Pontoon Prep

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Photo by: Dan Armitage

Things are bustling around our local pontoon boat club, as members break out their ‘toons and ready their craft for the water. April is the month when those boaters who neglected to winterize their engines last fall are lamenting the fact, facing cracked lower units, clogged carbs and waterlogged fuel. On the other hand, diligent boaters who did the job right last autumn appear almost smug as their outboards fire at the first keying of the starter and the engines “purr” as the pontoons proceed proudly to their slips for the season.

Low Water Pontoon Boat

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Photo by: Dan Armitage

One of the joys of owning a trailerable pontoon boat is the opportunity to take your watercraft with you when you travel. For inland boaters such as me, if those travels involve a trip to the coast with the ‘toon in tow, one learning curve you will face is as inevitable as the setting of the sun. In fact, it is caused by the sun -- and the earth and moon – and is known as “tide.”  As the Armitage clan ventures to warmer coastal waters to enjoy a Spring Break aboard the family boat late this month afloat, we will be dealing with tidal changes.

If you store your outboard in the vertical position as shown, there’s no reason to wrap the lower unit in plastic during the off-season.

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Following the birth of our son, my wife once commented that she was in the market for a new lower unit as a result of the ordeal. The statement reminded me that a properly functioning lower unit can be as important to maintaining a relationship as it is to a boater who counts on his engine to perform on cue.

Pontoon Boating with Manatees

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Photo by: Dan Armitage

I just returned from what must be one of the most concentrated assemblies of commercial pontoon boats in the world. I visited Crystal River, Florida, over the holidays with my wife and our 12-year-old son, a place famous for its freshwater springs and the manatees they attract each winter. Offering a contact flow of 72 degree water, the sea cows seek out the warmer water areas and stack up – yep – like cord wood around the springs, which are concentrated along west-central Florida’s “Nature Coast” area bordering the Gulf of Mexico.