News — Pontoon boat navigational lighting

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!

Hey Boat Santa! Christmas is Here and We're Your Elves

Well, Christmas is here and you still haven't finished your holiday shopping. OK, so you're not exactly the most efficient Santa in the world.

You're forgiven.

The good news is, you still have a little bit of time — and a whole bunch of options if one of the outstanding gifts is for the boat lover in your life.

Let's start with accessories. You can scoop up some high-end, low-maintenance boat tables for less than $200. Is your budget even tighter? How about drink holders, cleats or battery boxes for inside $100?

For about the same price range, you could also delight your boat lover with some awesome high-tech electronics. I'm thinking fish finders, receivers and marine speakers — all of which are in the same price range as the other stuff we mentioned.

If that's a little too much for you, you can still pick up a gift that can wow just as much. Let's talk lighting. We've got standard lights, folding lights, LED lights, clamp-on round lights, bow lights and sidelights, all for less than $50.

Looking to splurge? Check out our discount kits — there is simply no better value in the entire world of boating. Our discount seating and flooring kits run the gamut from small two-seaters to the biggest family affairs.

All of them come complete with high-quality seating and storage and MariDeck flooring, which will blow away the pathetic boat carpeting your boat lover has been settling for. All of it designed to endure for years in the most demanding marine conditions.

So, you're not the most diligent Santa that's ever wandered out of the North Pole. That's OK. You still have time, and when you're shopping for a boat lover, you've got all kinds of options for every budget.

Navigational Lighting 101

You might as well accept the fact that if you like to spend long days on your boat, you’ll eventually stay out a little too late and find yourself making your way back to the dock in total darkness. Not only can this be a scary situation if you do not the correct lights but navigational lighting is the law and from sunset to sunrise navigational lighting must be in good working order and in use.

The U.S. Coast Guard has very specific guidelines on navigation lighting. It depends on the length of your vessel, its overall use, and other various factors. But for the sake of brevity here are the requirements for recreational boating in vessels under 39 feet in length:

1. Masthead Light: a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel
2. Side Lights: a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side
3. Stern Light: a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern

Rule 20(b) The Rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise, and during such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights which cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out.

Here at Pontoon-Depot.com we carry a full line of the required navigational lights to keep your Pontoon Boat looking good and keep you safe and ticket free. See our complete lighting section here.

If you want to know more about your state's boating laws and how they specifically can affect you, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators offers a reference guide. Visit the U.S. Coast Guard State Boating Laws page to view the various laws and requirements here: http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/state-boating-laws.php