Women at the Helm | Pontoon Depot June 2018
By: PdbMagazine
I recently read an article that said only 23 percent of women ever put themselves in the captain position on their own boat and only 12 percent of watercraft are registered to females. Can that be right?
I promise you I’m not an over-the-top feminist but this seems a little off to me. To be honest with you, my husband gets in my way on the water, probably because our agendas are different. He sees the lake as one big fishing hole, but after a tragic fish hook to the finger accident where I had to be taken to the Urgent Care Center because I refused to calm down, I would rather avoid the sport altogether. Plus after 30 minutes of being on the boat with him, he’s already interrupted me 31 times letting me know the part of fishing he enjoys the most is the silence. I can’t handle just sitting there—not doing anything, not moving and just being bored. So while we enjoy each other’s company for the most part, we don’t agree about time spent on the water. The point of this story is that I don’t depend on my man for stuff like this. Brace yourself for the motivational statement of the day: You don’t have to either.
Women Do Own Boats
So I set my sights on finding a woman who owned her own boat. I reached out to our Facebook fans and asked if women felt comfortable operating their boats. When Pam Thomas from
Thomas shared some great thoughts with me on women in the boating industry.
“In this area many women do captain their own boats. If a woman likes to boat and can afford it, she should get one!” says Thomas. “It's just that simple. There's no reason why women should have to wait for an invitation to do what they love.”
The area she’s referring to is a canal in the
“I love the water, have been on or around it most of my life. Family members lived on lakes and had boats. As I got older, many friends had boats,” says Thomas. “When I was married we were avid boaters. After my marriage ended I bought my very own boat, a Yamaha Exciter jet boat.”
But when the jet boat was no longer appealing, Thomas set out to find her next boat. She knew she wanted a pontoon but wasn’t quite sure which would be the best.
“I like to be an informed consumer; I thoroughly researched all pontoon makers,” says Thomas. “I was looking for comfort on the water and the Manitou 22 Aurora VP met my needs. My Manitou dealer, Bill Rose Marine, is right around the corner. Mark Santavy, my salesman, was very informative and made the purchase process easy.”
Part of the appeal for Thomas was Manitou's V-toon technology. It allows for a smooth, stable ride through the rough water from the weekend boat traffic. She went with a 150hp Evinrude E-TEC motor to give her the speed she desired.
“The deck layout is spacious, comfortable and great for entertaining,” says Thomas. “It's like having your living room on the water.”
I ended our conversation by asking Thomas what advice she would offer other women looking to be more comfortable behind the helm.
“First, take a Boaters Safety Course to learn the rules,” she replied. “Then you just have to do it! Get behind the helm; get comfortable with steering, maneuvering through traffic, and practice docking the boat.”
That’s great advice from someone who’s been there.
Do Some Research
I ran across a book called It's Your Boat Too: A Woman's Guide to Greater Enjoyment on the Water by Suzanne Giesemann. While the book is written from more of a sailing aspect, Giesemann addresses common fears and self-limiting attitudes that apply across the nautical lineup. She clearly outlines how everything on a boat is gender-neutral with this great statement:
“There is nothing on a boat a man can do that a woman can’t. Well actually, I’m wrong. There is one thing. We can’t pee over the rail. But considering that doing so can easily lead to a man-overboard situation, I don’t recommend it for either sex. All other boating activities, however, are gender-neutral. Driving, docking, navigating, performing maintenance…you can do it all. You, too, can be an equal partner aboard your vessel.”
Make A Day Out Of It
Doesn’t a girl’s day sound like a blast? If you are one of those women who don’t feel as confident in the captain seat as you would like, keep your first outing small. Invite a few close friends that will be understanding of the learning curve. Depending on your locale, pack a picnic and take the ladies out for a day they won’t forget.
Practice Makes Perfect
I’ve found over the years that the best way to learn is to just immerse yourself. You will get better. It’s okay to be scared but you can’t let fear dictate your life. Take the boat out for a spin by yourself when someone you know is available close by to help out if need be. Ask questions when you’re out with someone who has more experience and be ready to take control. Even if you are comfortable with your current role, you may have to take over one day in the event of an emergency. If you are one of two people onboard and the other person loses consciousness, it becomes your responsibility to get to safety.
Now that you’ve read this whole story, I hope you don’t feel like I’m a man basher. That is exactly the opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. I want both sexes to feel like they are on an equal playing field on the water. Except for my husband, just because I’m sure he didn’t make it to the end. He probably got through the first paragraph, read the part about my horrific fishing accident, rolled his eyes and then turned the page. So I can freely tell you that I’m confident I have a better understanding of the technical aspect of boating. Yes, he’s rebuilt an outboard before but I can define “displacement.” And since there can only be one captain, I guess it’s me. Yay for being female.
Low-budget pontoons designed to maximize family fun
By Lew Freedman, Chicago Tribune
The large necklace Cathy Santogrossi wore was a miniature neon sign. Much like a flashing sign that might be seen in Las Vegas, her few-inches-long advertisement grabbed the viewer's eye with rotating letters: "Boats = Fun."
Such a description may be true of all boats--and because her family business is Fox Valley Marine in Naperville, Santogrossi would tell you that--but it's possible that no boat is more fun for more people than a pontoon.
Large, stable, slow-moving, seemingly indestructible, pontoons really do live up to the cliche of "fun for the whole family." It is a curious quirk of nature and commerce that the best time to buy a boat is when the water is frozen. The annual Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show takes place in January so it won't interfere with prime boating time and a purchase will be ready for delivery when there's actually water available.
Maybe it's because my knees are senior citizens, but I confess to a growing fascination with pontoons. Once it was easier to identify with cigarette boats (thank you, Don Johnson) and their high-speed capability. Now I'm partial to the Volkswagen of boats.
There were a variety of pontoon boats on display at the recent show at McCormick Place, but even though they barely register on the price chart next to the million-dollar yachts, they seem to be inching up in cost.
Still, when I compare the price of a pontoon with the cost of a new car, I don't feel badly about the potential investment.
"Women like the boats because they're safe and they're like a home on the water," Santogrossi said. "Women like something safe and enclosed. There is more interest. It's going up. These people just want fun on the water. They can bring Mom and Dad with."
I lump pontoons with VWs because of their general lack of glamor. But I compare them to Hummers for their sturdiness. Basic pontoon boats measure 18 feet. They grow a bit longer from there. All models are 8 1/2 feet wide. Most accommodate wheelchairs. They are high-sided and, depending on the motor (25 horsepower and up), usually travel at speeds of around 10 m.p.h., or slightly faster than Fred Flintstone can go with foot power. When the Pontoon Boat Racing Circuit is started, I want to know about it.
The price is $10,000 to $40,000. Try to buy a 2007 car for 10 grand.
It is no surprise that the young, single guy with a sports car is not the target customer for pontoons.
"The demographic for the pontoon boat is Grandpa and Grandma," said Wayne Libera, who operates Water Werks boat sellers in Country Club Hills and Naperville. "They want to take the grandkids fishing and riding. You're going out there and puttering around on the water. And young parents buy that pontoon boat for large families.
"It's real safe and an 18-footer will hold 10 people. But that's no boat you would want to put in Lake Michigan."
Libera said a solid pontoon can be found for lake and river use for $12,000. Whatever happened to the old $5,000 model?
"Five thousand dollars will buy you junk," he said.
Some pontoons come with individual fishing seats at front and back to complement couch-style seating in the middle. Others have couches all around.
Pontoons are for the low-budget buyers whose only connection to fancy yachts is admiring them in magazines. If they want to live it up, they pay extra for an on-board portable toilet, a changing enclosure or a canopy for weather protection.
Tom Tepe and his wife, Priscilla, of Oak Park are looking toward retirement next year. They were window-shopping at the show for a pontoon of about 20 feet long and a $16,000 to $22,000 hit to the pocketbook.
"He wants to fish all day," Priscilla said.
"Maybe twice a day," Tom said.
They do plan to take the grandchildren out and want four seats.
"But it would probably be the two of us most of the time," he said.
Brad Frystak of Great Lakes Yacht Sales said parents of very young children set up playpens and that pontoon boats are ideal for wheelchair boaters.
"They're floating living rooms," Frystak said.The market is seeing the first signs of the young single male pontoon buyer, he said, as long as modifications are made.
"Believe it or not," Frystak said, "they are buying these because they're becoming performance-oriented with 175-horsepower engines."
Somehow that seems like equipping a yellow school bus with a jet engine.
HOW TO PLAN A FAMILY FUN DAY ON A PONTOON BOAT
by
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.
- Amy Cabanas
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Fun Facts About Pontoon Boats | Pontoon Depot
By: CornholeOnWater
Nothing quite says summer like a "party in slow-motion." If you've ever heard the song from the band 'Little Big Town,' you know that can be achieved with a pontoon boat. They are perfect for getting together with family and friends to just relax and have a good time.
Here are four fun facts and ideas for your pontoon:
THE PONTOON BOAT WAS FIRST INVENTED AND MANUFACTURED IN MINNESOTA.
Pontoon boats were invented by a farmer named Ambrose Weeres in 1951. His idea was that if you had a wooden deck built on two columns of steel welded together, then your deck would be more sturdy for conventional boating. In 1952 he started Weeres Industry and took orders for over 40 boats. In 1990, the Minnesota state legislators officially recognized Weeres as 'Mr. Pontoon'. In 1991 he was inducted into the Minnesota State Hall of Fame.
PONTOON BOATS ARE COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZABLE.
You can customize your pontoon with virtually any feature you want! Depending on your interests, you can customize your boat with a GPS, a grill, a fish finder, customizable seats...pretty much anything to make it your own. {check out Pontoon-Depot.com's shop for all your needs}
PONTOON BOATS ARE PERFECT FOR DRIFTING OUT TO THE PERFECT PART OF THE LAKE OR BEACH TO PLAY CORNHOLEONWATER!
Pontoon boats are slow drifting vehicles. So, you can take a nice relaxing ride in the water until you reach a desired sandbank or dock, you can easily stop the boat, jump out and cool off, and play some fun water games like Cornholeonwater!
PONTOONS ARE PERFECT FOR WATER CAMPING.
If you've ever wanted to camp literally on the lake, then adding a canopy or some type of enclosure to the boat will help you protect you from mosquitos and other outside pests. Just add some camping cots or sleeping bags for a more comfortable rest, as opposed to sleeping directly on the floor of the boat. Dock at a shore or sandbank, or anchor down at a place of your choosing. Let the water rock you to sleep as the crickets and cicadas sing you to sleep.
Next time you're planning a family get together, change it up and invest in a pontoon boat. You can eat, sunbathe, relax, and just drift down the water. Don't let the fun end once the sun sets. Put up a canopy and enjoy your pontoon at dusk and as you sleep!