How to turn pontoon around

[pontoon1991]

Please help! Fairly new to navigating my pontoon. After backing in by dock, channel is very long, and not a lot of room width wise. What would be the best way to turn the pontoon around to go out the channel after putting pontoon in the water, without backing it out all the way, which is about 400 feet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Just need to know how to turn it around and head out. I notice that some people revv the motor fast but I don't know what they are doing. Lots of rocks on both sides of the channel for my prop to hit.

 

[lncoop]

Re: How to turn pontoon around

Not entirely sure I understand the situation, but if you cut the wheel all the way to the right or left then sort of gun the throttle in short bursts (not WOT) your barge will feel like it's spinning on an axis and will turn surprisingly sharp.

 

[pontoon1991]

Re: How to turn pontoon around

Thanks a lot! Do you do this in reverse or forward??

 

[imported_John o]

Re: How to turn pontoon around

Thanks a lot! Do you do this in reverse or forward??

Both. Assuming you are backing out of the dock and that you have some "upstream" area. Back out until you get the back end into the channel. Back upstream in short bursts until the front comes around enough to leave you in the channel,then shift into forward, swing the motor around hard over to teh other direction and "pulse it" until you're straight downstream.

Just like backing a car out of the driveway. Only problem is, you can't see the road and you have no brakes.

If you have no upstream area then back out into the channel and 'wiggle' the boat back and forth by alternating forward and aft pulses of the motor with the helm hard over to one side then the other. Kind of like doing a "Y" turn with a car.

(If you trim up pretty far you can gain a little room for rock clearnace without hurting your thrust too much. (Make sure your water intakes are still under water though))

 

[cc350]

Re: How to turn pontoon around

Just buy a cheap(used?) trolling motor and use it to spin your toon around.