New to Pontoons, what to get...

[MNTooner]

Hello,

My name is Mark and I am new to the forums and am in the process of buying my first pontoon, I am looking at a 06 Sun Tracker Party Barge 18 with a 50 Merc 2 stroke and bunk trailer. Wondering if there are any known issues with this boat/motor. I have been around boats all myl ife but never onwed one myself. It will be me, the wife and two kids under 6. I will need to buy everything as this boat has nothing in it. Any opinions on life vests, (how many and kind), fenders (how big) or any other advice to a new boat owner would be great. Thanks and happy boating.

Mark in MN

 

[a1nowell]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

If you are planning this to be a major part of your summer family entertainment in the future then 18 feet is too small. The 50 hp motor will be too small for tubing especially as your kinds get bigger. Also too small to invite a couple of friends.
Just my thoughts.

 

[natedog337]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

I'd have to agree that 18 is way to small to fully enjoy.

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

I agree. Having been on a friend's 18' toon and then spending some weekends on the In-Law's 22' toon it's a night and day difference. They had similar layouts and we weren't tubing or anything so hp didn't really matter, but we had about 10 people on the 22 and it was still quite comfortable.........and we were still able to bring our dozen or so coolers of beer and ice. 18 is probably ok for you and the wife during retirement, but the kids will always want to bring a friend and then more gear.....you get the idea.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

This one is OK for cruising, but with a young family and guessing you and your wife are 30 +-YO, I think you will be wanting more power and space. Look around for a 22' with a 90 hp. 4 stroke will be better on fuel, quieter running and no smoke. You may get by with a 20', but it depends on the layout. My preference is to stay away from ones with open front decks as it can be dangerous with small kids when underway. Brand has some importance but condition is everything. BTW, welcome to the forum.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

I agree with the others about your choice of boat and motor being too small. But to answer your question. You will need a Coast Guard package which includes:
One properly sized life jacket for each person on board.
A throwable floatation device such as a ring. (The Coast Guard doesn't require a line on the throwable device but I have always had a 50' small line attached to mine)
A noise making device. (The boat horn meets this requirment but are netorious for not working when you need it to. So get a whistle as well)
A fire extinguisher.

Some other recommendations in a loose order of importance are:
First Aid Kit
Changing room with a porta-potti.
Anchor with a length of rode equal to about 7 times the maximum depth of water you will navigating.
Depth Finder
Spare fuses
Spare bulbs
A tool box equipped according to your skills.
Flashlight
Compass
Stereo
GPS
Marine VHF radio
American Flag flying in the breeze.
Entrance mats.
Handheld flood light if doing any night cruising.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

I agree on the above replies. Go bigger with more horses, but make sure you've got a proper tow vehicle to handle the load. If your tow vehicle is marginal, leave the boat in a marina for the season if possible.

Pontoons are not necessarily heavy, however they pull much heavier than they are due to poor wind resistance and forces pull in all directions (yaw and sway.)

 

[BatDaddy1887]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

...next time you go on vacation near water, rent one for a half day. See what you think for yourself. Good luck.

 

[blyter]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

I too am in the market for a 'toon. The advice on renting one is right on. Did that last week...18' w/65hp...the results: No Way...and there was just the wife and I. Get up over 20' and say 115hp and you've got the best of all worlds...my opinion. Luck to us both.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

Consider this (from the owner of an 18 footer with a 40 HP Suzy 4-stroke). Anything in the 22 foot range is going to need major horsepower and if you intend to tow the boat, a tandem trailer. Those who suggest a 115 apparently don't mind 11.5 gallons of fuel per hour to gain a couple MPH over a more modestly powered 18- 20 footer with a 50 - 75 HP (5 - 7.5 gallons per hour). Up here in the tundra even 22 footers have 50 HP engines and folks are perfectly happy. Below is an 18 footer with five aboard. Note there are only two on the couch and there is space in back of that with two fishing chairs and a live well back there. To each his own, but I don't know what a family of four plans on doing on a pontoon that requires more space, a tandem trailer, and much more fuel. If cost is no object, fuel consumption is not an issue, and water sports are high priority, then by all means "bigger may be better". But look at your situation -- two kids under six. By the time you need speed and HP, they will no longer be happy with a pontoon and you'll be pressured into a go fast boat not to mention you will be ready for a different/new boat as that '06 you are looking at will be 12 years old. I should also mention that this 18 footer fit in my garage.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

Mark, per your orignal question, you want to ensure you have all the necessary legal equipment for your boat. Which inlcudes a PFD for every passenger, a throw cushion PFD, fire extiquisher, etc. Download the boating rules from the MN DNR site and ensure you are in compliance.

I have a 25'er that I have enough of the orange standard PFDs stored in the seats to cover my max capacity. For the kids, they always wear their own. Ensure you get them the vest type of the right size, with toddlers having the neck float to ensure they float face up.

AS for fenders and other thing, it depends on how you are using it. Mine stays in the water attached to the dock so I have my fenders and custom bungee lines to dock appropriately with a few spares for other docking situations. Also, don't skimp on anchor size. While the type needs to be appropriate for the water type you run in, I have a medium sized fluke anchor that digs its flukes into the sandy bottom of my lake. I used to have a river anchor but when the wind was blowing I was constantly reanchoring.

AS for boat selection, everyone has their opinion but the advice to rent in very good. Not sure where in Mn you are from but you can rent on MTKA or my choice would be to rent a toon on the St Croix out of Stillwater. You will get the feel of a bigger boat.

Also, the water you intend to use it on would determine the appriateness of the 18'er. If you are looking at Mtka, you wold be OK, but the big wakes and overall size would cause more rocking and potential bow stuffs. If you are on a protected 300 acre or less, you would be just fine.

A little more detail on your intended usage would be good.

 

[MNTooner]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

Thanks everyone for the advice and responses. Good advice on the jackets and supplies.

I probably should have given a little more info in my original post. We have a seasonal site at a resort on a 132,000 acre lake; there is a harbor with two boat launches at the resort. I wouldn't have a slip as the harbor is pretty green and the boats that are in slips get pretty gross. The seasonal fee for unlimited launching privileges is about half what it costs for a slip for the season. The reason we are leaning towards the 18 footer is that there is only so much space at my site to store the boat. Additionally, if I keep it under about 25' overall I have free indoor storage for the winter.

I did read through the responses prior to Friday, but decided to buy the pontoon anyways. Compared to the other boats available this had everything we were looking for.

We had it out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. She performed well. Loaded with the family, two additional kids and a cooler I was able to get 17 MPH (according to my Garmin gps) at 5400 RPM . From what I have read that seems about right. If buying a boat is anything like buying a camper, the third one you buy is the one you keep the longest.

On a different note, MN has an online Boat Education course I took yesterday. It took the better of three hours to go through the 7 sections and take the chapter tests and then the final exam. They require you to spend a certain amount of time on each page before you can move to the next page. It was interesting to see how much I didn't know about the rules of navigating on water.

Thanks again for all the responses,

Mark in MN

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

As long as you and 'Mama' are happy, that's all that counts.
Visit back often.

 

[lncoop]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

As long as you and 'Mama' are happy, that's all that counts.
Visit back often.

Roger that. Begs the question though; is Mama ever really happy?

 

[MNTooner]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

Roger that. Begs the question though; is Mama ever really happy?

In this case yes, we were cruising on the lake on Sunday and she looked at me and said "This is the best money we ever spent".

Mark in MN

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

Glad to hear that but if you are like most of us tooners, within the next boating season or two, you're gonna here, "Honey, we need to begin thinking about getting a larger boat." But until then, enjoy your boating experiences and pat yourself on the back for a 'job well done'.

 

[natedog337]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

I couldn't live without two decent anchors.... i have a 26 foot pontoon and don't skimp on the anchors if using in tidal waters and want to anchor on a sandbar.... These toons r like giant wind-sails.....

Two (2) 13 lb anchors minimum

 

[MNTooner]

Re: New to Pontoons, what to get...

Good advice, I will grab another anchor.