News — Boating

Pontoon Boat: Your Floating Stay-Cation

You don't have to go too far to get away.

You, after all, are among the elite. You have the hardware required to bring the party wherever you go. You invested in a floating memory-making machine.

You're a pontoon boat owner.

Leave the "all-inclusive" cruises to the schmos who are willing to settle for cramped cabins, crowded dinners and hack entertainment. Let the landlubbers scour Travelocity for the can't-miss, can't-wait deal of the century that comes along every four days. Let the masses pack their SUVs and head to their secret, pristine vacation hideaway that's a secret to everyone except for all the people who have Facebook.

You're a pontoon boat owner. For you, the vacation starts as soon as you shove off from the dock.

On regular boats, kids get bored quickly because they can't move around. Your floating living room, however, gives them all the stay-cation space they need to spread out and have some fun.

What would you do on vacation? Go fishing? Go water skiing?

Check and double check.

Unlike most boats, with their rigid seating structures, pontoon boats are comfy and cozy. Cuddle up and watch the sunset — or sunrise, depending on your stay-cation itinerary. Grab a pair of binoculars and see what kind of birds or other wildlife you can spy from your maritime sanctuary. Explore a channel or tributary you've never cruised before, or cut the engine and just relax, talk and enjoy each other's company — cell phone and iPad free.

The point is, spring is here. The kids will be out of school soon and a vacation doesn't sound like a bad idea. But you don't need to go very far to get away. When you invested in your pontoon boat, you entered an elite fraternity of adventurers and enthusiasts who don't need to travel to find excitement, adventure and relaxation.

You've got a pontoon boat. All of that goes wherever you go.

Electric Pontoon Boats: Different Engines, Same Flooring Needs

For some people, electric pontoon boats are maritime heaven.

Since you don't have to worry about paying for fuel, they're cost effective in the long run. They're great in shallow water, they're kind to the environment and they're perfect for bodies of water that prohibit combustion engines.

But don't get to thinking that since your pontoon's engine doesn't rumble and growl like a gas guzzler that you can get away with substandard flooring. No matter how your boat is powered, water, iced tea, fish goop, suntan lotion and all the rest IS going to wind up on your boat's deck.

If you have marine carpeting, that means a gross, smelly, matted mess that's impossible to clean. Dirty boat carpeting — which is all boat carpeting outside of the dealer showroom — makes your boat look old and busted.

On the other hand, dump that same sunscreen, fish goop, water and iced tea on MariDeck flooring — which you'd be crazy not to install on your electric boat — and it's a whole different story.

Now it's easy to clean and looking like new again with just a little basic maintenance. Even better, you won't slip or lose your footing even a little bit while it's still wet and slimy out on the water.

No matter your propulsion system, your boat's deck is going to get a mess thrown at it on the water. Add kids, pets or anyone who's prone to seasickness, and that mess gets a whole lot messier real quick. High-quality vinyl flooring can stand up to the challenge. Sad, old boat carpeting can not.  

With all the options MariDeck offers, you'll find the color and pattern you love and the level of thickness and toughness you need.

You're electric boat protects the environment and defends your wallet against rising gas prices. Pay back the favor. Protect and defend your boat's deck with superior flooring.

You Are What You Eat On Your Boat

Boat snacks.

I know. It sounds like the title of the lost Jimmy Buffett album, but that's not what we're talking about here. Today, we're going super literal. When we said boat snacks, we're actually talking about snacks you eat on a boat.

A day on the pontoon takes plenty out of you. Fun in the sun is exhausting, you know. You're going to want to bring some drinks along for the trip — and you and your guests will certainly need something to nibble on.

That could be anything from cheese and crackers or a few stems of grapes, all the way up to pastrami sandwiches. But no matter the snack, one thing is certain — at least some of it is going to wind up on the floor.

Cheese and crackers mixed with lake water, compressed under the heel of a flip flop turns into a nice thick paste, like the kind of stuff you'd use to patch a hole in sheet rock. Those grapes we mentioned before? After a few tramplings, you'll have the beginnings of cabernet sauvignon on your deck. And pastrami on rye? If you have a dog on deck, he's probably likely to care care of that mess for you, but then you'll be sliding around on wet dog hair mixed with paw prints matted into the deck.

If you have traditional boat carpeting, you have to be a boat snack prison warden. You can't bring this, you can't eat that — is that ... chocolate?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!!

That's because you know your marine carpeting will never really come clean, that each dropped drink and snack is another layer of muck that scrapes a little more luster off your otherwise beautiful boat.

If you have MariDeck vinyl flooring, on the other hand, you can be a boat snack free spirit. No monitoring, no forbidding, no scolding. Eat what you want, nibble on what you like. No matter what they spill, a quick hosing off on deck and some basic maintenance between excursions and your flooring will look and perform like it did the first day you installed it.

Just some food for thought.

Top Boating Apps for Your Smartphone

We realize that the whole idea of a pontoon excursion with your friends or family is to disconnect from our crazy busy lifestyles. But we also recognize the need for information in an information age. So we’ve compiled a list of boating apps that may help you get the most out of your Pontoon Depot boat outing, without totally engaging the real world.

For iOS

• Boaters Checklist GPS – Make sure that you have everything you need before you hitch up the boat and head to the lake. And, if you frequent a favorite location, you can use this app to record the exact GPS location of a stellar fishing spot or a hidden shallow sandbar.
• Float Plan – Share your boating excursion plans with friends and family not hitting the waves with you, so that they know where you are in case of an emergency.
• Boating Weather – Get real time weather information from the National Weather Service before and during your boating excursion.
• IGFA Mobile – If you’re an avid fisherman, then this is the app for you. The International Game Fish Association gives you access to information on great fishing spots, as well as a fish identifier, a catch log, locating IGFA weigh stations, and more.

For Android

• GPS Speedo – This app provides an analog GPS speedometer, graphing your speed in real time.
• Sea Tow – Use this app to get on-water assistance, tide information, weather forecasts, GPS and more.
• The Encyclopedia of Boating – Everything you need to know to be a boat owner, all in one place. This app provides information on boat maintenance, navigation, boating in various weather conditions, and even how boats work.

Both Operating Systems

• Boat Ramps – Find and get directions to more than 35,000 boat ramps all over the U.S.
• BoatUS – Just in case you get into trouble (such as running out of gas because you were having too much fun to notice), use this app for access to a network of on-water towers in over 300 nationwide ports.