snacks galore, try out some of these beverages to enjoy a cool drink as you swim, boat, and stay cool in the Georgian summer. From sangria to non-alcoholic drinks, you’ll find a little something for everyone on this list.

Sangria

However sangria is made, it’s delicious. The fruity freshness such a treat for the tastebuds and is perfect to sip on as you lay back on a pontoon boat and get some sun. Sangria can be made in a variety of ways that involve alcohol and ones that are completely non-alcoholic, so that your children can enjoy the deliciousness of this unique beverage as well. While you can browse the internet for recipes aplenty, we have a few that we enjoy and want to share. There’s one that has star fruit and kiwi to really enhance the summer tastebuds and then there’s the Tropical Sangria that has all of your favorite fruits with a hint of Malibu rum.

Beach Side Punch

While you’re not laying out on the beach in the Bahamas, this Beach Side Punch is a summer classic. Punch is always a refreshing drink, from the days when you’d sip it at school dances to when you need a pick me up while boating. The Beach Side Punch has ripe cherries, grapefruit, soda with a dash of lime, and some vodka. If you’d like to add a little something extra, then rim the glass with some salt. This punch isn’t too sweet and overpowering, but just right to relax on a boat for an extended period of time.

Margarita

A summer’s not complete without trying a new type of margarita. While you may like sticking to the traditional margarita, it’s always fun to play it up a bit and experiment with some new flavors. You can try a light strawberry, grapefruit, tropical, skinny, and the sparkling blood orange margarita. Keep in mind that none of these have to have alcohol and you can always create your own margarita that you think people may enjoy.

Sparkling Summer Limeade

One of our non-alcoholic drinks that we are most excited to share with you is the Sparkling Summer Limeade. Living in Georgia, it’s always delicious to have a sparkling drink that’s delicious and chilled to cool you down on a hot summer afternoon. The limeade is a delicious combination of five different fruits. You’ll add blackberries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, and strawberries. If you’re a fan of blueberries, then we encourage that as well. You’ll add limeade concentrate that’s thawed and either ginger ale or lemon lime soda. It’s a truly delicious non-alcoholic beverage to enjoy while boating.

Pineapple Ginger Sparkler

Ginger sparklers are a great way to spice up spring and summer with some refreshments. The Pineapple Ginger Sparkler has everything you need to have a great boating day and it’s without alcohol. To get the perfect summer drink, all you need are a few ingredients and it’ll serve everyone on the boat. You’ll need ginger ale, pineapple juice, fresh ginger, sliced oranges, and fresh basil. This sparkler is not only delicious, but it’s nutritious too with the ginger, which helps to settle stomachs.

You can always try a variety of Georgian beer that’s native to the Buford or Cumming area. With so many breweries in the area, you’ll be hard pressed to find more delicious beer. Remember to be safe this summer while you go boating on Lake Lanier! We look forward to starting the boating season with you!

Whether you are in Georgia or Arkansas please drink and boat responsibility and have fun & be safe from www.Pontoon-Depot.com

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How To Protect Pontoon Boat From The Summer Heat

How To Protect Pontoon Boat From The Summer Heat

By: The Ocean Sailing Guide

I am excited about the summer of 2018. This summer brings new memories, adventures, and time spent on the pontoon with family. Now, with the arrival of summer, comes the staunching summer heat, which if you didn’t know, can be dangerous to a pontoon boat. Therefore it is important to know how to protect your pontoon boat from the summer heat.

While owning a pontoon boat is incredibly rewarding and fun, it’s important that you take the time to care and protect your boat, especially in the summer heat. We can all agree that the last thing you want to happen this summer is to find out that some part of your pontoon boat was damaged by lack of protection.

Today, I want to share with you my ideas and thoughts on how to protect your pontoon boat from the summer heat this year. As always, if you have any ideas to share with the crowd, feel free to add your comment below.

Shall we begin?

The Four Step Protection Plan To Help With Summer Heat

It’s important that, before the summer heat gets here, you develop a game plan for how you plan to protect your pontoon boat.

Once the snow has passed and the White Walkers went back home, I know that it’s time to begin getting my Pontoon Boat ready for the ocean blue.

I have developed what I like to call my pontoon protection plan. It’s an incredibly easy process that starts the moment the warm rays come out.

  1. Full-Scale Cleaning

pontoon seating in the sun

Like many other things in life, before you can apply any form of protector to a surface, it needs to be clean. So, what I like to do is take the boat out in the backyard and prepare it for a full-scale cleaning.

In the industry today, there are dozens upon dozens of different pontoon boat soaps, which can be found at your local boat stores, marinas, or even Amazon. The best products, in my opinion, are the ones that care for the gel coat and the surface of the material.

When it comes to the interior of your pontoon, treat and clean it based on the type of material on the inside. For me, I use a high-quality vinyl cleaner and polish from a local boating store. This helps protect the interior material from cracking or flaking.

  1. Apply A Protectant

Once the pontoon is spiffy clean, what I do is apply a protectant to help protect the gel coat and material of the boat from deteriorating or oxidizing, due to the Sun.

Again, there are so many different products on the market today that can do the job. I recommend purchasing a product that is heavy-duty. What you are looking for is something known as polymers.

This is the secret to protecting your pontoon boat, it’s your personal defense mechanism against the Sun. It’s the sunscreen for a pontoon boat.

Do keep in mind, the more you sail, the more you need to clean and reapply a protectant. Remember, this is your baby!

  1. Daily Maintenance

Now, I understand that this process can be time-consuming, and sometimes undesirable. To make it easier for myself, I take the extra step and perform daily maintenance on my pontoon.

So, what I typically do is use some daily maintenance products, also known as pontoon boat guards. These products act as the first line of defense to protect the boat and the original protectant.

My favorite part about using these cleaning products is that they have polymers in the formula. This helps reinforce the protectant, helping to clean the boat from harmful chemicals, and effectively protecting it from the Sun.

Since most of these products come in the form of a spray, it’s easy to use.

  1. Cover Your Pontoon When Not In Use

covered pontoon boatI have talked a lot about the importance of pontoon boat covers and the best ones out there. I can’t stress it enough. You do not want your pontoon boat exposed to constant heat. Otherwise, the sun’s powers and UV rays will expedite the oxidation process.

To protect your pontoon boat from the summer heat, purchase a quality cover that you can use year-round.

Try to get into the habit of covering your pontoon if you are not using it. Every time I come back from the water I take a few minutes to clean off the grime and bacteria, or salt if I was in the ocean. Once dry, I cover the entire pontoon until it’s next use or cleaning.

Most Common Mistakes Boaters Make

If you are want to avoid any damage or expensive repairs, avoid making any of these common mistakes that boaters make:

  • Dish Soap

Unless you intend to clean the dishes on your boat put the dish soap back where it belongs, the kitchen. Why would you use that product on your boat? Don’t be cheap, buy the right product!

  • Laundry Soap

Like that of dish soap, using laundry soap or detergent with water to clean a pontoon boat is a mistake. If you are seriously considering cleaning your boat, use the proper products.

  • Wrong Surface, Wrong Product

It’s important to know all of the materials in and on your pontoon boat. When it comes to cleaning, you need to know what types of materials you are dealing with.

You should also know the environment that your boat is around. For example, if you live close to the ocean, chances are, with the ocean and salt water, there’s salt in the area that can reach your boat.

Summer Pontoon Protection Checklist For 2018

With the anticipation of summer, I have prepared a little checklist for you all in case you need some help or are just looking for some helpful ideas. I’m going to call it Summer Pontoon Protection Checklist for 2018.

If you can follow the 4-Step process listed above and follow this checklist, your pontoon boat will be in great shape.

  • General Cleaning – Perform a general cleaning of the inside and outside of the pontoon boat.
  • Make sure all electrical outlets and batteries are functioning and working.
  • Inspect all gauges to ensure maximum operability.
  • Review oil and filters to make sure the pontoon is ready for maximum performance.
  • Check all essentials
    • Transmission Fluid, belts, cooling system, etc.
  • Make sure trailer is up-to-date on registration
  • Make sure pontoon is up-to-date on registration
  • Test all lights.
  • Inspect exterior and interior of pontoon for minor or major oxidation.
  • Reseal and add polymer protectant.
  • Purchase daily spray pontoon guard for each use.
  • Purchase quality boat cover designed to protect from UV damage.
  • Have fun!

Enjoy Your Pontoon This Season!

Overall, as a pontoon boat owners, it’s our responsibility to keep track and protect our baby. Your pontoon boat needs protection, like sunscreen, to play and function longer. If you don’t protect it, you risk things breaking down, resulting in a messy situation.

Trust me, this summer, that’s the last thing you want to deal with when you can be enjoying the summer rays on the ocean blue.

Overall, my hope is that with all the information and tips I shared with you in the article, you are properly prepared to protect your pontoon boat from the summer heat.

If you have any methods or ideas that I did not discuss above, feel free to drop a comment below and share with us! After all, we are a community of pontoon boaters!

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