Can I add a rail on my pontoon or got a better idea?

[RustyShackleford]

I have two kids (7 and 4) and they love swimming around our pontoon. Currently I tie a rope drooped between two of the tie-up points and let them grab onto that when they are just hanging around in the water (yes, they have life jackets on and I am in the water with them). The problem with this is that it doesn't stay put, so they drift around anyway. I want them to have something they can hold onto so they don't have to struggle as hard to not roll around in their jackets.

I am wondering if a rail could be welded to the outer side of the pontoon. close to where the water line would be, so they can have something to grab onto. The other solution i thought of would be to run the rope through a pipe so it is something rigid to hold onto, but I don't think that would look as good.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Re: Can I add a rail on my pontoon or got a better idea?

I think I will just go with the rope through a pipe idea. I will probably mount fenders to it too, so it will double as a long fender. I'll take pics.

 

[OK Toon]

Re: Can I add a rail on my pontoon or got a better idea?

If we are swimming off the pontoon in deep water and we don't anchor, I leave one of the dock lines out in the water (attached to one of the corners). This way we have something to hold on to while we are swimming and the boat doesn't float away from us where we have to swim after it.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Re: Can I add a rail on my pontoon or got a better idea?

If we are swimming off the pontoon in deep water and we don't anchor, I leave one of the dock lines out in the water (attached to one of the corners). This way we have something to hold on to while we are swimming and the boat doesn't float away from us where we have to swim after it.

The problem with that is that it doesn't stay put. When the kids are holding onto a rope, their life jackets roll around and they can't really stay straight up in the water as they would be able to in a swimming pool by holding the edge, for example.

 

[OK Toon]

Re: Can I add a rail on my pontoon or got a better idea?

Sorry, didn't think about the life jackets. Sounds like if the boat moves, anything they hang on to, will cause them problems.