News — pontoon boat

9 Billion Dollars Spent on Used Boats in 2015

The National Marine Manufacturers Association has announced that used boat sales for 2015 totaled $9 billion, which is an increase from 2014 of 1.9 percents in units sold and 3.4 percent in dollars. These figures come from the NMMA’s 2015 U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract.

Other highlights from the report include: unit sales were up in all boat categories except jet boats, which fell 1.6 percent; traditional powerboats (meaning powered by outboards, inboards, sterndrives, or jet propulsion) made up 84 percent of all used unit sales, which is an increase of 2.1 percent over 2014; and pre-owned ski/wakeboard boats made up 2 percent of all pre-owned boat sales and increased the most of any segment, up 9.8 percent in units and 15.8 percent in dollars.

Always Know the Best Knot for Your Pontoon Boat with this Animated App for Your Phone or Ipad

Whether you are new to Pontoon Boating or a seasoned captain, you can always learn a new knot. Knots are an easy way to impress your family and friends and just look plain cool. We found this very thorough app for all you weekend Pontoon boat enthusiasts to keep your boating knot skills fresh. And the best thing is the app is not just limited to boating knots, it covers all kinds. This app is also great for camping, hauling, and construction projects.

Named best knot-tying app by Outside Magazine! Learn to tie knots the fun and easy way from the creators of the web's #1 knot site. Animated Knots by Grog is simply the best, most comprehensive teaching and reference tool for boaters, climbers, fishermen, scouts and hobbyists. Watch knots tie themselves in simple step-by-step photo animations, or go frame-by-frame as you learn each knot. Tap the info button to get detailed descriptions about each knot's correct use, advantages and disadvantages, and other information.

INCLUDED KNOTS: (Knots go by a variety of names with the most common shown here. App includes a complete, searchable list.): Albright Knot, Alpine Butterfly Bend, Alpine Butterfly Loop, Double Alpine Butterfly, Anchor Hitch, Arbor Knot, Ashley Bend, Ashley Stopper Knot, Australian Braid, Back Splice, Barrel Hitch, Bimini Twist, Blake's Hitch, Blood Knot, Bowline, Bowline on a Bight, One-Handed Bowline, Running Bowline, Water Bowline, Braid Single Rope, Locked Brummel Splice, Brummel Demo, McDonald Brummel Eye Splice, Buntline Hitch, Butcher's, Carrick Bend, Carrick Bend Mat, Celtic Knot Mat, Chain Sinnet, Chain Splice, Care & Cleaning, Cleat Hitch (Deck), Cleat Hitch (Halyard), Clove Hitch (Loops), Clove Hitch (End), Clove Hitch (Half Hitches), Cobra Lanyard Knot, Coil Attached Rope, Coil Unattached Rope, Common Whipping, Constrictor, Constrictor-Surgical, Cow Hitch (End), Cow Hitch (Loops), Crown, Crown Sinnet, Davy, Double Davy, Diamond Lanyard, Distel Hitch, Double Fisherman's, Double Overhand, Drapery Tie Back, Dropper Loop, Duncan (Uni) Knot, Figure 8, Egg Loop Knot, Directional Figure 8 loop, Figure 8 Flake, Figure 8 Follow Through, Figure 8 Bend, Double Figure 8 Loop, Figure 9 Loop, Flat Overhand Bend, Flemish Flake (Spiral), Girth (Strap) Hitch, Gnat Hitch, Half Hitch, Half Knot, Halyard Hitch, Handcuff Knot, Hasty Webbing Harness, Heaving Line, Highwayman's Hitch, Hunter's Bend, Icicle Hitch, Icicle Hitch (End), Improved Clinch, Klemheist, Lashing-Diagonal, Lashing-Round, Lashing-Shear, Lashing-Square, Lashing-Tripod, Ligature (Instrument), One Handed Ligature, Two Handed Ligature, Lighterman's Hitch, Long Bury Splice, Masthead Knot Mat, Double Matthew Walker, Midshipman's, Monkey's Fist, Mooring Hitch, Munter Hitch, Super Munter Hitch, Nail Knot, Non-Slip Mono, Noose, Ocean Plait Mat, Orvis Knot, Overhand Knot, Packer's Knot, Palomar Knot, Tying a Package, Perfection Loop, Pile Hitch, Poacher's Knot, Prusik Knot, Purcell Prusik System, Radium Release Hitch, Rapala Knot, Rat-Tail Stopper, Square (Reef), Rolling Hitch, Rope Ladder, Round Turn & Hitches, Sailmaker's Whipping, San Diego Jam Knot, Sheepshank, Sheet Bend, Shoelace Bow, ShoeLace Fieggen, Siberian, Grog's Sliding Splice, Slim Beauty, Slip Knot, Snell Knot, Spanish Bowline, Eye Splice, Short Splice, Stevedore, Strangle Knot, Surgeon's Knot, Surgeon's Loop, Surgical Tie, Two Handed Surgical Tie, Surgical Slip Tie, Child's Swing, Tensionless Hitch, Necktie (Bow Tie), Necktie (Four-in-Hand), Necktie (Half Windsor), Necktie (Pratt/Shelby), Necktie (Windsor), Theodore Knot, Thief Knot, Timber Hitch, Trilene Knot, Trucker's Hitch, Tumble Hitch, Turk's Head, Underwriter's Knot, Wall Knot, Wall & Crown, Water Knot, West Country Whipping, Zeppelin Bend

Purchase the app here: -https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animated-knots-by-grog/id376302649?mt=8

Measure Twice, Order Once - Tips for Measuring Your Pontoon Boat for New Furniture

When ordering your furniture, there are some very specific methods used in measuring for your new pontoon boat seats and other pontoon boat accessories. You'll want to take these measurements with the rails on your pontoon boat. The rails provide consistent guides for your measurements and give a more accurate view on how much actual seating room is available on your pontoon boat.

While older pontoon boats had a single standard layout, pontoon boat designs have changed quite a bit in recent years, and these measuring steps are not applicable for all pontoon boats manufactured. For older pontoon boats, you can get accurate measurements by following the steps below:

• Rear Width . You'll first want to find out how much space for pontoon furniture is available in the rear of your pontoon boat. To determine this, measure from the inside rail on one side of the pontoon boat across the width of the pontoon boat to the opposite inside rail on the other side. This will allow you to get an idea as to the general seating arrangements available. 

• Rear Length . Measure from inside of the rail that runs across the rear width of the pontoon boat to the beginning of a middle gate on either side of your pontoon boat.

• Front Length . Measure from the beginning of a center gate closest to the front of the boat to the inside of the rail that runs across the front width.

• Front Width . This final step is actually two separate measurements due to the gate at the front of the pontoon boat. Starting on the left side, measure from the inside of the rail on the left corner to the closest corner on the left side of the gate. Repeat this process on the right side so that you'll have two measurements that do not include the width of the gate.

Finally, you'll want to factor in rail bracings attached to the rails in your pontoon boat. These bracings can impede placement of pontoon furniture and you'll want to have a clear and realistic image in your mind of how you will arrange your new pontoon boat furniture. Remember measure twice and order once.

Sunshine, Good Tunes & Good Friends - Making the Best Day Ever on Your Pontoon Boat with a Quality Sound System.

There are a number of speakers available for marine applications. Just about every speaker manufacturer makes a marine model which would be suitable for a pontoon boat or any other boat. At Pontoon-Depot.com we offer a great selection of marine audio speakers and receivers. I think the most important factor in choosing a marine speaker for any boat is that the audio sounds clear, has a decent amount of lows, and looks good.

Marine speakers for pontoon boats are really no different than speakers for any other boat. The only difference is that pontoon boats are generally much larger in terms of floor size than a typical boat, so having crystal clear audio is even more important. So an important thing to keep in mind since a pontoon boat is much larger, you may need to order some extra speaker cable and speakers.

Our best selling audio packages at Pontoon-Depot.com are:

Milennia MIL-MPK16 Marine Package - Includes MIL PRV16 digital media receiver and SPK652BB 6-1/2" speakers.

This stereo/speaker combo package from Milennia is a great way to improve the sound on your boat without breaking the bank. The marine digital media receiver will let you play your favorite tunes, and they'll sound great on the 6-1/2" marine speakers.

The Milennia MIL PRV16 digital media receiver packs a lot of handy features into a compact design that fits into a standard tachometer opening. Crank up some AM/FM radio, or plug a compatible device into the rear USB or AUX inputs. You'll have plenty of options for digital music playback with this receiver. The backlit LED display shows you what you're listening to with just a glance, while the water-resistant face and controls will stand up to sun, salt and moisture.

The SPK652BB 6-1/2" 2-way speakers are designed to sound great and made for marine duty. With corrosion-resistant baskets and UV-resistant grilles, the powerful woofers and 3/4" tweeters will keep pumping out the music despite the often-harsh extremes of life on the water.

Boss Marine Receiver/Speakers Package - Includes MR1308UAB digital media receiver and MR6W marine speakers (does not play CDs) 

With this combo deal from Boss Marine, you can upgrade your audio without emptying your wallet. The package includes a marine-rated digital media receiver, a set of rugged 6-1/2" marine speakers, a 41" dipole antenna, and even mounting hardware. If you're looking for a solid, basic system that's tough enough for life on the water, this package offers a lot of value for the dollar.

The Boss MR1308UAB marine digital media receiver is designed for marine use, with a UV-resistant exterior that resists fading and a conformal-coated PC board that resists corrosion. It blends into most boat interiors and offers an impressive list of features.

This digital media receiver (there's no CD player) gives you the freedom to enjoy all your favorite music without lugging a big box of discs down to the boat. With built-in Bluetooth® and integrated microphone, you get the safety and convenience of hands-free calling and audio streaming with compatible smartphones and devices. You can also listen to your favorite AM/FM stations, play music stored on a USB drive or SD card, or plug your MP3 player into the 3.5mm aux input. All the openings are protected from salt and spray when not in use, of course. And you can control all functions (except for Bluetooth) with the included remote.

The Boss MR1308UAB digital media receiver offers plenty of sound-shaping tools, with four preset modes and independent bass and treble control. If you want to connect an external amp, you can use the pair of 2-volt RCA outputs. The dipole AM/FM antenna is made from durable, flexible rubber, so you can install it out of sight.

The fold-down faceplate features a single-line alphanumeric-text display that's easy to read day or night. When you leave your boat at the dock, you can slip the detachable face into the hard plastic carrying case included with your purchase. An optional soft case is sold separately. One last piece of good news — this radio will retain your presets through the winter when the battery disconnected.

The Boss MR6W marine speakers pair up perfectly with this receiver. These durable 6-1/2" dual cone speakers provide plenty of low-end punch and excellent clarity. The rugged woofer features a water-resistant design that provides splash protection and durability, not to mention style.