Keeping the face of your sonar’s sending unit clean will allow you to maintain an unobstructed view below.

Enlarge Photo

After pulling the pontoon out of the water for the off-season don’t forget to scrub the face of your sonar’s transducer before any scum has a chance to dry on the down-facing surface of the sending unit. A quick wipe with a rag will do it if you tackle the task while the transducer’s still wet.

Pressure Washing

Enlarge Photo

Photo by: Dan Armitage

This is about the time of year when ‘tooner’s who live north of the Mason-Dixon Line put their boats to bed for the winter. If the boat has been kept in the water for the season, at a dock, mooring or on a stake, chances are the logs have accumulated a layer of algae below the waterline. Anyone who has pulled their pontoon after a season afloat and allowed that mud-infused slime to dry has experienced how exposure to the air turns the crud to concrete – and how hard it is to remove once it’s been allowed to set-up.

Zippered pockets make mounting the replacement rag a breeze!

Enlarge Photo

We had a major “blow” come though earlier this summer, which took out my decade-old Bimini boat top. I keep my pontoon at a dock six months out of the year, located in a semi-protected cove where I have never had issues with keeping my Bimini deployed for the season to help protect the cockpit and console from the elements. Time took its toll on the top, and the stitching securing the sewn-in pockets that hold the middle bows finally gave-out under the pressure of the big breeze last month.

Pontoon Propeller

Enlarge Photo

Ever wondered why the propellers you see on the engines of most pontoon boats resemble Mickey Mouse ears? The round, oversized blades – which actually are referred as “ears” in the industry -- really stand out when compared to the sleek, angled blades sprouting from the sterns of most pleasure craft. And for good reason.