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Quick Tips for the New Captain | Pontoon-Depot

Drive a pontoon boat like a boss:

• Leave the dock being aware and in a controlled manner.

• Point the drive unit first, and then shift.

• Use a short applications of power, re-direct the drive, then use another. Repeat as necessary.

• Now in open water, make sure the engine is trimmed down to mitigate bow rise.

• Apply power smoothly and slowly.

• Watch for the bow to level out as the boat breaks onto plane.

• Changing direction, always “check your six” first.

• Try avoiding sudden turns, avoid making them too sharp or abrupt.

Now that you’re zooming across the water, you may want to change direction—either just for fun, or to follow the shoreline. Always “check your six” first. There are no lanes on the water, and you never know when another boat will be overtaking from astern, will change its course without warning, or will even turn into your path.

If you make a relatively sharp turn and suddenly hear that propeller howling, or notice a dramatic loss of speed, you’ve just experienced “blowing out” the propeller. It’s gasping air instead of grabbing water, and this situation is resolved by either trimming the engine down a bit or backing off on the turn.

What about flipping or rolling the boat? Is this a danger when you go into a turn? Probably not. Most modern pontoon boats are amazingly stable and properly powered, and the chances of flipping one over are remote at best. But any boat does inherently become less stable when turning, and depending on sea conditions, speed, and weight distribution, the possibility can’t be ruled out—particularly with fast, high-powered performance pontoon boats. So if you ever go the least bit beyond your comfort level, simply reduce your speed and the tightness of the turn.

Make a DIY Pontoon Boat in 1 Day for $250 Bucks!

My homemade pontoon boat! This was the first boat ever made but definitely not the last. I prefer to call this my pontoon boat but many have referred to it as a raft. This boat was quick and easy to build and I was able to float it in one day!

Material were simple:
2 - 12" diameter PVC pipes - 10 foot long
4 - pipe caps
6 - 1/8" x 2" metal strapping
1 - 1/2" pressure treated plywood sheet
6 - 8' long pressure treated 2x4's
and assorted stainless steel fasteners

I don't remember exactly how much this boat cost me, but i think it was less than $200 excluding the engine, which I picked up at a flea market for $50. I just had to rebuild the carburetor...that was a project. All in all this little boat was ALOT of fun...for very little cost. If you build one please remember to be safe!

How to Unload and Load Your Pontoon Boat on the Boat Trailer

Owning a Pontoon boat is something the entire family can enjoy. However no boat owner was excluded from the intimidation of unloading and loading their 1st boat on the trailer. Pontoons especially can be more challenging as they sit higher off the water and have a tendency to catch the wind. This video provides a very simple checklist and suggestions from many years of lessons learned.

Video Timeline
Initial pre-unloading steps - 0:05 - 0:42
Backing the trailer into the water - 0:43 - 0:58
Making sure the engine starts & runs - 0:59 - 1:11
Unloading from the trailer - 1:12 - 1:46
Approaching the dock - 1:47 - 1:59
Getting underway - 2:00 - 2:14
Returning to the dock - 2:15 - 2:45
Loading the boat on the trailer - 2:46 - 6:02
Securing the boat for the road - 6:05 - 6:31

Top 3 Must Have Accessories To Protect Your Pontoon Boat

Dock damage is most common damage that pontoon boats experience while on the water. People tend to move around here the most - getting on and off the boat and settling cargo. Additionally sometimes the waves can be hectic and rock the boat up against the dock or other boats. Lastly it is very common for pontoon boats to have their decks dented at the corners when you are docking if you are unable to get the angle right when driving the boat in.

But don’t stress, some simple and easy preventative measures to avoid damage to your pontoon boat is to purchase rubber bumpers for the corners of your pontoon boat deck. You may also want to invest in fence savers for your railings, these are specifically for protection when rafting with other boats or when you are in a crowded dock situation. And lastly a bumper that protects the space between your pontoons and deck. Three great accessories that will extend the life of your boat and keep it looking sharp.

With that said, here’s our top 3 pontoon boat accessories to keep your boat ding free and you can find all of these bumpers right here at Pontoon-Depot.com. We got you covered.

1. TAYLOR PONTOON FENCE SAVER The fence saver secures to the fence or railing and is designed to prevent contact to the delicate aluminum fencing. The fence saver is especially effective preventing those nasty dings that occur when rafting a pontoon boat to a conventional hull boat.

2. TAYLOR PONTOON 90º CORNER FENDER SAVER Specifically for square shaped corners. The corner bumper mounts over the original factory installed aluminum corner section to provide air-cushion impact protection when docking. Made from special gray PVC formulated to match the aluminum color of the boat and secures with stainless fasteners.

TAYLOR PONTOON RADIUS CORNER FENDER SAVER Specifically for Pontoon Boats with rounded-shape corners. The Taylor Radius Corner Fender Saver is built the same as the 90º Corner Fender Saver the only difference being the shape.

3. TAYLOR PONTOON FENDER These unique fenders offer a level of protection to areas on the Pontoon boat other fenders can't provide. The Pontoon Fender is specifically designed to fit snugly between the pontoon and the deck of the boat, protecting both from rafting boats, docks, or other objects. All pontoon fenders are made from our own marine-grade, U.V. resistant vinyl and have an integrated rubber football style valve for easy inflation.