Have Fun on the Water: Buy the Right Bennington Pontoon Boat for You

Having a reliable Bennington pontoon boat can be a source of entertainment and great fun for your family. Imagine a summer out on a lake, enjoying the warm sun shining down and a fishing rod in your hand, with a bucket of beer beside your deck chair. You can have that pleasant experience after buying your own pontoon boat. Designed for multiple passengers, pontoon boats nowadays are an ideal purchase if you and your family want an affordable boating experience. 

It is easy to find available Bennington pontoon boats at dealers like White’s Marine Center; however, the main question for many is why buy a pontoon boat at all when regular deck boats are available. For one, pontoon boats are better for entertaining than the usual deck boats; the flat deck and hull provide a stable surface for you and your passengers to hold your activities. This is why pontoon boats are sometimes called floating living rooms.

However, purchasing a pontoon boat isn’t something you do at a whim, or something you choose just because it’s the first boat that catches your fancy. To determine the right boat for you, you’ll have to consider a few questions. First, know how certain boat sizes are best on certain bodies of water: boats ranging from 16-19 feet are good for calmer bodies of water, such as on a lake, while boats measuring 20-22 feet are recommended safe on rivers. The large 23-27-ft. boats are best for rough waters like the open seas. The features you choose for your pontoon boat will depend on what you will use it for. A sunbathing or fishing boat will have different amenities from a swimming party boat.

Once you’ve decided on the boat you want, just as you would with a car purchase, have a marine surveyor take a look at the boat you plan to buy. It doesn’t matter whether it is new or used; builders can make mistakes and these can pop up in new boats.

Some things to look out for are whether the hull and deck materials are in good condition, and whether the auxiliary systems like the bilge pumps and the exhaust are working fine. The kind of issues that you discover in your boat will help you decide on your purchase so that you can avoid any major problems with it later on.

With careful deliberation before purchase, a boat can be a great investment. Enjoy your fun on the water with the ideal pontoon boat for you.

(Source: NEW BOAT INSPECTION CHECKLIST, Boating Mag, October 14, 2008)