Deck Boats vs. Pontoon Boats
This past weekend I spoke with a boater friend who recently purchased a used 23' deck boat, otherwise known as a runabout, for family excursions in the Gulf of Mexico. As he shared their boat buying story, he brought up the one question I think all boat buyers face: which type of boat is the best for me? They considered a pontoon boat for its seating capacity and roominess, but was afraid it would be too slow. They wanted something that would hold their family of four comfortably and would allow them to bring along friends, but that would also be sporty and versatile. Their dilemma was solved in a deck boat with plenty of seating and moderate speed.
How about you? If you have a pontoon boat, why did you choose a pontoon boat over another type of boat? If you have a deck boat, what features sold you on this particular boat? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
If you are looking for a boat, here are some resources to help you buy the best boat for you:
Related Articles
Boating Lessons: Know Your Boat
Seamanship is simply the skill of managing a boat and encompasses: navigation; safety; boat handling; line handling; anchoring; troubleshooting engine problems; and appropriate emergency response.
The first discipline of good seamanship is to know everything about your boat. Part of the training program to become a Coast Guard certified coxswain was memorizing vessel and engine specification manuals hundreds of pages thick. The point was to know the boat and its equipment down to the last bolt so that I could confidently bring my crew and my boat through dangerous situations safely. In the same way, knowing your boat will bring you equal confidence. Read more ...
Take the time to know your boat's construction, layout, carrying capacity, limitations, and capabilities. Be familiar with equipment and where it is stowed to the point that you can locate and operate it in the dark. You should also get to know your boat’s propulsion, electric, and power systems, and how to deal with common problems. Read more ...
Related Articles
Boating Lessons is an About.com Powerboating weekly feature designed to provide busy boaters with short tips and instruction about boat maintenance, boating safety, navigation, boat handling and more. To receive Boating Lessons and all Powerboating blogs automatically, sign up for the Powerboating RSS feed. For boating news and information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the weekly Powerboating e-Newsletter.
Happy July 4th
- July 4th Boating
- Holiday Weekend Boating Safety - No yawns! It could possibly be the best boating safety blog post you'll ever read.
Holiday Weekend Boating Safety
- Don't boat while intoxicated. Drinking while boating is a bad idea for operators and passengers. Avoid hefty fines, losing your operator's license, or jail time by not drinking and boating.
- Wear a life jacket while boating. Nearly all boating fatalities happen as a result of drowning and could have been avoided with the use of a life jacket. Federal law requires children under 12 to wear a life jacket while the boat is moving.
- Exercise patience. Congested waterways are bound to cause delays. Staying patient and keeping your cool will help in sound decision making while boating. The Navigation Rules admonish boaters to "proceed at a safe speed" in order to avoid collision. I can't think of a better time to heed this rule than on a busy holiday weekend.
- Be alert. With friends and family on your boat and lots of activity to distract you, consider designating a person to aid in maintaining a proper lookout. Two sets of eyes on the water and other boats will help to avoid collisions or other potentially unsafe situations.
Related Articles:
July 4th Boating
July 4th is one of my favorite boating days of the year. Unlike Memorial Day or Labor Day, July 4th usually brings perfect boating weather - hot and sunny - and a ton of fun things to do.
Tops on my list is decorating the boat and watching the fireworks from the water. What about you? How do you celebrate July 4th, our nation's Independence Day? If you are stumped for new ideas, read my article with a few simple, family-oriented boating ideas. Or, if you do something unique to celebrate July 4th, share it with the boating community with About.com's newly created User Answers - a way for boaters to get and share ideas, give an opinion or share a tip.
Related Articles:
- July 4th Boating
- How Do You Celebrate July 4th? - Leave your answer here for other boaters.
Boating Lessons: Hitting Submerged Objects
If you've ever hit a submerged object while boating, then you know that sinking feeling of dread that comes with the loud thump of something - and boy did it sound big - hitting the hull of your boat. In yesterday's Boating Lessons, I covered how to avoid submerged objects all together. Today you will learn what to do if your best efforts fail.
Submerged objects like sticks or logs, crab pots and other debris present a real danger to boaters. Hitting something in the water can put a hole in the hull, causing the boat to begin taking on water. Sometimes, the object can foul the propellers, possibly leaving you stranded. In any case, knowing what to do if you hit a submerged object while boating can at least provide peace of mind, and at most, save your life.
If you hit a submerged object:
- Immediately bring the engine(s) into neutral. By doing so, you may avoid damaging the props.
- Have every person aboard the vessel put on life jackets.
- Conduct a safety inspection of your boat, paying particular attention to the bilge or engine compartment to verify if the hull has been compromised and you are taking on water.
- (a) If you are taking on water, immediately use VHF Channel 16 to contact the Coast Guard. Give them your vessel's name, description, location, how many persons are on board your boat and the nature of the emergency. Proceed to use available materials to staunch the flow of water if possible.
(b)If you aren't taking on water, continue with the inspection of your vessel.
- After inspecting the hull for damage, proceed to test your engine(s). Slowly bring the engine into gear and bring it up to test if it is functioning normally. If you have twin engines, test one engine at a time. If you have damaged the prop, the engine will rev but there will be very little power to propel you forward. If you have damaged the engine, contact the Coast Guard, commercial towing assistance or a friend to tow you back to port.
- If your hull and engines are not damaged, proceed cautiously.
Related Articles
Boating Lessons is an About.com Powerboating weekly feature designed to provide busy boaters with short tips and instruction about boat maintenance, boating safety, navigation, boat handling and more. To receive Boating Lessons and all Powerboating blogs automatically, sign up for the Powerboating RSS feed. For boating news and information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the weekly Powerboating e-Newsletter.
Boating Lessons: Avoiding Submerged Objects
Submerged objects present a real danger to boaters. If you hit a submerged object while boating, you may pierce the hull of your vessel or harm your engine(s) or propeller. Common objects to look out for are logs, branches, crab pots and other debris.
To avoid submerged objects, your best defense is to maintain a proper lookout. The Steering and Sailing Rules, Rule 5, of the Coast Guard Navigation Rules states that "Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision."
Simply put, this means keep a sharp lookout for objects in the water. If more than one person is aboard your boat, assign them the task of lookout and ask them to report everything they see to you. Two sets of eyes are better than one.
Before sunrise, after sunset and in adverse conditions, proceed at a safe speed. Avoid full speed in the dark. In Part B, Steering and Sailing Rules, Section 1 of the Coast Guard Navigation Rules, Rule 6 states that "Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions." Meaning... slow down in the dark or adverse conditions so that if you are in danger of collision, you can stop or turn away before it happens.
By maintaining a proper lookout and proceeding at a safe speed, you should be able to avoid hitting submerged objects. Tomorrow, I will discuss the steps every boater should know and take if they hit a submerged object.
Related Articles
Boating Lessons is an About.com Powerboating weekly feature designed to provide busy boaters with short tips and instruction about boat maintenance, boating safety, navigation, boat handling and more. To receive Boating Lessons and all Powerboating blogs automatically, sign up for the Powerboating RSS feed. For boating news and information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the weekly Powerboating e-Newsletter.
Find a Summer Boat Party Near You
As the summer heats up, boaters are gathering all across the nation to celebrate their favorite activity with other like-minded people. To join a party near you, just check out the links below leading to more information about some of the most popular boat parties of the summer:
Possible Tropical Disturbance One to Watch
According to the National Hurricane Center, a tropical wave over the western Caribbean Sea has a 30 - 50 percent chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours. The system is producing showers and thunderstorms over from Cuba and the Cayman Islands to Honduras, but is not expected to develop before reaching the Yucatan Peninsula. It may become a little more organized once it moves into the southern Gulf of Mexico late Saturday or Sunday.
This is one we'll want to keep our eye on over the next couple of days since the NHC has given it a medium chance of forming into a Tropical Storm.
Related Articles:2009 Sea Ray Aquapalooza
The 2009 Aquapolooza, Sea Ray's annual multi-location boating festival, is the largest boat party of the summer held during the last two weekends in July at more than 100 locations around the world. And with over 12,000 boats, 56,000 attendees, and over 100 locations, it's easy to see why.
Alabama will host the signature AquaPalooza event this summer at Lake Martin from July 24th to 26th. Sea Ray has announced that Ambassador-level dealer Russell Marine of Russell Lands On Lake Martin in Alexander City will host the 2009 Signature Event, the biggest and most exciting of all AquaPalooza celebrations.
The highlight of the Signature Event will be a gigantic raft-up on July 25th that features a performance from Alan Jackson on a stage fronting the water. Grab your inner tube and snag a front row seat! The Signature Event will be held in the Kowaliga area of Lake Martin, which offers nine marinas and 18 boat ramps.