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Ten First-Time Launching Tips | Pontoon-Depot

Here are some suggestions. Experienced boaters are welcome to read and learn something too!

First-Time Tips

1. First of all, take your boat and trailer to an empty shopping center parking lot and practice backing the trailer into a parking space.
2. Have a discussion about what you agree to be called “a common language,” Know how to indicate “stop,” “left,” “start over,” and of course, “perfect” with your hands.
3. The most important lesson for the beginner is to go SLOW. The faster you go, typically the further behind you get. There are no time limits for launching. Most ramps are public and everyone has a right to be there, even the slower ones. For the beginner, the majority of vehicle movement at the ramp should be controlled at the brake pedal.
4. As you’re backing down a sloped ramp, very little gas pedal is required. Bumping the brake pedal and checking where you are in relation to the ramp are keys to success. Also, all adjustments are best made by the beginner with the brake applied; turn the wheel to get the trailer to go where you want and then release the brake. This gives you optimum maneuverability in the shortest distance.
5. When we’re taught to drive, we’re taught to keep our hands near the top of the wheel. This can be confusing for trailer backing as there is no left/right relationship this way. If you start with your hands at the bottom of the wheel, you can establish a left/right relationship for trailer backing.
6. Focus on the task at hand, not the surroundings (other people waiting). This will get you onto the ramp much quicker.
7. The relationship between the tow vehicle and the boat is different for every combination. A longer trailer is easier to back up and harder in turns going forward. A shorter trailer is harder to back up as it jackknifes quicker but is easier to tow going forward.
8. When you find yourself with the trailer jackknifed, there is a proper way to correct the situation. With your foot on the brake, turn the steering wheel all the way in the opposite direction of the jackknife. If the trailer is jackknifed to the right side of the vehicle, with your foot on the brake, turn the wheel all the way to the left as if making a left turn. Then slowly release the brakes and pull forward only as far as is required to align the tow vehicle and the trailer. Remember though, sometimes it’s easier to start over at the top of the ramp.
9. All beginners should have guide poles on the trailer for a visual reference; this is a necessity. Without guides, it is extremely difficult to see an empty trailer. Some people back up using mirrors, some look over their shoulders. There is no right or wrong way. Whichever way is most comfortable for the individual is the best way.
10. The difference between a novice and a professional is the number of times the professional has done it. Get out and practice.

For Centuries Pontoons Have Been Around | Pontoon-Depot

The pontoon experience stretches from ancient times to the modern age of powerboats and encompasses aspects such as utility, travel, and recreation. The modern pontoon boat is the product of centuries of experimentation and innovation.

Although they were not used as boats, ancient peoples used pontoons for various transportation needs. The ancient Greek poet Homer mentions the use of pontoons in his writings that date back to 800 BC and describes how the Greeks used them to create bridges for marching armies. King Wen of Zhou, the ancient ruler of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty, used a pontoon bridge in the 11 th century BC and the Chinese used pontoon bridges extensively in other military engagements. In 482 BC, the Persian King Xerxes needed to transport an army numbering 400,000 across the strait of Dardanelles and his engineers obliged by constructing a pontoon bridge over a mile long. Famously, Cyrus the Great used animal skin-covered pontoons in 536 BC to get his Persian forces to pivotal historical battles.

These ancient uses of pontoons set precedence for the military use of pontoons as temporary bridges. The U.S. Army has used pontoons for bridges starting as early as 1846 when U.S. engineers experimented with rubberized pontoons for flotation. The Union General F.P. Blair used a rubberized pontoon bridge in the Vicksburg Campaign of 1863. In 1941, the U.S. Army started using collapsible pontoons with rubber fabric and the U.S. Navy started using pontoons for ship-to-shore transportation. In fact, military leaders on every side of the conflicts in both World Wars used pontoon bridges to transport their forces.

The use of pontoons for bridges has found civilian applications as well. Permanent bridges have been built across America that use pontoons for flotation. Several pontoon bridges currently span the Mississippi River. Pontoon bridges are especially suited to locations where a river is narrow and it is difficult to sink a pier. Also, much like pontoon boats, pontoon bridges are often utilized in shallow waters.

Ancient Polynesians were the forerunners of the design of the pontoon boat. Through trial and error, this ancient people found that two logs tied together reduce the possibility of capsizing and discovered that hollowing out the logs greatly added to the buoyancy of the pontoon boat. These discoveries led to a phenomenal sailing culture and to this day, the Polynesians are regarded as some of the most accomplished mariners in history. Their multihull designs inspired many pontoon boat designs still popular today, such as the catamaran.

This excerpt was taken from a longer article on - http://www.restorepontoon.com/

Finding the Right Horsepower For Your Boat | Pontoon-Depot

What is horsepower & why should I care about it?

Horsepower, hp, is a measurement of energy. One unit of horsepower is the same as the amount of energy or power needed to lift 550 lbs. 1 ft. in 1 sec. Usually this is used in regard to engines or motors. In the situation of pontoon boats, it is a measurement on the engine that helps us easily say how powerful specific engines are. The engine on a small metal fishing boat may only be 10 hp to 20 hp while a high quality speedboat may have an engine with 500 hp. Theoretically, the higher the horsepower, the easier it is for your engine to push your boat.

Why is there a horsepower limit on a pontoon boat?

All boats are different, pontoons included. Because of this, each boat has a maximum horsepower limit that cannot be safely exceeded. If you go over the allowed limit, the coast guard or police can stop you from putting your boat in the lake. They DO check! But going over the limit in horsepower may not be necessary. Most boats have a more than generous range in what the horsepower can be handled safely. If you really want more horsepower that your boat says it can handle, than you may want to consider buying a boat that can handle such a heavy duty engine.

When all boats are first made, pontoons included, and are being full scale tested, they are used with a variety of different engines starting from low horsepower engines and then they increase the engine horsepower until they find the limit that the boat cannot handle safely. They also would test to see the boat’s performance with specific engines. Then with an accurate evaluation of each engine, they would decide what hp the boat performed the best at and what it performed the safest at. With those limits set, they choose a limit to rate the boat for.

Here are some examples of the maximum horsepower on specific pontoon boats, for a reference.

• My 22′ G3 Suncatcher V22RF has a max engine horsepower of 115 hp.

• A 25′ 6″ Bennington 2372 RCW Windscreen Sport Arch has a max engine of 300 hp.

• The 2015 Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16′ DLX maxes out at a recommended 40 hp.

• A 28′ 5″ Bennington  2575 QCW IO Sport Tower has a max engine horsepower of 430 hp.

• The 24′ 2014 Avalon A Series Catalina DRL has a max engine horsepower of 135 hp.

• The 25′ 4″ 2015 Regency 220 DL3 has a max engine horsepower of 250 hp.

• The 26′ 2” 2015 Sun Tracker Fishin’ Barge 24 DLX has a max engine horsepower of 150 hp.

• A 20′ Sweetwater SW 2080 BF has a max engine horsepower of 90 hp.

• A 25′ Windjammer Rear J Lounge has a max engine horsepower of 135 hp.

• An Avalon 16′ Eagle Quad Fish has a max engine horsepower of 50 hp.

• An Avalon 14′ Eagle Quad Fish has a max engine horsepower of 40 hp.

• A 24’ Avalon LSZ Quad Lounger has a max engine horsepower of 125 hp.

• A 26’ Avalon LSZ Quad Lounger has a max engine horsepower of 135 hp.

• A 27′ Suntracker Regency 254 XP3 Pontoon Boat has a max engine horsepower of 300 hp.

• A Lowe SS210 20′ Pontoon Boat has a max engine horsepower of 115 hp.

Find out more here at: http://pontoonguide.com

Funny Pontoon Boat Memes | Pontoon-Depot