News — DIY

How Water License Laws Differ from The Road!

By: Amy Cabanas, Pontoon-Depot

 ....and how not to get into trouble this season.

Starting off the new year right is always a good thing. Although I must say I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions. However, I am a HUGE proponent of abiding by all laws and not putting you or anyone else in any danger on the water. Safety first!

Who knew! You actually have to take a class in all states and get certified to operate any boating vessel. Another surprising, yet understandable law, is that you must be at least 12 years old to operate a motorized vessel powered by an engine of 10 horsepower or more. Moreover, you must be at least 16 years old to independently operate a personal watercraft, which isn’t too different from the road. I know in most states to get your drivers license for a car is 16 years old.

As for Game and Fish commission requirements, there are no minimum age requirements to take the online course. Also, you do not have to be a resident of the state you take it in, which is extremely convenient for all of you lucky enough to get some early vacation time.

This is not A Boating Safety License!!

Boating safety education certification is not the same thing as a Boating license. What you really need is a Boating Safety Education Certificate from your state. You can get the state Boating Safety Education Certificate by taking a boat safety course at Boat-Ed.com. Find out if you need the certification. If you do, make sure you always carry it with you and if you lose it, get it replaced asap. These are a few things that can turn your day from fun on the water with your friends to a headache no one wants to deal with.

Kalkomey is the official provider of recreational safety education materials for all 50 states. They provide online boating and hunting, as well as, all other recreational safety education. Their email for more information is info@kalkomey.com

If you are worried about passing this test, as I am sure we all remember the nerves we had when getting ready for our drivers written test, have no fear. There is a study guide on the same site, Boat-Ed.com. Check it out for all your questions and/or concerns.

As I always say, better safe than sorry. Lets all start out the season on the right path. Happy Boating!

For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.

Pontoon Boat Storage Blocks and Stands

By: PontoonPedia

Protect Your Boat for Repairs and Dry Storage:

Given that we’re right in the middle of winter time, it’s time you got your pontoon boat out of the water if you haven’t already done so. Being sat in the drink for months on end will cause untold damage to your toons, so get it winterized, covered, and in dry storage if possible.

And that brings us nicely onto what I wanted to recommend today, and that’s pontoon boat storage blocks and stands.

Why do you need them?

Well, if you are going to be pulling your pride and joy out of the water for the winter, or any other time of year perhaps for some repairs, you want to protect your investment if it’s not going to be kept on a trailer. Those aluminum tubes can be very easily damaged.

What pontoon boat dry storage blocks or stands do I recommend?

You’ve probably heard of Attwood, as they sell high quality marine accessories so are a name most of us will be familiar with. And they sell very good blocks too, which you can see on this link for the latest prices and reviews.

They come in packs of 4, and I would recommend that you buy around 3 packs (giving you 12 blocks in total) so that you can spread the weight of your boat evenly.

Spread the weight on your pontoon boat storage stands

Pontoon tubes have welding lines in them, and if lots of weight it distributed un-evenly when your boat is resting on blocks out of the water it can lead to stress.

On any kind of blocking it needs to have the blocks under an area that has the internal structural baffle. The very back and where the nose cone joins the tube are good spots.

It’s a lot of weight if blocked anywhere else and can stress the hollow tube and welds if not blocked correctly.If in any doubt, buy more stands and blocks than you think you need so that you can have as many as possible distributed evenly spaced under the toons.

What about dollies?

Another item you might need if taking your pontoon out of the water and moving it onto dry storage blocks will be a dolly. I’ve also put together a guide to dollies, showing you how best to use them and which dollies are best for pontoons of all sizes. You can read that here.

You will also need a boat cover

If you don’t have a boat cover, go get one now, and preferably a specialist mooring cover. It will keep your boat in great condition and safe from the weather elements as well as pests (protect your pontoon from pests) and seagulls (how to prevent seagull damage).

I’ve put together an extensive guide to pontoon mooring covers. Go read that now so you can see what the best one for your boat will be over the winter or when in dry storage.

Questions and answers

From time to time I get onto the boating forums and chat with other pontoon owners. Below you can read some feedback I’ve read online about using pontoon boat storage blocks, including of what I believe are the best answers to the questions.

Q: I need to move my pontoon to make repairs on the trailer. I don’t believe I should leave it on the ground, so what is the best thing to set the pontoon boat on while I’m working on the trailer?

I would recommend storage blocks over any DIY solution such as cinder blocks, tires, lengths of wood, or barrels. The ones you see above are designed and manufactured to do the job, and have been tested extensively.

Q: What is the best way to get your pontoon boat off a trailer onto the storage blocks?

There are a couple of methods that people commonly use.

I’ve seen some pontooners use pontoon boat storage blocks or similar in the center to help raise their boat up, using a jack on one side, then the other and rest it on those briefly whilst still in the trailer.

They then pull the trailer out slowly, so the boat is resting on the blocks.

Another method is to use a 4-wheel truck. You can back the trailer up on level ground up some ramps. Then position your pontoon storage blocks and guide your trailer back down the ramps onto the blocks and the trailer then slides out.

I’ve seen this method work very well with a scissor trailer, but you do need to take a lot of care.

And finally, a method I read on a forum about getting a pontoon off a trailer was some guy who used two engine hoists.

He picked up the back of the boat and then placed it onto the blocks. Then a hoist was used on both sides of the boat’s front. He pulled the trailer out from underneath and lowered the boat onto 2×4 running lengthwise, keeping the hoists on the front so the pressure was on them.

He said this works every time for him with two pontoons he has owned when he has needed to do trailer repairs.

Q: Can you leave your pontoon boat on cinder blocks with no trailer over the winter?

I don’t recommend cinder blocks unless you have a lot of them, placing between 8 and 10 on both sides of your boat.

You ideally want to have as much support as you can under the entire length of each pontoon tube, kind of like a bunk trailer or if it was sitting naturally in the water. This is because you should get the weight distributed evenly over the entire length of your boat.

Think about the stresses that you could be placing on your pontoons if you are resting the whole of the boat on just a few cinder blocks – and that’s another reason why I recommend you buy 8 to 12 pontoon boat storage blocks on Amazon – so you can spread the weight and risk.

With a cinder block being around 16 inches long, and an average pontoon boat weighing 2,200 pounds (check average weights here), you are placing all that boat weight on an area that is just 6 areas of 16 inches by 1 inch.

That is a lot of stress on your aluminum tubes because of the ones I have seen the tubes oval out a bit under the weight which can ultimately lead to cracks in welds and eventually leaks.

An alternative method is to use the storage blocks I recommend as they won’t crush under the weight.

I’ve have even seen boat owners using a few 55 gallon barrels where they pull the bungs and lay flat. The weight will collapse the barrels and hold it off the ground.

Q: What does dry storage for boats mean?

Dry storage is the process where you take your boat out of the water, keeping it dry from the elements, typically in winter months.

By doing so you can keep the finish and upholstery of your pontoon boat in way better shape, and reduce the money you might need to spend on repairs and cleaning (see how to clean your seats here).

Some marinas will offer dry storage services where they lift your boat out of the water using a crane and track system. This lets them move your pontoon into a dry storage slip, but you will be charged a hefty fee in most cases for the privilege.

The last word…

Standing your pontoon boat on stands or blocks can be hard and if not done correctly could damage your tubes.

Use stands and blocks that are built for purpose, spread them evenly, and take your time.

For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.

THE PONTOON BOAT SHOW’S BACK IN TOWN!

By: Pdxboatshow

Pic By: Avalon Pontoons

Make way! Here comes the 59th annual Portland Boat Show presented by Twin Star Credit Union, January 9th-13th at the Portland Expo Center. This show is BIG! With more than 40 of the area’s top boat dealers and over 100 brands, the Portland Boat Show is the largest boat show in Oregon with BIG selection, BIG show-only deals and the BIGGEST and brightest brands in the business…all in one convenient location — the Portland Expo Center!

It’s all here under one roof with fishing boats, runabouts, pontoon boats, ski boats, cruisers, outboard motors, wakeboard boats, yachts, inflatables, paddle boats, personal watercraft and pleasure boats of all descriptions. With more than 250,000 square feet of display space spread across 3 covered and heated halls, you can shop and buy in comfort. And with Twin Star Credit Union on-site at the show you can shop and buy right at the show!

This 5-day event only comes to town once-a-year and there’s more to see and buy than ever with several new boat lines making their Portland debut. Besides the dizzying selection of fiberglass boats is the world’s largest display of welded aluminum boats.

Shopping for a boat top, marine canvas, upholstery, hull repair, engine service or accessories? You’ll find it all right here at the Portland Boat Show! From wakeboard and fishing towers to new seats, upholstery, vinyl graphics or boat repair, the Portland Boat Show features a full selection of products and services tailored to local boaters. Englund Marine is back with 2,000 square feet of marine accessories and equipment!

Bring a friend or your spouse, we’ve made it easy with 2-for-1 admission into the show and free parking at selected times.

For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.

BEST TIME TO COMPLETE BOAT MAINTENANCE

Written by: Skellner

Pic by: Lowe Boats

As the weather cools and you begin donning jackets and hats, don’t forget about your boat. Winter is the perfect time to complete annual maintenance on your boat. Here are four reasons why:

1. You’re already not using it
   In North Idaho, it can be downright miserable to be out on the water in the winter. With winds, snow and a lack of sun, it’s much more fun to indoors! So since you’re not planning on using your boat anyway, winter is a great time to have routine marine maintenance done!
2. It’s in storage
   If you’re storing your boat in Hagadone Marine’s indoor storage facility (LINK:https://www.hagadonemarine.com/storage/ ), it’s easy for our staff to complete routine maintenance, all while ensuring the safety of your craft. And if you’re storing your boat with us, we’ll even pick it up in the fall and drop it off in the spring.
3. Be ready when the sun comes out
   Don’t wait in lines or take extra time to change fluids, run a fuel check or look over pumps and gauges. Instead, get this kind of annual maintenance during the winter. You won’t be vying for limited spots at your service provider — you can bet at the first sign of sun, people will flock to service providers like Hagadone Marine to get their boat services. Instead, be ready on your own schedule. You never know when the first nice day will be!
4. Don’t neglect your investment
   Don’t forget that your boat is a big investment. You probably spent a lot of time and energy to find the right boat — don’t let that all go to waste by not maintaining it! Winter is an easy time to get this done in North Idaho, and it’s a simple way tin ensure your boat stays in ship shape for as long as possible. This helps maintain the resale value as well!

For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.