News — Boating

Reasons Dad Needs a Boat Upgrade | Pontoon-Depot

Dear Dad:

Remember all the times I said, “I forgot”?

I really did.

Remember all the times I said, “It was like that when I found it”?

It wasn’t.

Remember all the jars you opened, spiders you killed, things you fixed, monsters you slayed and oil changes you took care of?

Thank you.

Mom and I have talked, and we’ve decided it’s time you did something for you. No, not fishing with your buddies. I mean, that’s nice. But we were thinking about something, well, a little “more.”

Have you ever thought about upgrading the boat?

We know you love that old boat. But, can we be honest? It’s sort of seen better days. OK. There’s no sort of about. It has! So it’s time.

The carpet is, well, gross. A new vinyl floor would look great, and be a heck of a lot easier to clean. Plus, it’s slip-resistant, so you won’t take a spill.

We know you like to take the boat out for a little night fishing, from time to time, too. But it can be hard to see everything you need to, out on the water in the dark. Add some LED lights in just the right places, and you won’t have any trouble finding your tackle. Or your snacks.

One of our favorite things about the boat is the bimini top. But the straps have become really worn. Maybe some new ones?

We hate to break it to you, but those boat seats? We don’t want to sit on them anymore. You can only hide so much with a beach towel, Dad. It’s time to invest in a new set of seats. You won’t regret it.

So what do you say, Dad? Are you ready to upgrade the boat? You can still take your friends out fishing, too. Just, maybe, check with mom first.

Happy Father’s Day!

Meticulous Maintenance | Pontoon-Depot

You love your pontoon boat. You take pride in maintaining it. You do so to protect your investment, keep your family and friends safe, and to look good out on the water!

Replacing shabby old flooring and seating is a no-brainer. These prominent pieces can be the difference between cruising in comfort and style or drifting in dishonor! Still, there’s a lot more to peak pontoon performance than these most obvious objects…

Sometimes the smallest, most inexpensive component can save the day - or ruin it. Perhaps you know this all too well from past personal experience.

As you prepare your vessel for the summer boating season, be sure to look over every square inch of it. Is anything broken, missing, unsafe, or just plain ugly?

Consider the following list of inexpensive, easy upgrades/replacement parts:

• Cleats - Look for broken or missing cleats. 
• Fence Savers - Cheap, easy way to defend against damage!
• Fender Savers - Cheap, easy, and precautionary parts.
• Battery Box - Keep it clean and contained.
• Lights - Do you need replacement lights, better lights, or more lights?
• Fuel Tanks - Do you need a new, larger, or auxiliary tank?
• Fuel Line Kit - Is it time to replace or improve?
• Fuel Filter - Often overlooked… Is yours due to be replaced?
• Primer Bulb - Is yours cracked, leaking?

Don’t put to sea until your pontoon boat is pretty, polished, purring, and properly prepared!

If you need any of the above-mentioned items, navigate over to our safe, secure online shop: https://pontoon-depot.com/collections.

Pontoon-Depot is your simple, one stop shop for all of your pontoon boating needs!

Staying Safe on Memorial Day Weekend

On Memorial Day Weekend, everyone has the same idea as you — let's head to the lake! That means that for three days, your idyllic hideaway looks like Walmart on Black Friday.

Basically, you can expect big crowds.

The thing with big crowds is that they're full of human beings, and human beings share one universal commonality — they all love pontoon boats. That means you're going to have a whole bunch of new best friends and everyone in the crowd is going to want to come aboard.

You, being the awesome human being that you are, are going to want to accommodate them all. The problem is, your boat's maximum capacity doesn't increase just because it's a holiday.

In short, Memorial Day Weekend gives you lots of opportunities to overload your boat. Resist the urge to say "one more couldn't hurt."

Next, watch your speed. Excessive speed causes more accidents than anything else on the water, even when crowds aren't at their peak. On Memorial Day Weekend, there are more boats. More boats equals more things to crash into.

Finally, we come to booze. Don't drink and boat. It’s illegal. It's dangerous. Its stupid. It's irresponsible. What else is there to say?

Please keep in mind that just because you're doing the right thing, you can't assume that all the other captains on the sea are following your example. Assume that other boats zigging and zagging past, pontoon or otherwise, are piloted by folks who think the rules don’t apply to them. Be on guard!

So that's it. Be safe on Memorial Day Weekend. Use common sense and exercise good judgment. These are pretty good rules of thumb to follow on a boat no matter the day, but on holidays, surviving the three-day weekend with your body, boat and family intact is a special kind of mission.

You have a dog. You have a boat. You need MariDeck.

Whether it's a pickup truck or a pontoon boat, there is something inherently wrong about getting into a vehicle and driving away without taking your dog along for the ride. For dogs, a ride in anything mechanized is a little slice of Doggie Heaven.

It’s impossible to shove off onto the lake, steering your pontoon boat out onto the water while watching your dog on land getting smaller and smaller, tail wagging slower and slower as he realizes he's not coming along for the ride. Talk about cruel and unusual! Have a heart. Bring your pooch on board.

Dogs are great. Dogs are wonderful. But wait! Dogs have claws.

Claws present several problems on the deck of a pontoon boat. First of all, without good flooring, dogs don't walk on boat decks. They ice skate. After about a half hour of slipping and sliding around like a drunk figure skater, your dog might start to wonder if he might have been better off back on shore chasing Squirrels or napping.

When you upgrade to high-end vinyl flooring from MariDeck, however, your dog — and your two-legged passengers — have a safe, slip-free deck that's cozy on the feet while offering all the traction any species could ask for.

The other problem with claws is that they scratch things up — yes, even fiberglass. While your dog is slipping and sliding, frantically trying to gain even the slightest bit of traction, he's digging those claws into your deck.

Finally, dogs go to the bathroom — only when they do, they don't actually go to the bathroom.

Even the best trained dog might succumb to his instincts in unfamiliar surroundings. If the worst — or the really worst — happens on MariDeck flooring, a few sprays with the hose and it's like it never happened. If the same thing goes down on traditional boat carpeting, your dog's mishap is now a permanent part of your boat deck. Like, forever.

Or at least until you upgrade to Marideck — which you should right this second! Your dog and your deck will thank you.