News — Boating Safety

The Top Six Steps to Winterizing and Storing Your Pontoon Boat

By: Coverquest

With minds full of memories and a boat strewn with floats, fishing gear, and other fun baubles, you and your family have had a great summer. But now it’s time to start preparing your pontoon boat for winter, so you’ll be ready for next season.

Winterizing your boat will not only make things simpler when you’re ready to take it out again — it will also help protect your investment! Boats are subject to a host of potential threats, from mold and mildew, to rodent damage, to vandals and thieves. You’ll be glad that you took the time and effort to protect your boat from these headache-inducing problems.

Many dealers and marinas offer winterizing services, but the process is not too difficult to do yourself. This guide will walk you through six steps to winterize and store your pontoon boat. (Be sure to check the manufacturer owner’s manual for any guidance specific to your particular boat, particularly regarding your engine.)

1. Clean the Boat

Cleaning your pontoon boat is essential, for several reasons. Dust, grime, and barnacles are much harder to get off after they’ve “baked” on for a while. Mold and mildew will take up residence if they find moisture inside. And stray food particles will attract rodents and insects.

Inside the Boat

Start by removing unmounted accessories and equipment, like floats, fishing gear, depth finders, audio players, watersports equipment, ladders, etc. You’ll prevent damage to these items as well as take away breeding spots for mold and mildew, since moisture can easily become trapped in these objects.

Be sure to remove all electronics from the boat, for protection against thieves as well as protection against the elements. Electronics are tempting, and thieves know how to quickly unmount and steal them.

Next, vacuum the floor and cushions, making sure to get down into all the cracks and crevices. Get rid of all crumbs and anything that could serve as a food source. Wipe down all surfaces with a mild polish and then let dry thoroughly.

You may want to place rodent repellent to discourage pests from making a home in your pontoon boat. Traps aren’t necessary — you can use natural options, like spraying peppermint oil in cracks and corners. Peppermint has the added bonus of providing a wonderful scent when you uncover the boat in the spring.

Outside the Boat

Once you’ve prepared the inside of the boat for winter storage, you’re ready to tackle the outside. Begin by dislodging plants, mussels, barnacles, and other material.

Next, spray the boat down and wash with a mild detergent. (A pressure washer is helpful for this task, and makes quick work of it!) You’ll need to remove all the stuck-on grime that could get ground into the paint. Once the outside is clean, you can then apply a polish to the pontoon tubes that will protect the boat from rust.

2. Winterizing the Boat Engine

Before you jump into engine preparation, you’ll want to check your owner’s manual for specific instructions — this is especially important for engines, since they vary and an engine is a sensitive piece of machinery.

Most engines will follow basic guidelines for winterization, so unless your manual specifies something different, you’ll follow these steps.

• For outboard engines, disconnect the battery.
• For inboard/outboard engines, drain the engine block according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Spray fogging oil into the carburetor, down the spark plug holes. Remove the spark plugs, spray the fogging oil, then replace the spark plugs without connecting the wires. The oil will offer a protective coating.
• Fill the gas tank at least ¾ full. If the fuel has ethanol in it, add a fuel stabilizer to prevent buildup (which will wreak havoc on your engine later). This step will also reduce empty space inside the tank where condensation could accumulate and will reduce temperature fluctuations.
• Drain the coolant from the engine and fill with an antifreeze that is propylene glycol based. (Note that you shouldn’t use antifreeze with an ethylene glycol base, since it can release toxins into the water.)
• Switch off all valves and seal exhaust ports to prevent corrosion.
• Change the oil and the oil filters.

3. Remove or Disconnect the Battery

When it comes to the battery, you have a decision to make. You can either leave the battery on board, or remove it for the season. Either option works, but you’ll need to prepare the battery differently depending on which one you go with.

If You’re Removing the Battery

If you want to remove the battery, fully charge it and then store it indoors. You can store it in your garage, as long as you ensure the temperature stays above freezing. Other good locations are a basement or heated outbuilding. You’ll also want to top off the charge throughout the winter.

If You’re Leaving the Battery On Board

If you decide to leave the battery on board, disconnect it and connect it to a trickle charger to keep the charge from draining. (You’ll need the bilge pump to be able to continue functioning if necessary, and the trickle charger will ensure it has enough battery power to do so.)

4. Cover the Boat

While a tarp is better than no cover at all, a pontoon boat cover that’s specifically designed for your make and model of boat will best protect your investment. A cover that’s built to withstand the elements and protect your boat from cold temperatures will give you peace of mind that your boat will be ready for you next season.

It’s a good idea to place a few poles underneath the cover to allow air to circulate, preventing mildew and mold. Many boat owners also run a dehumidifier. Poles will also prevent water from pooling on the cover and weighing it down.

A quality cover will fit your boat snugly and will expand and contract slightly to prevent temperature changes from creating rips. When applying the cover, be sure the cover is tight, but not too tight — or it may rip.

5. Keep Your Boat Secure

Now that your pontoon boat is protected from Mother Nature, you’ll need to protect it from thieves and vandals. Security should be a priority, whether you’re storing your boat at a facility or in your own yard. Vandalism can happen anywhere.

Still considering storage options? Check out our guide comparing wet slip, dry rack, and trailer storage.

Keeping your boat secure is primarily a matter of taking a few simple safety precautions.

• If you haven’t dismounted and removed electronics as recommended in Step 1, be sure to do that now.
• If you’re storing the boat on a trailer, put the trailer on blocks and remove the tires — this will prevent your boat from being hooked up and wheeled away. Alternately, you could install a tongue lock.
• Check your insurance policy. Most basic property coverage plans will only cover the theft of the boat and major parts like the engine and fuel tanks. If you have a basic plan, you’ll probably be out of luck if accessories or other detachable items are stolen. You may want to chat with your insurance agent to find out the details of your policy and/or to purchase additional coverage.

6. When Spring Arrives, De-Winterize

When winter is over, and you’re ready to get your boat back out on the water, it’s time to de-winterize! This is the exciting part, because you know that fun with friends and family is right around the corner.

First, uncover the boat and check for any dents, leaks, or other damage. A good storage location and cover should have protected your boat from these problems, but it’s smart to search for any issues. You’ll want to get those taken care of right away so they don’t become worse.

Next, examine your cover. Are there any tears or holes? Again, a high-quality cover should be able to handle wear well, but now is the best time to search for damage — before you need the cover again. Allow the cover to dry thoroughly, then place it in its storage bag or duffel.

Reinstall your electronics and replace all your accessories and other items that you want to have easily accessible on your boat. Test all your electronics to make sure they’re working properly — especially your GPS system, because you won’t want to be stuck out on the water without it.

If you like, polish up your pontoons for a shiny finish. Any boat is more attractive when the aluminum is shining bright!

Wrapping Up

As you can see, winterizing your boat does take a bit of planning and time. Thorough preparation will keep your boat looking good and functioning well, for many years of enjoyment.

While some boat owners will choose to have their boats professionally winterized, DIYers should feel confident that they can prepare and protect their boats on their own. And once you’ve done it the first time, you’ll feel confident in the process next season!

For All Your Accessories and/or Vinyl Flooring Visit Pontoon-Depot's Shop Site. 

Revolutionary Pontoon Ladder: New REVO A True Game-Changer

By: pdbmagazine

The next big thing for pontoon owners might just be the LilliPad REVO Ladder. The new boarding ladder sets the bar for comfort and functionality while offering an unrivaled array of features and benefits. LilliPad Marine has a reputation for getting boaters in-the-water with its Innovation Award Winning LilliPad Diving Board and is committed to making the process of re-boarding comfortable for all boaters.

REVO Ladders fasten to boats using a modular mounting system. With mount brackets installed at both locations, it can easily be moved from stern to bow making the ladder versatile for deep water swimming or an afternoon at the sandbar.

Releasing or securing the ladder to its mounts is as simple as pulling or inserting two locking pins. The REVO Ladder also boasts an impressive 48-inch (below the deck), 5-step design when deployed. The ladder’s deployed shape has been carefully crafted with an obtuse angle that positions the lower portion vertical and the upper portion sloped. REVO’s shape is critical in eliminating the need for flexibility or upper body strength to climb the ladder with ease. In addition, the ladder’s wide, slip-resistant, ergonomic-steps and beefy structure provide unmatched comfort and stability.

While REVO is deep when deployed, when retracted it sits only 16 inches above the deck presenting an aesthetically pleasing low profile. Furthermore, the REVO Ladder can be deployed and retracted from a standing position thanks to its innovative folding design and retracting strap. Thus, no kneeling or leaning over into the water to deploy or stow your ladder is required.

REVO Ladders are designed to exceed industry standards. Each ladder is built with heavy wall aluminum extrusions, robust (internal) stainless-steel cables, and stainless hardware. In addition, the ladder is self draining, eliminating the ability to freeze and crack. REVO Ladders are also suitable for dock mount applications boasting the same great features and benefits of the boat boarding ladder. Especially noted by homeowners is the ladder's ability to fold, eliminating the rigid, algae-covered ladders found on most docks.

For All Your Accessories and/or Vinyl Flooring Visit Pontoon-Depot's Shop Site.  

September: The Best Month To Boat. | Boating Lake County

By: BOATING LAKE COUNTY BLOG

1. The weather is still warm but not broiling hot like July. And it’s likely to be drier.
2. Peace and quiet. Many people who aren’t in the know put their boats away, so you’ll have more of the lake to yourself.
3. Shorter lines at public boat launches.
4. Off-season rates. For overnighters—and Lake County is the perfect place to overnight, hotels and motels are likely to have great rates on rooms.

So, summer may officially be over, but for seasoned boaters, fun on the water is still in bloom.

For All Your Accessories and/or Vinyl Flooring Visit Pontoon-Depot's Shop Site.  

Pontoon Boats: The Do-It-All Machine - BoatingIndustry.com

By: Boating Industry

Pontoon versatility continues to drive popularity, growth

In an industry-wide seventh consecutive year of growth, the pontoon segment continues to get more people on the water and keep them there.

Pontoons remain a key driver for the marine industry, and that’s going to continue in 2019, Statistical Surveys, Inc. (SSI) director of sales Ryan Kloppe said. “Pontoons will top 56,000 units in 2018. They just keep getting better, and have truly become a crossover boat.”

Kloppe said that SSI is anticipating around another 3 percent in growth for 2019. “It’s one of the categories that’s actually carrying the industry in year-over-year growth,” he said.

From first-time boat owners to longtime boaters switching segments, the pontoon segment refuses to be left behind.

“One of the things we’ve noticed is that the segment has been firing on so many different cylinders and is so broad based in terms of where its drawing its business from,” Info-Link director of client services Peter Houseworth said.

In terms of consumers in other segments converting to the pontoon life, Houseworth said that the segment bleeds are very balanced all-around. “We’re not seeing a single group from a single segment converting,” he added.

Houseworth said that growth within the pontoon segment has been going on for the last 20 years, however it hasn’t always been as visible because of all of the other gyrations of the market during that time period.

Hand-in-hand with pontoon popularity, the continued demand for outboard power certainly helps continue to make pontoons an appealing choice for today’s consumer.

“Pontoons are ultimately one of the key driving forces in outboard popularity,” Kloppe said. “However, it’s definitely a combination of outboard popularity driving pontoon popularity, and vice versa.”

Aside from raving popularity that began in the Great Lakes and Texas markets, the pontoon segment has been branching into new markets in increasing popularity over the last few years.

“Pontoons and their popularity are now a nationwide thing, rather than just occurring in certain places,” Houseworth said. “Florida, for example, hasn’t been a big pontoon state historically, but is now seeing big growth as a segment.”

“These boats will be around for a long time and in more and more territories,” Houseworth added.

EXPLORING NEW TERRITORY

With the popularity of pontoons continuing to rise, the industry has seen new players enter, or re-enter, the market at an accelerated rate.

After exiting the marine business in 2004, Polaris Industries Inc. busted its marine doors back open in May 2018 after signing a definitive agreement to acquire Boat Holdings, LLC, boat manufacturer of four well-recognized brands: Bennington, Godfrey, Hurricane and Rinker, in an all-cash transaction valued at a net present value of approximately $805 million.

“We started looking at Boat Holdings in early 2017,” said Scott Wine, Polaris Industries Inc. chairman and CEO during a conference call discussing the acquisition. “We’ve been looking at the marine space for four or five years. We look for great products and great brands, and they have both.”

During Q3 2018, Polaris reported that Boat Holdings was already tracking to its early expectations.

Polaris reported boat segment sales were $134 million in the 2018 third quarter, slightly better than expectations, the company stated in a news release. Reported gross profit for the boat segment was $20 million, or 15.1 percent of sales in the third quarter of 2018.

“We were pleased with the early performance of Boat Holdings, the largest manufacturer of pontoon boats in the U.S. that we welcomed to our growing powersports portfolio earlier in the quarter,” Wine said.

Although not completely new to the marine industry, following the creation of a new Marine Group and the acquisition of Alumacraft, BRP entered the pontoon segment with the acquisition of pontoon manufacturer Manitou in August 2018.

“Manitou’s strong brand, high quality pontoons and recognized technology made it a natural fit for BRP’s newly formed Marine Group,” said Tracy Crocker, President of the Marine Group. “With the acquisition of Manitou, we are strengthening our marine portfolio by entering the fastest growing segment in the boat industry.”

The segment also saw the return of the Premier pontoon brand, when the manufacturer emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2018.

The company announced that the reorganized Premier was to remain a Wyoming, Minnesota-based company with its current workforce in place. Premier’s exit from Chapter 11 authorized a change in ownership to a Minnesota-owned company, Premier Pontoon Holdings, LLC.

“The Premier team has worked tirelessly over the nine months to assure we continue to build high-quality pontoon boats as an industry leader,” said Rick Gallagher, Premier’s new chief executive officer.

Gallagher served as Premier Marine’s financial advisor while the company was operating in Chapter 11. The company filed for Chapter 11 on June 19, 2017. Unlike Chapter 7 and Chapter 9 bankruptcies, Chapter 11 bankruptcy gave Premier Marine a chance for a
full restructure.

Following the announcement, Premier quickly moved to establish new agreements with most of its existing vendors.

Relatively new to the market, Barletta Boats of Bristol, Ind. made a name for itself rather quickly in the pontoon world, signing on dealerships in over 70 locations in its early stages, with no signs of slowing down.

Barletta’s 110,000-square-foot manufacturing facility roared to life in June 2017 and the company hasn’t looked back since.

Most recently, Barletta penned a partnership with Walkers Point Marina, taking the company international and into Canada. The company continues to assemble its network of dealers across the country, and is now pushing to start adding high-caliber dealers in the Canadian market.

“We’ve have a very deliberate approach to adding new dealerships to our network,” stated Jeff Haradine, Barletta’s vice president of sales. “One of our guiding principles is too ensure that if we are going to partner with a dealership, we are able to provide the resources and product necessary to form a strong, mutually beneficial partnership. The timing felt right, and the Walkers Point Marina is exactly the type of dealership we love to partner with.”

SUV OF THE WATER

Today’s consumer in the boating world is consistently looking for one boat to handle a multitude of tasks. New technologies, designs, features and more in the pontoon segment are meeting those demands of the consumer.

“A combination of better engineering, fuel efficiency, speed and all-around versatility make pontoons a kind of SUV, do-everything type of boat for consumers,” Houseworth said.

From the luxurious lines and ample space of Bennington pontoons, to the sleek and sporty Manitou designs, to the classic-look pontoons of Lowe, Misty Harbor and more, consumers are finding everything they need in a boat in today’s pontoons.

Pontoons offer the boater a large social space for entertaining, a wide array power options, fishing applications, favored accessibility, near-endless options for customization and much more.

“Pontoons especially offer older boaters — which are the primary owner in today’s market — the opportunity to take everyone out on the water, with accessibility, comfort and all-around easier boating,” Houseworth said.

Ranger Boats recently announced the coming together of the fishing and cruising pontoons worlds with the introduction of the new Ranger Reata 223FC and 220FC.

The new boats combine features for both cruising and fishing into multi-use designs to accommodate families and anglers.

“We pride ourselves on listening to our customers and dealers on their wants and needs in our product lines,” said Bart Schad, Ranger Boats vice president of sales and marketing. “We have incorporated that feedback into these new models to create an ideal fish/cruise line that exceeds the needs of everyone on board. Combined with the upgraded aesthetics throughout the entire pontoon line, we have seen tremendous response and look forward to officially bringing these new boats to market.”

The new pontoons’ fish-and-play design brings together a host of creature comforts for pleasure cruising and fishing features valued by anglers.

Pontoons also offer a variety of options for the entry-level boater, with ease of use and lower price points than entry-level boats in other segments.

In March 2018, Crestliner unveiled its new Sprint Series, an entry-level pontoon for novice boaters and those looking for on-water versatility. The Sprint came nearly a year after Crestliner re-entered the pontoon market with its Rally Series.

“The Sprint fills a hole in the pontoon market,” said Crestliner President Eric Hendrickson. “There is a large contingent of boaters out there looking for an accessible pontoon they can hop into without hassle and use for a variety of on-water activities–from fishing to cruising and everything in between. Add to that an exceptional value, and the Sprint is exactly what a lot of families are looking for.”

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

In an effort to further push the versatility of the pontoon segment, Minnesota-based Montara Boats announced an industry-first game changer.

In early October 2018, Montara announced it developed a patent-pending design that blends the worlds of surf boats and pontoons in the industry’s first surf pontoon, including the comfort and space of a pontoon boat with the performance of an inboard surf boat.

“For the past 15 years I’ve watched neighbors and friends buy tow boats for water sports in addition to pontoons for entertaining. We’ve cracked the code on this and figured out how to blend these, creating the Surf Boss that does it all,” said Montara CEO Mark Overbye.

Overbye is no stranger to the tow boat and tow sports world after serving as the founder and former CEO of both Moomba and Gekko. Overbye also serves as a chairman and trustee for the USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Foundation.

Montara’s new Surf Boss is available in three lengths: 21 feet, 23 feet, and 25 feet.

Equipped with PCM inboard engines, the Surf Boss features competitive surf wakes, a fully enclosed head, over 100 cubic feet of storage, dual swiveling captains chairs, jumbo-sized dual transom loungers that flip from forward to aft viewing.

Overbye told Boating Industry that PCM sent two engines to Montara Boats for use in Surf Boss prototype testing. “I’ve had a great relationship with them for 20 years,” he said. “We represent a potential entree for them into a huge market segment. The tow boat segment is roughly 10,000 units; the pontoon segment last year was roughly 52,000 units. If we have success with this, this should really open up some market floodgates.”

Features of the new pontoon include a 110-gallon fuel tank, a changing room, Zero Off GPS speed control, a 5,000-pound plus ballast system, custom tandem trailer, Rockford’s premium audio system, carrying capacity exceeding 20,000 pounds for people and gear plus a top-end speed that tops 40 miles per hour. A custom tower with dual Biminis, speakers and lights that retracts into the hull compliments the Surf Boss’s design.

“The concept of combining surfing and pontoons clearly struck a positive cord with the marine business at large,” Overbye said.

Since announcing its Surf Boss surfing pontoon in mid October, Minnesota-based Montara Boats has welcomed 27 dealers to its retail network and has more than 23 additional dealerships pending.

Overbye said that the team at Montara already has more ideas on the drawing board to further the limits of pontoons that the industry could see even four or five years down the road.

With the segment showing no signs of slowing in growth, and continued versatility and new technology coming to market, pontoons will remain a major player in the future of the industry.   

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