Pontoon Boat Interesting Facts about Maintenance
Picture By: Bennington-Yamaha
Q: Who makes the best pontoon boat?
A: Top manufactures around the world are:
Premier 290 Grandview
Princecraft Vogue 25 XT
Manitou 23 Legacy
Aquapatio 250 Express
Bennington 2575 RCW I/O Sport Tower
Starcraft Magestic 256 Starliner
Sun Tracker Regency 254
Harris Flotbote Solstice 240
Lowe X250
G3 Sun Catcher X322 RF
Sylvan being on the toppers they changed the idea of traditional shaped round pontoon to tubes 27” are used. Eventhough few of the higher pontoon models offers smooth handling in sea and speed, there priority seems customer comfort being cushy and diverse. Some of the lower end models can be used as legit tow boats for water skiing and surfing. Shallow nature of pontoons reduces risk of underwater damage and floating around unevenly. Bennington and Starcraft supplies the best pontoon boat transoms for integration and sale as separate module by selected boat dealers.
Q: Where is the pontoon boat’s vin number located?
A: For each boat VIN number stays unique and precise. It’s generally named as HIN (HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER). As per the boat safety act released in 1972, all the boats should have mandatory HIN – 12 characters indicated at the upper right corner without hyphens or space mostly to the rear transom. Moreover they should be continuous. It generally serve as an important indication of Boat Safety.
Q: Where are pontoon boat registration numbers placed?
A: The Registration numbers of a pontoon boat has to be clearly indicated on the forward half of the boat. It should be affixed, painted and embarked on an imported sheet to the bow side. It must be read from left to right on the sides. Contrast colors with bold letters (3”) and should be in block fonts. Other than the registration number and designs the registration number should be 24 inches.
Q: How wide is a pontoon boat?
A: Deck widths are around 8.5 feet for 24 foot long boats, and can be as narrow as 6 feet for 16 foot long pontoon boats.
Q: How much does a pontoon boat weigh?
A: An average pontoon boat weighs around 2,200 pounds (998 kilos), including the motor, and hold around 2,000 pounds (907 kg) of people and gear. The weight of a pontoon boat trailer is approximately 1,200 pounds (550 kilos).
Q: What’s the fastest pontoon boat?
A: The fastest pontoon boat of the world is said to be the one owned by Brad Rowland.
It runs at a pace of 114 miles per hour and has triple Mercury Pro Max 300 HP engines. The default rectangular shape may not help to accelerate the speed but the motors will enhance the speed by increasing the number of motors attached. We can not only see it but hear the boom. Special models have custom designed pontoon boat transoms to alleviate the performance and buoyancy in water. It is said to scream on water!
Q: What are pontoon boat lifting strakes?
A: A little bulge of metal that goes on the bottom and to the side of the pontoon is known as the lifting strake. It helps the boat get up on a plane rather than plowing through the water. Depending on engine selection, addition of lifting strakes decreases splashing 00and increases top speed as much as 4.8 miles per hour. Lifting strakes are recommended for engines rated 115hp or greater and for boats exceeding 30 mph, for optimum performance. They are also recommended for 90 hp or greater on boats with twin elliptical pontoon.
Q: Are boat clubs worth the money?
A: In a situation in which boat ownership is filled with difficulties and expenditure, boat clubs are worth the money. Clubs are more affordable than owning a boat.
Q: Are boat registration fees tax deductible?
A: The fees for registration and tags is only deductible if the vehicle, boat, trailer, etc., is used for business purposes and then they can be deducted as a business expense. This benefit can be availed of only if you have a licensed charter boat or commercial fishing vessel. Auto and boat registration fees are personal property taxes and can be deductible, if they are based on the value of the vehicle. Sales tax can be deducted only in lieu of a state or local income tax deduction, so you should figure it both ways and pick the one that gives you the lowest tax.
Yamaha’s “Summer Power” Sales Event | Pontoon-Depot
Promotion on select outboards purchased until end of August
By: PBDMagazine
Yamaha Marine Group announced today the “Summer Power” outboard sales event, valid from July 16, 2018, until August 31, 2018.
“The ‘Summer Power’ sales event gives customers the opportunity to purchase eligible, select, new Yamaha four-stroke outboards from our F2.5 through the F200 (four-cylinder model),” said Dale Barnes, Division Manager, Marketing, Yamaha Marine Group. “This is a great time to purchase some of our most popular models and spend the rest of the summer enjoying Yamaha power on the water.”
The “Summer Power” sales event provides the purchasing consumer with one of two sales incentives. Consumers who purchase eligible, new, select 90-200 horsepower four-cylinder, four-stroke outboards can receive a two-year Yamaha Extended Service (Y.E.S.) plan for additional warranty coverage. Consumers who purchase eligible, new 2.5-75 horsepower outboards, can receive a credit of up to $500 based on MSRP toward the purchase of goods and/or services available at the authorized participating Yamaha Outboard dealer that sold the outboard, at no extra cost to the purchasing consumer.
Additional terms and conditions apply. Consumers should see authorized participating Yamaha outboard dealers for complete details.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the
For all your accessories and/or flooring, visit Pontoon-Depot's online store.
- Amy Cabanas
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Patriotic Pontooning | Pontoon Depot July 4th, 2018
By: Boating Magazine
Image By: Hlwa.org
Some thoughts on pontoon boating over the Fourth of July.
If there is a category of boaters who are more patriotic than ‘tooners, I have yet to meet them.
At least “patriotic’ based on their displays of Old Glory and related red, white and blue hues.
I learned that the hard way, when my bride and I bought our first pontoon boat. The mid-winter purchase included the balance of the coming season’s membership in the local pontoon-only boat owners’ club where we found the FloteBote for sale. At that time, it was apparent that my wife and I were the youngest members of the modest, senior-dominated club, and the only couple with a toddler in tow, so we weren’t sure how we’d fit in. But we needed a place to dock the boat, since it didn’t have a trailer, and we decided to join – at least for the short term.
After spending the spring rebuilding the ‘toon from the deck up, we learned that the club’s summer social season kicked off each year with a gala July Fourth celebration on the club’s lakefront grounds. The festivities started with a parade of members’ boats, which were decorated and judged in several categories. As new members, we decide the best way to endear ourselves with our new friends, and show off our DIY rehab of the old Harris, was to enter the boat decorating contest.
We had recently organized a Hawaiian-themed party at home, and had lots of tacky Tiki decorations on hand, including bamboo torches, strings of colorful plastic leis, fake palm trees, grass table skirting, and grass skirt skirts. We figured our “Tiki ‘Toon” would steal the “most original” category – if not accolades for best decorated pontoon overall, and got to the docks early that July fourth to get the boat rigged for the occasion.
WHERE TO VIEW 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS BY BOAT
Other than the questionable decision to mount open-flamed Tiki torches at each corner of a boat surrounded with dry grass skirting and plastic hibiscus flowers enveloping the Bimini top, the craft looked dandy and definitely South Pacific. In fact, we had a cassette of that musical’s tunes set to play as we paraded our boat past the judge’s dock. We were so busy with the preparations that we didn’t notice the themes fellow competitors in nearby slips were adopting for decorating their craft – nor the quizzical glances we were receiving from same.
We motored out and took our place in the formation line of two dozen pontoon boats and noticed that more than one had decided to adopt the patriotic theme of the day. Ahead and behind us were pontoons festooned in all many of red, white and blue, including one that looked like a giant Old Glory, another sprouting more than a hundred little stars & stripes in full flutter, and yet another flying patriotic banners streaming in the morning breeze. But we saw nothing that led us to believe we would win anything but ‘most original’ honors for our dandily decorated craft. We fired up the torches and cued the “Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy Talk” tune on the speakers and had little Ethan do a little belly dance on the bow, wearing a grass diaper with ukulele in hand. We figured the blank looks from the elderly judges was sheer awe of our unique Kon-tiki display, and as we returned to the dock we were sure we had the competition wrapped up and had won entry into the club’s inner circle of senior members.
As we walked to the clubhouse where members and their families and friends were gathering to hear the announcements of the parade winners and get the day’s festivities underway, one of the judges met us with a bewildered look on his face.
“What was THAT all about!?,” he asked. “You guys looked like a flaming duck blind out there! Where are the flags? The banners? There wasn’t one patriotic thing about your boat, not one bit of red, white or blue. Didn’t you read the rules!?”
No we had not. Otherwise, we would have noted that the club’s annual theme – the ONLY acceptable theme – for decorating the boats for the Fourth of July Parade was a patriotic one. There were prize categories for Most Flags, Biggest Flag, Most Use of Red, White and Blue and Most Patriotic boat of all. No “Most Original” and certainly no accolades for anyone who would dare decorate their craft for the day in anything but red, white and blue.
We received a token “Honorable Mention” award some sympathetic soul created at the last minute and were given after the major awards were doled out, which we humbly accepted before slinking back to our boat.
Those events took place more than a decade ago, and despite the initial social setback we endured, we have re-upped our membership annually ever since. In that time, we have learned that many of our more senior fellow club members served in World War II and the Korean War and are proud members of the Greatest Generation. We are equally proud to join them and respect the patriotic theme of “our” boat club’s annual celebration.
PONTOON BOATING SAFETY GUIDELINES & REGULATIONS FROM STATE TO STATE
By: HarrisBoats
Recreational boats create wonderful opportunities for memorable family times, romantic cruising, or parties with friends. But owning a boat also carries certain responsibilities, and smart boat owners should know how to keep their guests safe on the water.
Adhering to marine laws is fairly simple, despite varying guidelines from state to state. The basic principals tend to be the same, so operating with common sense is the best place to start. Consulting the guidelines for the particular state you intend to boat in is step two.
See below for links to boating regulation guides for all 50 states.
THE RULES OF THE WATER
As with any form of transportation, boating carries its own set of rules and regulations for both boat operator and any guests onboard. Standard roadways are governed with state and federal laws, and waterways are protected and monitored in similar fashion. Guidelines that can vary from state to state include:
- Granting right-of-way and passing on a particular side given the situation
- Minimum operator age
- Mandatory life jackets for everyone onboard
- Illegality of operating a watercraft under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Towing restrictions
- Boating license and insurance
Good advice before hitting the lakes is to carefully study your state's requirements and adhere to them fully. Just as automobile drivers can be ticketed or arrested for irresponsible behavior on the road, boat operators can be fined or imprisoned for reckless behavior. Even worse are the prospects of injury or death.
If the full set of guidelines in your state is overwhelming, at the very least make sure to watch your speed, stay alert, lay off the alcohol and keep passengers from getting rammy. Too much fun can quickly turn into no fun.
Click on any state below to read its boating guidelines:
| Wyoming |