News — Boating

HOW TO PLAN A FAMILY FUN DAY ON A PONTOON BOAT

by Manitou Pontoon Boats

There is nothing better than spending a day on your pontoon boat. But as you may know, it can be very stressful if you don’t properly plan your excursion. Imagine a day on a pontoon boat where you visit the same area and do the same activities as the time before, more for lack of imagination than because of the fun quotient. Not to mention the chaos that can ensue if there isn’t enough food, water, or sunscreen for everyone in the party.

Aside from the “dos” and “do nots” for planning a day on the pontoon, there are numerous fun ideas you and your family should try:

• Explore: Instead of visiting the same place every time, mix it up and boldly go where you haven’t been before.
• BBQ: If your pontoon boat has a BBQ on it, why not enjoy a beach BBQ?
• Scavenger Hunt: Invent a scavenger hunt where you stop at various places and solve clues. Will there be buried treasure at the end?
• Mega Raft: If your friends all have pontoon boats and families, tie up all the boats together and make a mega raft.
• Waterproof Camera: There is no better way to capture the day and take some memorable underwater photos.

Remember proper and creative planning, and you are sure to have an exciting day on the water.

Download our infographic for more tips for family fun on the water.

9 Best Memorial Day Weekend Getaways in Arkansas

It’s time to shake off the winter cold and welcome the unofficial start of summer with a  Memorial Day weekend getaway. From major cities to scenic lakes, Arkansas has something exciting for everyone. Head to downtown Fort Smith to try fantastic local eateries, or visit the zoo in Little Rock. From lakefront family homes to trendy lofts, there are plenty of Arkansas vacation rentals to choose from. Take a look at Memorial Day weekend getaway spots in Arkansas.

1. Little Rock

Source: Flickr/Dustin Holmes

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2. Hot Springs

Source: Facebook/HotSpringsNPS

Thrills and chills await you in the town of Hot Springs. Spend your weekend riding the roller coasters at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls. This amusement park offers all your favorite rides along with a water park with slides and a wave pool. Take a tour of the old bathhouses in the Hot Springs National Park and feel the heat of these natural springs on a guided hike. Learn more about local and notorious bad guys at the Gangster Museum of America.

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3. Jacksonville

Source: Flickr/janeLLoyd Nichols

Spend your weekend splashing in the water in Jacksonville. The Splash Zone water park offers slides, a wave pool, and kiddie area with water fountains and dew drop showers. Dry off and put on your hiking boots for a day at the Holland Bottoms State Wildlife Management Area. Remember America’s fallen military members with a tour of the Jacksonville Museum of Military History. This small museum offers some nice exhibits and artifacts. Dupree Park is a great place to let the kids play on the playground while you relax and read your book on a bench.

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4. Fort Smith

Source: Flickr/aquiamigo

Excitement awaits your family in Fort Smith over this holiday weekend. Attend the Old Fort Days Rodeo and Parade. Find good seats to watch the parade go by and then cheer as cowboys rope cows and ride bulls. On Monday, honor Arkansas’s fallen at the Memorial Day Service at Fort Smith National Cemetery. Take advantage of the sunshine at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum. It’s an outdoor museum with trolleys to see and even one to catch a ride on. Cool off at the Parrot Island Water Park with its slides, kiddie pool, wave pool, and lazy river.

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5. Fayetteville

Enjoy some time in the outdoors with a vacation rental in Fayetteville. Make the most of the weekend by hiking the Mount Sequoyah Woods Trails. The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks features native and non-native plants, flowers, and shrubs in full bloom at this time of year. Before leaving, stop by the butterfly house and sit still to get a butterfly to land on you. Learn more about military aviation and history at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum.

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6. Eureka Springs

Source: Flickr/janeLLoyd Nichols

Unwind and enjoy small-town life in Eureka Springs. Cool off in the oldest show cave in the state, Onyx Cave. Your tour guide takes you around the cave and points out all the interesting geology. Visit the Blue Spring Heritage Center to see the towering hardwood trees and native plants. Walk past the Bluff Shelter and the Blue Springs. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a local rescue organization that cares for neglected and abandoned large cats. See these fierce creatures and sign up for an up-close visit with a cub.

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7. Bella Vista 

Source: Flickr/Shawn Taylor

Founded as a summer resort town, Bella Vista is a great place to kick off the summer season. One of the most popular places for hiking in the area is the Tanyard Creek Trail. When you need to cool off, simply take off your shoes and splash around in the water. Bring your boat and put in the water from one of the public launches at Lake Windsor. Invert Sports offers boat rentals and jet ski rentals to play on the lake or spend a day fishing.

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8. Mammoth Spring

Source: Flickr/Roland Klose

Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, Mammoth Spring is a town that’s home to the largest hot springs in the state. Mammoth Spring State Park is the protected area of the hot springs just outside of town. More than nine million gallons of water flow each hour and form a lake. You can enjoy the hiking paths in the park or just enjoy walking by the springs. Learn more about how trains and rail service shaped the state at the Depot Museum.

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9. Ozarks

Source: Flickr/twi$tbarbie

Ozarks shares its name with a large lake that Arkansas shares with Missouri. Mike Fink’s Marina Boat and Wave Runner Rentals Lake of the Ozarks can set your family up with a pontoon boat for a lazy day of fishing and soaking up the sun, or a powerboat for a day of water skiing. Learn more about the history of the lake and surrounding towns at the Ozark Area Museum. After a long day on the water, grab some ribs or sandwiches from Rivertowne BBQ to enjoy back at your vacation rental.

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Ready to go?  Check out these amazing Arkansas vacation rentals on Tripping.com.

Memorial Day from Stem to Stern | Pontoon Depot

By: Home is Where The Boat is 

Memorial Day kicks off Boating Season at the Lake! A reprise of our Memorial Day Fun from last year’s celebration!! I hope you don’t mind weighing anchor with me again :-)

In anticipation of boating over the course of the long holiday weekend, I decorated the pontoon for fun. . .. . .from Stem to Stern. . .including a few stems in a mason jar!

A few pillows. . .

Some Red,White & Blue to dine with. . .

A beverage tub filled with drinks to keep us hydrated. . .

 A breezy day as you can see, with the wind whipping the flags~

Of course Memorial Day has a much more important significance than boating & picnics. . . it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in military service.

First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.

A day to recognize, reflect, and remember, how fortunate we are to live in freedom.

We’re celebrating with a flag formation of Watermelon, Feta, and a side of Blueberries~The creamy, salty cheese is the perfect partner to the sweet, juicy melon.

How to Survive Lightning Storms While Boating

Check out these strategies for surviving lightning strikes when boating:

By: Boating Magazine

Powerful, dangerous, highly unpredictable — all are common descriptions of lightning storms. A direct strike that results only in ringing ears and a few roasted electronics would be considered lucky. Unlucky would be through-hulls blown out, a sunk boat or worse — possibly serious injury or death.

Many powerboaters like to think that they’ve got the speed to simply outrun or get out of the way of lightning storms, or they figure they’re safe if they go boating only when it’s clear and sunny. That’s an attitude aided by the low odds of a boat being struck by lightning, which BoatU.S. pegs at about one out of 1,000 boats in any given year. No worries, right, mate?

Count the seconds after a thunderclap and divide by 5: the result is the distance in miles from the storm.

Wrong. Engines can malfunction; big lightning storms can leave no room to escape; sunny mornings can turn into dark, threatening afternoons. If yours is the only boat in the area during a lightning storm, the odds of being struck go way up, leaving you and your crew vulnerable to millions of volts raining down from the skies. While manufacturers can build in a degree of protection, lightning protection begins with boaters being informed and prepared to take action in the event of a thunderstorm or actual strike. You should know the following techniques and strategies.

White clouds that rise to the customary flat “anvil” top are a good indication to clear the water and seek shelter. The "anvil" points in the direction the storm is moving.

Timing
A strategy of boating only on sunny, cloudless days may work well in places like Idaho and California, but that would mean almost never using the boat in places such as Florida, Louisiana and much of the Midwest. For example, most of Florida — the Sunshine State — has at least 70 to 80 thunderstorm days per year, with some parts having more than 100 thunderstorm days per year (with increased activity during the summer months).

Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for special alerts on VHF channels 1-9 (most often it’s Channel 3).

Absolutely, boaters should track VHF, Internet and television weather reports and make responsible decisions about whether to go boating depending on the likelihood of lightning storms. Short-term forecasts can actually be fairly good at predicting bigger storms, but small, localized storms might not be reported. This is when knowing how to read the weather yourself can come in handy. (The U.S. Power Squadrons offers great weather courses for boaters, and there are many books that cover the basics.)

Use radar to spot a distant storm.

Lightning strikes typically occur in the afternoon. (Florida estimates 70 percent occur between noon and 6 p.m.) A towering buildup of puffy, cotton-white clouds that rise to the customary flat “anvil” top is a good indication to clear the water and seek shelter — or move out of the storm’s path if possible. That’s if the storm is at least somewhat off in the distance (most storms are about 15 miles in diameter and can build to dangerous levels in fewer than 30 minutes). If lightning and thunder are present, just count the seconds between the lightning and corresponding thunder and then divide by 5 — this will provide a rough estimate of how many miles away the storm is.

Some boaters opt to steer with a wooden spoon and keep their other hand in a pocket if forced to man the helm during a storm.

A storm that builds directly overhead might be less obvious until those pretty white clouds that were providing some nice shade moments ago turn a threatening hue of gray as rain dumps on you and the wind starts to howl or, worse yet, boom with thunder and lightning that are right on top of each other. Now is the time for a mad dash to the dock and shelter if close by. Like the National Weather Service says: “When thunder roars, go indoors!” If out on open water or too far from shore and shelter, it’s time to hunker down and ride it out.

Wait 30 minutes after the last strike before resuming normal activities (swimming, skiing, tubing, fishing, etc.).

Caught!
Boaters who have been struck by lightning often begin their stories with “I was caught in this storm … ” before they share their miraculous or harrowing tales of survival and destruction (BoatU.S. has a number of first-person storm stories archived online: boatus.com/seaworthy/swthunder). Even though getting caught in a storm is not always avoidable, there’s still plenty that boaters can do to minimize the chance of a strike and lessen injury and damage if there is a strike.

How to Stay Safest in a Thunderstorm
Research shows boats without a protection system do suffer more damage. Larger enclosed boats, trawlers and sailboats will sometimes come with a conventional protection system installed. With open boats it’s typically up to the owner to carry a portable pole with attached wire and ground plate that can be deployed in a storm.

We all learn in grade school that lightning seeks the highest point, and on the water that’s the top of the boat — typically a mast, antenna, Bimini top, fishing rod in a vertical rod holder or even the tallest person in an open boat. If possible, find a protected area out of the wind and drop anchor. If the boat has an enclosed cabin, people should be directed to go inside and stay well away from metal objects, electrical outlets and appliances (it’s a good idea to don life jackets too). Side flashes can jump from metal objects to other objects — even bodies — as they seek a path to water.

Lowering antennas, towers, fishing rods and outriggers is also advised, unless they’re part of a designated lightning-protection system. Some boaters also like to disconnect the connections and power leads to their antennas and other electronics, which are often damaged or destroyed during a strike or near strike.

Under no circumstances should the VHF radio be used during an electrical storm unless it’s an emergency (handhelds are OK). Also, be careful not to grab two metal objects, like a metal steering wheel and metal railing — that can be a deadly spot to be if there’s a strike. Some boaters opt to steer with a wooden spoon and keep their other hand in a pocket if forced to man the helm during a storm, while others like to wear rubber gloves for insulation.

An open boat like a runabout is the most dangerous to human life during lightning storms, since you are the highest point and most likely to get hit if the boat is struck. If shore is out of reach, the advice is to drop anchor, remove all metal jewelry, put on life jackets and get low in the center of the boat. Definitely stay out of the water and stow the fishing rods.

If all goes well, the storm will blow past or rain itself out in 20 to 30 minutes. It’s best to wait at least 30 minutes until after the last clap of thunder to resume activities.