PONTOON BOAT MAINTENANCE TIPS | PONTOON DEPOT
By: Cypress Cay Pontoons
Your pontoon, much like your car or house, is an investment that you can have for years to come with the proper maintenance. To that end there are some very simple steps you can take to keep it in the best shape possible.
WASH YOUR PONTOON
A basic and frequently overlooked step for keeping your pontoon in shape is to wash the exterior on a regular basis. You don’t really need any specialty soaps either; the soap you would wash your car with will work.
MAINTAIN UPHOLSTERY
To keep your pontoon furniture looking new, there are some basic maintenance steps you can take. You’ll want to do a bi-yearly deep cleaning and fairly frequent cleaning of the surface material which we will discuss below.
1) Keep your furniture and flooring as dry as possible by wiping down seats and opening hatches when the boat isn’t in use. Allowing things to dry out prior to covering your pontoon will help to reduce the opportunity for mold and mildew to thrive.
2) To keep your aluminum panels from streaking be sure to rinse them off with water and a mild detergent on occasion, erasers sponges work as well (always test them in a small corner to make sure they aren’t going to cause any damage to the panel). Always make sure to completely dry the aluminum off when finished cleaning.
3) A mild soap and water solution is all you’ll need for your normal cleaning of the high quality marine-grade vinyl used on Cypress Cay pontoons. Any stubborn stains might require use of a nylon brush or marine vinyl cleaner. You’ll want to test the cleaner in a small inconspicuous location before attempting to clean the entire piece.
4) When it comes to cleaning and maintaining your vinyl furniture, always refer to the Owner’s Manual.
MAINTAIN YOUR ENGINE
Let’s face it, without the engine, you have a rowboat! You definitely want to have the engine running like the day you bought it, especially when you’re out on the lake. There are a few simple steps that can be taken to make sure your engine remains in tip-top shape. They are detailed in your Engine’s Owner’s Manual in the Maintenance and Care section.
Keep in mind that your pontoon, much like your car, has a lot of moving parts and those parts need to be maintained.
These are just the basic steps for keeping your pontoon looking like it’s straight off the show floor. Keep in mind there are extra steps you’ll want to take to winterize your boat and also when getting it ready for its spring re-launch every year. You can find information about this and so much more in your Owner’s Manual or by visiting cypresscaypontoons.com.
PONTOON PARTY IDEAS: MUCH MORE THAN JUST FISHING AND TUBING
Traditional pontoon boating pastimes like fishing, swimming, skiing, and tubing are always good for hours of summer fun. And the merits of just plain relaxing cannot be overstated. But seasoned boaters at times find themselves asking, “How can I shake things up and break from the norm?”
Because of their size and large decks (in some cases double-decks) pontoon boats are vessels meant for festive gatherings. Whether it’s an adults-only party or camping with the kids, pontoons provide a venue for a wide variety of good times on the water. Below are just a few creative ideas.
Floating Pontoon Dinner Party
Pontoons can be equipped with all kinds of grilling and food-storage artillery, so it’s easy to host a dinner party on the water. The possible themes are endless. You can choose an ethnic or regional theme like Japanese or Midwestern, or go nautical and serve “Flank Speed Flank Steak” and “Buntline Bunt Cake,” or just take an old standard like the simple fondue party and modify its traditions — anyone who loses bread in the pot buys a round of drinks at the dockside bar. There’s no shortage of ways to get creative.
You could also reduce your prep time with a potluck dinner party. Or, get everyone into the on-deck cooking with a floating competition à la Iron Chef.
Get Your Game On, Pontoon Tournament Style
Breaking out the cribbage board or chess set on the pontoon is often a spontaneous thing, but such games are also perfect for tournaments, which can serve as the focus of the gathering and keep conversations flowing and seats shuffling. The games help fill in conversation gaps and maximize the mingling.
Also, a simple invite to “spend the afternoon on the boat” can be aggrandized into the “Seventh Annual Lake George Pinochle Tournament,” for example. It becomes an event traditions can be formed around.
If you have a friend with a pontoon on the same lake, more extravagant tournaments are possible, such as bean-bag toss with cornhole boards placed on separate, anchored boats. (If you miss the pontoon with your toss you have to dive in and get it, of course.) For other games you can have winner- and loser-bracket boats.
(picture by Harrisboats)
Birthday Party On A Pontoon
In addition to being a respite for parents, pontoon boats make terrific kid-party venues. Don’t limit yourself when throwing a birthday bash on the water. Deck your pontoon in a fun theme like tiki Hawaii or pirate shipwreck to make your child’s birthday party a fantasy adventure. Kids having too much fun can slide down “the plank” if your boat has a slide.
Pontoon Club Gatherings
Any kind of club can convene on a pontoon boat, making the meeting all the more entertaining and memorable. Cruise the open waters as your book club discusses the most recent read. Or, get a beer and wine club together and sample cocktails under the setting sun. Where better for an environmental studies or bird-watching club to gather?
Pontoon Boat Block Party
Pontoon boaters tend to have several like-minded friends who frequent the same waterways or docking areas. A pontoon boat block party operates just like a regular block party, with the added fun of boat hopping to chat with the “neighbors.”
Kick the pontoon boat party up a peg by making it a progressive dinner party where boaters start on one boat for appetizers and aperitifs, then move on for the first course, then to another boat for the main course, and then to another boat for dessert.
A riff off that idea is to have each boat feature different cuisine from different regions of the country or the world, or for each boat to prepare a different seafood dish. The possibilities are endless.
Pontoon Camping Adventures
Pontoon boat covers provide plenty of protection for sleeping under the stars on the water. Grab a group of friends, a bag of marshmallows to toast over the grill, and some flashlights and spend the night sitting on the deck telling stories about what lurks beneath the surface. This is also a fun thing to do with the family or with children’s parties or scouting groups.
Personalize It
With limitless options for fun on the water, the most important thing is to make your pontoon party suit your style. Take these ideas and make them your own with twists that match your personality. Or, let this be the guide that sparks your imagination to develop your own uniquely branded pontoon extravaganza.
Post your pontoon event pictures to our Facebook or on your Instagram with hashtag #MariDeck. We would love to see your photos and will even share if they catch our eye.
By: HarrisBoats
15 Ideas to Make Boating More Fun for Kids
So, you want to bring kids out on the water.
And you want to make sure they have a great experience—one that will last a lifetime.
That’s a tall order. A fun day of boating can turn sour if you’re not prepared to feed, entertain and care for the littlest people board your pontoon.
If you’re bringing kids on board, then here are the fun, favorite items that I’d recommend you bring along with you.
1. Bring Playdough
Our our pontoon boat we have a small table by one of the L loungers under the shade of the bimini. It’s a perfect spot for little kids to play with toys or playdough while the adults have their fun. Having a little jar of playdough in your boat can save a parent who will otherwise spend the day trying to console their bored baby/young child who isn’t interested in getting in the water.
2. Get a Big Tube
Kids love tubes. That’s no secret, but what I’ve found is that kids are a lot more excited about getting out on the tube if you have a big tube that can accommodate 4 or 5 kids. The tubes that only hold one or two are usually a bit scarier to little kids who have to go alone.
3. Stock Up with These Fun Snack Ideas
You gotta have your boat loaded with snacks for the kids to enjoy the trip. It’s even better if you have some snacks that the kids don’t usually eat. Here are a few ideas that work well in the boat because they won’t get the boat messy while they eat, and they stay good in the heat of the sun.
- Homemade granola bars with their favorite fixings (nuts, raisins, craisins, M&Ms, etc)
- Pretzels and mini marshmallows in a ziploc bag
- Sweet Potato French Fries in a bag (Sweet potato french fries that are baked are delicious, healthy, and easy for kids to grab)
- Dried fruit
- Bread balls (my kids won’t eat bread unless I tear it into pieces and smash it into little balls. Suddenly they love it!)
4. Movie Time!
If your boat has a power supply or cigarette lighter that you can use an adapter on, one way to REALLY convince them they like boating is to watch a big movie on the boat with a projector. Hang a white sheet down from the bimini and set the projector at the bow. It’s the perfect way to end a day on the water.
5. Order Pizza to the Dock
My five year-old goes WILD when we do this! Just call your local pizza place and give them directions to the dock. Pick up some pizzas and shove off again for more boating. The kids laugh and laugh when you call and order.
6. Get a Slide
Pontoon boats are perfect for fun accessories like a slide. They can be a bit pricey but for kids it’s tough to beat. Older kids may love wakeboarding and playing on the tube, but younger kids can be intimidated by the tube and prefer something right on the boat. The Rave Pontoon boat slide looks awesome!
7. Invite Their Friends
Kids suddenly get a lot braver when they feel like they are in charge. Have each of your kids bring two friends on the boat for a day and suddenly they’ll be very popular, and your kids will love going on the boat because they’ll have other people they can tell the rules to and show how things go.
8. A Long Downed Skier Flag
My 3 year old loves going on the boat even though he rarely dares to get in the cold water. That doesn’t stop him from having fun, though. He is the “downed skier sheriff” and is responsible for waving the orange flag wildly the instant someone hits the water.
If you get a longer downed skier flag, the kids have a lot more fun with it and won’t mind a few hours in the boat.
You can put your other kids on “biff cam” duty, to video record everyone being towed behind and get good video of them falling, biffing, and otherwise splashing.
9. Bring a Rod
Kids love fishing, and it’s a fun activity to break up the day. Start or end the day fishing when the fishing is good and you’ll usually hook your kids into boating.
One thing I like to do is to watch the fishing boats during the day and see where they are. Then, when it’s sunset time and perfect for fishing, head over to those hot spots and catch a few. This way you don’t have to spend the whole day trying to locate the fish, but can still get the kids interest in fishing because the fishing’s hot!
10. Get them a Wet Suit
One of the major things that turns my kids away from boating is when the water is cold in the Idaho lakes. Get your kids a nice wet suit so they can enjoy the trip. Remember that kids get cold very easily, so be sure to keep them warm!
11. Head to the Beach for a Picnic
If you haven’t noticed a trend yet, this list is really about finding ways to break up the day. If you just get on the boat and ski all day long, it means a lot of boredom for the kids. Spend some time planning different activities you’ll be doing at different times of the day so that there is always something for the kids to be looking forward to.
At lunch time, I think it’s nice to get off the boat for the while. The kids can run around at the park or marina for a while and you can take a break from rocking up and down, go to the bathroom, and get anything else you need from the car.
12. Explain the Rules FIRST!
One mistake I made when we starting bringing the kids out on the boat was that I didn’t sit them down and explain the safety rules at the beginning. The reason this was a mistake is that I spent the first entire trip telling the kids what they were not allowed to do–not very fun for them!
I took the kids out to the boat while it was still trailered on the side of the house and we all climbed up to the boat. I then explained they needed to wear a life jacket from the second they get onto the dock until we’re back in the car–even when we’re just walking around the beach. I showed them danger zones on the boat like the bow, how they need to sit down while we’re moving but can run around while we’re stopped. When they can get in the water, and if they take off their shoes when they get in the boat then it’s okay with me if they climb all over the furniture.
Once the kids had the rules explained all at once when I had time to sit down and explain everything, they became very good at following the rules and I never have to say “no” on the boat because they already know what they can and can’t do. Much more fun.
13. Teach the Kids to Drive
I’ll admit–this one is sketchy. In my state, there is no law about age to drive a boat and I talked to the sheriff specifically and asked if it’s okay if the kids drive when they’re sitting on my lap.
My pontoon boat is powered with a 115hp engine which is no toy, but can take a full hard turn of the wheel even at top speed and we aren’t anywhere near tipping. What I do is let the kids sit on my lap and they can control the steering wheel and I control the throttle. I am in charge of lookout and can grab the wheel at any instant if there is danger, another boat in the vicinity, etc. I also never go above 15 miles per hour.
The kids love it, and with the restrictions I put on it, I don’t see any danger at all since I’m able to take over at any second.
14. Peppermint to the Rescue
Some kids get motion sickness on the boat when there’s a good chop on the water. Bring a peppermint stick for seasickness and it can rescue an otherwise unpleasant trip. Dramamine and other drugs are not okay for kids, so this is a great alternative.
I really don’t put much faith behind the homeopathic/home remedy stuff. I really don’t. But peppermint works! I was very skeptical but it did wonders for my wife when she used it for car sickness and the Amazon reviews are nearly all positive.
Get a Quease Ease and just stick it in the glove box of your boat. When you or someone you invite on your boat starts to feel nauseous, you’ll be very glad you gave it a try. The stuff works!
15. Deputize a DJ
Need another “job” on the boat to keep the kids entertained? One of my boys loves being the DJ. We have a Bluetooth stereo in the boat (you can put one in for just $100, by the way) so you can play the music remotely from a phone. I hand my phone to my son and he controls the volume and the song. When there isn’t one he likes, he is in charge and nobody is allowed to stop him from changing the song. It’s a small thing, but he loves it.
by Jim Harmer
HOW WELL DO PONTOON BOATS HANDLE ROUGH WATER?
Generally speaking, pontoons can handle much better in choppy water than other recreational boats since they have at least two hulls, providing more stability to the boat than one hull could. If a pontoon (with two ‘toons) is more stable than a monohull, imagine how much better a tritoon’s third tube can make it!
Of course, while a pontoon boat itself is generally safe, a little common sense goes a long way on the water. Besides ignoring common sense, what can get you in trouble on a pontoon is not knowing how to handle the boat when the water gets rough.
CAN A PONTOON FLIP OVER?
Sure, it’s possible to flip your pontoon. It certainly has happened. But it’s highly unlikely if you’re being responsible. While forces of nature cannot be controlled, there are steps you can take as a boat owner and captain to make sure you reduce the chance of these types of accidents on the water.
Here are a couple factors to keep in mind:
Keep an even load on board. This applies to cargo loads, as well as loads of passengers. Consider how weight distribution can contribute to safety on choppy waters. Make sure your passengers know the importance of maintaining balance on board, especially in rough conditions. Keep in mind that any modifications you make to the boat can also affect its balance or center of gravity. For this reason, “Double decker” pontoon boats with a second level, while they offer additional options for fun on the water, are much more prone to tipping.
The bigger the boat, the more weight the elements have to contend with, and the larger the pontoons, the greater the boat’s stability. If your pontoon is on the smaller side, you’ll want to make sure conditions are safe before going out on the water.
KEEPING YOUR PONTOON STABLE IN ROUGH WATERS
To keep your pontoon safe in rough waters, the key of course is to keep the pontoons above the water and avoid the risk of burying the nosecones. If you’re cruising straight into big waves, and you slow down before hitting a trough, chances are you’re going to dip the pontoon’s nose below water and will take some of that water on board when it crashes over the bow. Depending on the force of the waves, this can cause damage to the pontoon’s playpen, which can cost a considerable amount to fix. Rather than slowing down when riding into the waves, trim up just before hitting the wave. This will help lift the boat’s bow more.
Adjust your course so you’re riding properly into the waves. When possible, rather than riding head-on into the waves, cruise so the waves are at a 30 to 45 degree angle from the center of the boat. Taking the waves at an angle will allow you to keep your bow high more consistently. At this angle, one of the tubes will also ride high, allowing the boat to glide into and out of the waves’ crests and troughs more smoothly. There is still potential to dip the corner of the boat, however.
It is possible to get a special handling package on your boat to handle the elements better. For instance, our Sports Handling Package (SHP) allows higher horsepower and includes power assisted steering, positive angle lifting strakes, and barracuda nosecones, all of which are better for handling rough waters. Underskinning can also help reduce drag from water splashing up beneath the boat.
WATCH THE WEATHER AND THE WATER
This is obvious, but you should always check weather and marine forecasts before going out on the boat. When you are on the water, keep an eye on the skies and look for any changes in the water. If conditions start to turn, it’s always better to prioritize safety over pushing for a little more time on the lake.