It’s Possible on a
PONTOON

Beyond comfort, accessibility for everyone

When you’re healthy, it feels like adventure is there for the taking—surely there are endless lake days and plentiful chances for a river trip. But what about when life happens—when you or a loved one faces a disability? Does that mean it’s time to give up the activities you once loved? Perhaps not.

Years before I began working for Pontoon and Deck Boat magazine, my aunt Colleen had already discovered the expansive possibilities of a pontoon. And that mattered, since by then she was relegated to a 500-pound motorized wheelchair during her final years battling ALS.

When Chris Griner bought his brand-new Godfrey Monaco last year from Anderson Powersports, he had a sinking realization that the factory grade stereo simply wasn’t going to cut it. It was a gorgeous boat — deep black and vivid green with black powder coated rails — but for a man who cares about details and rocking his boat with music, the run-of-the-mill factory install lacked the power and oomph he was used to.

As the owner of a vehicle detailing shop, Chris is used to looking after the most elite boats and cars in Lake Havasu, Ariz. His company, Detail Specialties, offers detailing, restoration and high-end coatings to restore and protect a vehicle’s appearance. Their deep clean detailing and expert paint correction can make a vehicle look and feel brand new. Their popular ceramic coatings add a thin but high-performing varnish that protects against the elements and adds gloss and depth to a vehicle’s paint coat for years to come.

Releasing

(Above) Most bass anglers practice catch and release fishing, handling their catch with care and releasing it quickly so that it may be hooked and fought another day.

A combination of one of the most productive months to go fishing, free no-license-required fishing days offered by many states, and the fact National Fishing & Boating Week is celebrated each June means that lots of folks will be introduced to the sport this month. While most of the related activities will be focused on teaching people how to catch fish, I’m going to skip that subject for once, and discuss what to do after that act. You have two choices: keep the fish to eat or let it go back into the water. The latter is referred to as catch and release fishing, or C&R. This is when the fish is unhooked and released to (hopefully) survive and thrive and perhaps be caught another day.

C&R is a popular practice among anglers today in both fresh and salt water, especially when targeting gamefish species that are sought and caught simply for the sport they offer at the end of the fishing line and are rarely kept to eat. While many of the most popular released species are found in salt water, such as bonefish, tarpon and billfish, plenty of freshwater fish are more respected for their fight than as table fare and are often released by the anglers who target them, including bass, muskellunge, pike, carp and trout. Some fishermen release their catches voluntarily, others are regulated to do so when wetting a line in waters that are designated as “catch and release only,” where anglers must return to the water every fish, or designated species, they bring to net.