What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

jjohnson120

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
278
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

Hands down, confidence is the clear winner for an enjoyable cruise in any watercraft. Know the waterway well and know your craft well. Your guests will be able to relax and enjoy themselves if they feel the captain knows what he/she is doing.

Keeping alcohol consumption under control is a must. Inisist on providing it yourself and then only carry enough so that everyone can have a good time but not over do it. If someone shows up with a 60 quart cooler of beer, you can politely tell them that the extra weight will cause an unsafe boating condition.

If your toon is trailered, get there plenty time ahead to launch so that all your guest need to do is walk down the dock and come aboard. When leaving, make an excuse to stay behind so that they are gone when it comes time to load up the toon and go home. If you don't do this, they will feel compeled to help and that's often a recipie for disaster.

I dream for this scenario. :D In all seriousness, it's good to keep an eye on people's drinking, because at the end of the day if they get trashed and do something stupid, it will ruin everyone's day.
 

Boss Hawg

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
1,433
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

My first idea exactly! A five gallon bucket with a toilet seat for the ladies! :)

A small chemical portable one is your best bet- I found mine NIB on Ebay for just under $40- Kind of hard to see but mine is in the back corner behind the seat, I never have more than 2 couples on my boat so the guys just use the "gentleman" procedure when the girls need to "go" :facepalm::D
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Also big 2nd on the pit! Just "built" one for mine :cool:
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Oh yeah- Plenty of ice cold-
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Old Screwball

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
240
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

+10 on the 'help' getting your boat in or out of the water!!! The fewer the better. My wife and I can get the boat in and out much better, faster, safer, easier without 10 hands pushing and pulling. Everyone is an expert, most don't own a boat. Add a bit of fire water and it can really get bad
 

Boss Hawg

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
1,433
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

+10 on the 'help' getting your boat in or out of the water!!! The fewer the better. My wife and I can get the boat in and out much better, faster, safer, easier without 10 hands pushing and pulling. Everyone is an expert, most don't own a boat. Add a bit of fire water and it can really get bad

Agree but it can be VERY funny (to watch) :D
 

Old Screwball

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
240
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

Agree but it can be VERY funny (to watch) :D

Absolutely, as long as it isn't your boat, it isn't a holiday weekend and you are 23rd to launch or retrieve. Oh, and someone doesn't let their 12 kids swim on the launch ramp while you are trying to back down. Then there is the 350# guy in his Speedos....

Need to start a "Launch Ramp Follies" thread.
 

mla2ofus

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 30, 2008
Messages
571
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

As already mentioned the most popular thing w/ the ladies on ours is the popup room and the porta-potty.
Mike
 

Boss Hawg

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
1,433
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

As already mentioned the most popular thing w/ the ladies on ours is the popup room and the porta-potty.
Mike

We Texicans treat our ladies right! :D
 

Slow Rider

Cadet
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
11
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

Wow, what a great thread! I do have to agree that a "private potty" tops my list. We boat year round in Texas but the water gets pretty chilly after september thru march so this is a must for ladies. Sink and refrig are next - need a place to wash up and rinse dishes, and place to nicely tuck away the drinks, etc. Blender is always fun and the grill too. We have a hard top and cant tell you how thankful we are to have that cover, as our guests are. Front of boat has umbrella that can be put up for more shade, esp in heat of summer! Of course great tunes/speakers...everyone had great thoughts. We also have a tow bar for tubing/skiing and kids love that aspect of the boat. The captain will tell you having 2 batteries, shore power hookup and inverter are nice features for safety/backup and for the extra "fun lights" you put up! Pontoons are so much fun!
 

JGator

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
122
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

Just added two additional speakers...
 

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
Re: What items improve your guests' experience on your pontoon?

Personalty I vote for a stripper pole on the front deck, but that's just me.
 
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