Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Has anyone else noticed that when rafting up with other boaters, no one wants to tie up to a pontoon?
Seems to be frequent up here....not my boat in particular, but when they discuss of rafting up and a toon comes along, no one lets them in. Or on FB when someone posts "we are here....let me know if you want to raft up...no pontoons" and then everyone agrees with not letting the pontoon in.

Anyone else witness this?

I don't have any friends so it's no problem for me

I always have thought because once they see the room and how much nicer a toon they cant stand their own boat.

lol probably TH. I was told its because usually toon ppl don't have decent fenders and lines.....which I think is BS. I got big fenders and plenty of line.
I am being prejudged!

I don't raft up much cause it seems that when I do people get off there boats and get on mine. Esp if they are eating something.

Its not that they don't like you. They just don't match up. We tied up to a friends 40' Baja down at the lake. We used 4 bumpers on mine and 3 huge bumpers on his. it still makes you very nervous. Aluminum pontoons VS gelcoat. Gelcoat looses every time. Kinda like a jon boat tying up to your pontoon. They just don't fit together side by side.

shoundog wrote:I don't raft up much cause it seems that when I do people get off there boats and get on mine. Esp if they are eating something.

Very true!

Herb, LMAO!

HandymanHerb wrote:I don't have any friends so it's no problem for me

Agreed....I would rather be alone anyway!

MH Hawker wrote:I always have thought because once they see the room and how much nicer a toon they cant stand their own boat.

We normally tie up to the same 4-6 boats every weekend. Heres the list of boats: 28' Chapparal Signature Cruiser, 27' Chapparal Cruiser, 21 Four Winns Open Bow, 20' Rinker Open Bow, 20' Bayliner Trophy...you get the picture...

And guess where everyone hangs out... yep.. our Pontoon!

katieclooney wrote:lol probably TH. I was told its because usually toon ppl don't have decent fenders and lines.....which I think is BS. I got big fenders and plenty of line.
I am being prejudged!

Ok Katie, lol

I mean no offense and don't have a problem myself because I always have enough bumpers to provide good protection but I do find that a fair amount of pontoons have small dock pads. I don't turn anyone away even the fishing boats that want to use life jackets as bumpers. I don't like rafting with ski boats if i had to pick my least favorite rafting partners they never sit long enough then you got to rearrange everything.

This disease does not appear to have spread to Colorado.

We raft up with all kinds.

Maybe it's the lake.....but I've seldom seen any rafting on our lake. Most 'toons are either just cruising the shoreline or out towing the grandkids, as are the ski boats and runabouts. Bass boats? They're screaming up and down the lake running from one alleged honey hole to the next....

With a dam regulating water into the lake at the northern end, and two dams downstream regulating the outflow, we don't have a lot of still water.....and I didn't buy a boat to hang out in the middle of the lake with a bunch of other boats....

I hate it also. Like others have said, they just don't match up well. I installed a center cleat which helps. If the bow of the ski boat is high in the air, it tries to get into the fencing. Hard to protect the fencing with bumpers, I'd rather not ruin my graphics just to raft up with someone.

Katie, did you read the raft up tips on FOTF? For the most part they dont want small boats or toons in the front 2 rows. Because of rough water. But they usually allow you in farther back, but yea they want you to have the bigger fenders. Park towards the outside, and wonder into there group a couple times and introduce yourself, they are mostly nice people. After that, when they see you pull up, they will probably wave you over. JT