PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

[CZSteve]

Reaching out to pontoon owners w/ PWC's.

Please share your tricks / techniques for mooring your PWC up against your toon when anchored.
Do you use the individual bumpers that attach to the side of the PWC? Large mat hung from the toon fence? Other???

Also, anyone here tow their PWC behind their toon? If so, technique?

We just bought a couple 1996 Sea-Doo GTX's and looking forward to using in conjunction with our pontoon.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[The Rooster]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

Steve, we usually tie it off to a rear cleat and let it drift back when anchored out or at a sandbar. I have seen others use that large mat they make for that as well. Those little pwc bumpers never quite seem to match up w/ the sides of our barge. Be careful if towing above about 5 mph behind the boat. Some skis are different but by and large you will want to clamp off the water intake hose so you don't back flood the engine while towing. Good luck !!!

 

[WaterDR]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

Steve, we usually tie it off to a rear cleat and let it drift back when anchored out or at a sandbar. I have seen others use that large mat they make for that as well. Those little pwc bumpers never quite seem to match up w/ the sides of our barge. Be careful if towing above about 5 mph behind the boat. Some skis are different but by and large you will want to clamp off the water intake hose so you don't back flood the engine while towing. Good luck !!!

Wow....I never thought of that! Makes sense about the flooding.

As to towing, when we have had the need to do it, we never go fast anyway as my ski is 1000 lbs and we generally just do it slowly and for short distances. But, I see a lot of bigger boats towing jetskis frequently going a lot faster.

When moring, I don't tie them up close. No matter how hard I try, they bang together. I usually do as The Rooster suggested and let it swing out. When you need it, we just pull it in. You can also use an anchor too.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

Concur with the above. The other thing that is tricky is pulling up alongside the boat. Since many jetskis dont have reverse, brakes, or anything to act as a rudder, bringing the ski alongside after riding often results in banging the toons, sometimes hard depending on the skill of the rider.

When coming in I usually do a tight 360 loop about 10 yards out and come out of the loop parallel to the toon but with enough sideways momentum to get close to the boat. The loop drastically slows down the idle speed momentum so that i can get close before killing the engine. Either this or have someone in the water to fend off/land the jet ski..

 

[Old Screwball]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

Wish I could find pictures, sorry. I put ball valves on the water intake. Seadoo suggests a clamp to squeeze the hose when towing, figured the valve would work better, just remember to open it when you are aren't towing. I also use a section of PVC pipe over the tow rope. That stops the PWC from running into the rear of the barge when we stop. If I come across the pictures I'll include them.

Good Luck.

 

[WaterDR]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

I have a brother in law that seems to think the pontoons are bumpers for the PWC. He is about the most mechanically disadvantaged person I know, yet an engineer.....go figure.

 

[Old Screwball]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

Dents and marks don't bother him.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

try an inertub,tie it along the side of your toon. tell them to aim for it or else.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

I have a brother in law that seems to think the pontoons are bumpers for the PWC. He is about the most mechanically disadvantaged person I know, yet an engineer.....go figure.

Dr., I swear you just described my brother, and he works for the "Army Corps of Engineers". When he messes w/ me, I remind him of the "EXCELLENT" job he did designing the hurricane protection levees PRIOR to Hurricane Katrina. We all know how that turned out !!!

 

[WaterDR]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

Dr., I swear you just described my brother, and he works for the "Army Corps of Engineers". When he messes w/ me, I remind him of the "EXCELLENT" job he did designing the hurricane protection levees PRIOR to Hurricane Katrina. We all know how that turned out !!!

Ha ha....the funny part is that he has owned two run-abouts of his own. But, after further investigation I have uncovered that one was sunk because he forgot the plug, and the other rotted away due to lack of maint. I think I have uncovered a trend.

In other news, I dropped my daughter off at school this morning and I observed a women in a brand new car scrape her rims and tires against the curb for about 20 feet....I think she feels thats what the tires are for. My brother in law, seems to operate the PWC in the same way.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

Ha ha....the funny part is that he has owned two run-abouts of his own. But, after further investigation I have uncovered that one was sunk because he forgot the plug, and the other rotted away due to lack of maint. I think I have uncovered a trend.

In other news, I dropped my daughter off at school this morning and I observed a women in a brand new car scrape her rims and tires against the curb for about 20 feet....I think she feels thats what the tires are for. My brother in law, seems to operate the PWC in the same way.

My wife and daughter use the curb feelers all the time. Sometimes its not just the tires and wheels. The rear driver corner of my suburban has been used as a 'feeler' several times.

 

[TurboM700]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

I have a brother in law that seems to think the pontoons are bumpers for the PWC. He is about the most mechanically disadvantaged person I know, yet an engineer.....go figure.

We must have the same brother. Really smart guy has a Computer Engineering degree and a MBA but man can he break things that arent his.

I have an old beat up standup jet ski that I keep around because its fun and runs really well just its looks are good. At any rate he decide he wanted to see how far he good beach it on a sand beach. Needless to say he ends up fly thru the air while the jet ski stopped about 4ft up the beach. He gets up I look at him start clamping and ask him what did you think was going to happen. I think he lost some of his pride that day.

 

[WaterDR]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

My wife and daughter use the curb feelers all the time. Sometimes its not just the tires and wheels. The rear driver corner of my suburban has been used as a 'feeler' several times.

Very funny....sad....but funny.

 

[WaterDR]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

We must have the same brother. Really smart guy has a Computer Engineering degree and a MBA but man can he break things that arent his.

I have an old beat up standup jet ski that I keep around because its fun and runs really well just its looks are good. At any rate he decide he wanted to see how far he good beach it on a sand beach. Needless to say he ends up fly thru the air while the jet ski stopped about 4ft up the beach. He gets up I look at him start clamping and ask him what did you think was going to happen. I think he lost some of his pride that day.

Must be the same guy. Are we related?

 

[OK Toon]

Re: PWC Owners - mooring against pontoon?

When you close off the water intake (either with vise grips or a valve), remove your kill switch and clip it inside to that same water intake "stop". That way you can't accidently start the PWC while the water intake is closed.