Newbee Boat/Pontoon owner.

[SSGKAY]

Hi, just wanted to say hi. We just picked out a Party Barge 25 (w/150 L Verado Mercury Motor). Needless to say we're very hipped up at the moment! I do hope we haven't picked out more than we can chew. Is there anyone that may have experience with this boat?

Ken

[HandymanHerb]

Welcome, you should be fine, just take it a day at a time and before you know it you be a pro, telling other's how to do it, but the main thing if you haven't had a lot of expirence at backing trailers, find a big parking and practice, one good thing the longer they are the easier it will be at backing, when you get to the ramp get you toon ready to go out of the way.

When you back it in the water the only thing you should adding, is people, just before you leave the dock, same way when you come back, get it on the trailer and locked down and get out the ramp area to unload for the trip home.

[cbavier]

Welcome aboard. A couple practices and you'll be a pro at it. Too much to handle? NO WAY... oh as part of your inauguration. I'll drink a toast to you and your new boat. Pepsi.... Congratulations! If you have never owned a boat before. take a Coast Guard Class. They're free and will teach you a lot about the laws and safety on the water.

[GregF]

Here are a couple of little courses you can take in the comfort of your La Z Boy

http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/default.asp

http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/

They are basically a little different spin on the basics but it will get you started.

[GregF]

This one is interesting too

http://www.boatsafe.com/flash/reviewlights.html

[dockholiday]

Far as backing the longer the easier. It won't take you long to get the feel of the boat. Had one 25 an a 24 toon. Personally I like the extra room even though I don't need it, sort of like hp I guess. Enjoy..........need any tips just ask. Once you launch the first time make a mental note of how deep the trailer is and just duplicate it next time.
doc

[ROLAND]

Welcome, you should be fine, just take it a day at a time and before you know it you be a pro, telling other's how to do it, but the main thing if you haven't had a lot of expirence at backing trailers, find a big parking and practice,

Herb... excellent suggestion... when I bought my toon, there was a huge church located right across the street from the boat dealership. I had never even pulled a boat much less try to back one down a launch. Anyway, as soon as they hooked me up at the dealership, me and the wife drove "across the street" to the church parking lot and practiced for about an hour. That at least gave me ' a little " confidence... I soon discovered it aint rocket science..more common sense than anything else... the best advice I ever got was from the salesman that sold me the boat.. he told me when backing up, if you start to get "alittle" off course, don't panic... stop, pull forward a bit, make your correction and go slow. like anything else, the more you do it the easier it gets...

[SSGKAY]

Thanks for the info guy's. It'll be a little easier for us, we went ahead and got a slip at the best marina in our area (I am took anyway). And when they should it to us us we meet alot of our neighbers (one was bbq'ng and gave us some food) but it made us feel as if we'd moved to keywest!

[Bamaman]

I know it's really nice to have such a major lake in the middle of Chattanooga.

And, keeping your boat in a marina so close has to be very nice.

Enjoy your Summer.

[Thin Ice]

Welcoma Aboard

Have a safe boating season!

[JohnO]

Since you're in a slip I'll give you my "getting in the slip" advice instead of my "getting back on the trailer" advice.

The guys already gave you the backing advice (practice, practice, practice). Getting in the slip is the same thing.


Before you get to the slip get your bumpers out.

Approach the slip slowly. I normally idle to somewhere close (100 feet or so) and then shift in and out of gear momentarily to nudge myself in.

Find a quiet day to practice at first. Then find a day with a cross wind to really get good. My first day I had a 40 mph cross wind and it took me driving the boat and 4 guys on the dock to ge me in. I came back the next day and practiced for about 4 hours. Taking her out and putting her in. Docking hasn't been an issue since then no matter hwat the wind was doing.

The geography of the slip made it necessary to dock with a left turn into the slip for me. If you can approach your slip from either direction practice both ways. (that way you can play the wind no matter where it is from)

Let the wind help you in if you can. (Takes a little practice) The bow reacts to the wind faster than the stern does. A pontoon normally wants to twist bow downwind more than slide sideways. Use this to your advantage when coming in with a wind.

If all else fails, get the bow in the slip and you can pivot the stern to straighten you up. (this assumes you have fingers on either side of the slip and you don't have another boat right next to you.)

Always remember, EASY DOES IT.

(Once you're really good you can almost power into the slip but that's normally not a good idea)

[spurhunter]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Noogan! I am on Chic or part of it at least twice a week. If your leery of getting around your area or new to the lake in general, just holler and I will come show you a few tricks of boating, and pontoon use in general.

One thing I recomend is a depth finder/GPS unit if you can swing it. As our lake fluctuates almost 7 feet from high to low during the year, knowing where you can and can't travel when the water level starts dropping is very important.

BTW, which marina are you docked?

[GregF]

Once you get a good feel for how your boat handles you can come in pretty hot (fast idle) and having that power on your prop will tend to negate wind and current
If you have one of those 2 strokes that sneezes and stalls a lot, don't try this.

[brumbyvet.1044]

Welcome neighbor. I've looked at a couple of new boats like yours at our local BPS (Sevierville) and I really like them. It should fly with that V-Rod on it. Take it easy and have a great summer.

[dockholiday]

come in slow docking the first time, especially if you are accustom to a 2 log. When I first got mine went to the marina to gas up an dang near ran through the dock. threw it in neutral like the two log boat but it kept going. really had to hit the control hard reverse but got it stopped. the old toon plowed pretty good so neutral was like putting on the brakes.
doc