Certain Important Reminders About Handling Bennington Pontoon Boats

If you love having a good time over water, a pontoon boat would be great to have. Bennington pontoon boats are among the most popular – praised by boating enthusiasts for their design and capabilities. Should you want to own one, it’s important to know the particular way of handling a pontoon boat.

Going Off the Dock

Boats.com states that your primary enemy when taking a pontoon boat off the dock is wind. With the boat’s vertical fences, the wind has more surface area to grab on. Also, the individual pontoons (a.k.a. logs) don’t get too deep into the water. As such, wind could affect a pontoon boat more easily compared to other types of boats.

The key here is to counter the breeze with controlled bursts of power from the engine. You start by pointing the drive and then you shift. Redirect the drive as necessary using short blasts of power. If all else fails, you can try going in reverse as going backwards allows the boat’s pivot point to be far upwind, so the boat won’t be affected by the wind that much.

Speeding Up

Once clear of the dock, you’ll be ready to speed your boat up. Like other outboard-engine boats, it’s advisable to ensure that the engine is trimmed down to counter bow-rise. Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Don’t forget to notify passengers that you’re accelerating.

When the bow levels out, you can slowly trim the engine to increase speed. If the boat gets unstable, you might’ve trimmed too far up, so trim down accordingly until you got a smooth run. Keep your speed appropriate for the crowd on the water and the recommendations of the engine manufacturer.

Making Turns

Always check behind you when making a turn. Unlike roads, bodies of water don’t have lanes. There might be a boat going to your intended path. Don’t make your turns too abrupt or sharp. Again, notify passengers when doing so.

Returning to the Dock

Reduce speed and carefully approach the dock. Align your boat in the manner it would be docked. Keep in mind the effects of the wind at all times.

Maintenance

In order to make sure you can perform the necessary maneuvers effectively, you need to keep the boat in good condition. Many providers of Bennington pontoon boats for sale, like White’s Marine Center, also carry out maintenance. Be sure to check for relevant service quality indicators. For example, Mercury Marine gives out the Mercury Premier Service rating. This indicates that the dealer has a high Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI).

Sources:

(Boating Basics 101: Handling a Pontoon Boat, Boats.com)

(Mercury Dealer Network Advantage, Mercury Marine)