Recently we spent an afternoon exploring a couple of central Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes with the Williamses, hearing about all their boating adventures, which stretch back years as they have owned several boats. Along for the ride that day was Sam Lynch, who sold the Williamses their latest pontoon. Lynch, who works for Action Water Sports in Clermont, Fla., even slipped behind the helm for a bit as he showed Tom some of the fun features of the cabrio. They’ve owned it for less than a year, after purchasing it in October last year. Lynch was at Action Water Sports’ Polk City location at the time of their purchase.

If there was ever any doubt – and there shouldn’t be – that the Williamses spend a good deal of time on their Barletta, our afternoon boating cleared any possible confusion. We launched from Buzzard Beach Boat Ramp on Lake Eustis, which is about 40 miles north and a bit west of Orlando in central Florida. As we glided along the water, Tom and Mary Jo pointed out several highlights of the area and took us to (and through) a couple of those highlights.

Actually the conversation was a mix of why boating in this area of Florida is so amazing along with the features they really enjoy about their Cabrio, highlighted by the pontoon’s 150hp Mercury outboard.

Navigating the Dead River between Lake Eustis and Lake Harris, Tom and Mary Jo Williams, along with Sam Lynch (left), have a long list of likes about their Barletta Cabrio, which they’ve owned for less than a year.

The List Is Long

The Williamses’ favorite features comprise a long list that stretches from bow to the stern. The couple said the standard features of their Barletta are so extensive that the only upgrade they added was an electric anchor.

“This boat is very well built from the bottom up and loaded with standard features,” Tom said. Mary Jo added, “We really love our Barletta. It’s very comfortable and feels so luxurious. Whether cruising at low speeds or feeling the wind in our face, it feels so stable. And all of the smaller features such as the fender connectors and phone chargers, complement the extended back deck, power/hydraulic steering, great customer service, and the 10-year bow-to-stern warranty. So much came with it; we absolutely love it.”

Still raving about the specific features they really like, Tom pointed to the nearly 6 feet of in-floor storage in the center pontoon as well as the lifting strakes that allow the boat to get up on plane quickly. He also appreciates Barletta’s Vibration Isolation System (VIS) and the Doggie-Dock View See-Through Acrylic gate panels. The power Biminis, of which there are two on their Barletta, are much appreciated in the intense Florida summer sun. Tom added they like the VIS because any vibration from boating on the water does not go through to the deck of the boat. And as for the doggie doors, yes, they’re nice for the four-legged furry animals, but Tom likes them because it makes docking the boat easier because he can see through them to view the dock.

One of Tom’s favorite features on the Barletta might just be the Ultra Lounger in the stern of the boat. “It can be configured in so many different ways,” he said. “It’s like having a bed on the boat.”

The historic Dora Canal provides a scenic ride through old Cypress trees and past plenty of wildlife. It’s easily navigable in a pontoon as Tom and Mary Jo Williams showed us during a recent visit.

He continued, “With this particular boat, it’s the best boat we’ve ever owned. The three pontoons are smooth crossing the water and you can make a turn at speed and it responds.”

Those features tend to loom large for the Williamses because they spend so much time on their craft. Just counting club activities alone (they’re members of the Pontoon Yacht Club of Lake County), they’re on the water at the very least twice a month participating in activities such as poker runs, cruising to different state parks (easily accessible from the numerous waterways in the area) for a barbecue, murder mystery rides, geocaching and more. Tom has been a two-time commodore for the club, which was founded in 1989. Other activities include yearly Georgefest parades (celebrating George Washington’s birthday) and boat-in movies on the water, sponsored by a local marina. Still another favorite club activity is “going out to eat” using their boats to get to the restaurants. Tom explained the group will “raft up” on the lake to meet, cruise to a restaurant, eat and then maybe cruise around after.

Getting Away – Via Pontoons

Additionally, club members plan a “getaway” at least three times a year where they go away for about a week and explore lakes, canals and other waterways. They’ll maybe find a place that has cabins where they can stay, using their boats to get there.

Just one of the couple’s favorite features on their 22-foot Barletta pontoon is the Ultra Lounger in the stern. It provides plenty of space to sprawl out and can be configured in a number of ways.

“That’s the beauty of the Chain of Lakes,” Tom said. “You can go for miles and miles from lake to lake. You can go to the Gulf or you can go to Jacksonville and then on to the Atlantic Ocean.”

He pointed out that boaters have to go through multiple locks to get to Jacksonville, but that’s also part of the adventure. He also explained that when they do the barbecue thing, they just attach the grill to the back of their Barletta, which is one of the reasons Mary Jo appreciates the extended stern deck.

In all, the couple says they boat four to six times a month between the club activities and just going out on their own. And, thanks to the ideal weather in central Florida, they boat year-round.

It’s obvious the couple loves to explore the area via their pontoon, but Mary Jo said there’s usually a destination. “Tom likes to have a destination,” she said. “He would rather have a place to go.” Tom then added, “It’s really unique here because there are so many lakes.”

The lakes here, he explained, average between 10 to 13 feet deep which is why, “pontoons are perfect here.”

Dora Canal

During our ride with the Williamses, they were happy to show us around, mostly on Lake Eustis, but we did get to boat the famous Dora Canal, which is where parts of the 1951 movie The African Queen was filmed. The 1.25-mile canal dates back to 1882 when a river was dredged out to allow steamships to navigate from lake to lake. We went from Lake Eustis to Lake Dora and back, passing large Cypress trees draped with hanging Spanish moss. The canal is only about four feet deep, yet the Williams pontoon was able to easily navigate it.

Tom Williams praised the many features of his new Barletta pontoon, including the helm and setup of controls and instruments.

We also explored a portion of the Dead River before heading up Haines Creek to the Burrell Lock & Dam, which is one of the locks Tom was referring to that has to be passed on the way not only to Lake Griffin, but also to Jacksonville.

As we crossed parts of Lake Eustis, Tom and Mary Jo explained that while some Pontoon Yacht Club members have a residence on local lakes and can keep their pontoons there, the Williamses trailer their Barletta anywhere they need to launch. They own a ranch next to the Ocala National Forest, which is about a half hour from where we launched that day. Owning the ranch means Tom really isn’t retired since taking care of it and all that that entails “seems like full-time,” he said.

The Williamses have been in this part of Florida since 2000, having moved from the Fort Lauderdale area, where they also owned a ranch near the Everglades. Tom graduated from Penn State with a degree in hotel/restaurant management. He moved to Florida, getting a job at the University of Miami, which is where he met Mary Jo. They are both from Pittsburgh, but met in Florida and once there, they never left. Tom is a Navy veteran, having served in the naval aviation division from 1968-72, which was during the Vietnam era.

They explained that getting a boat seemed like the thing to do when they first moved to Florida. When asked, “Why did you get a boat?” Tom responded, “Why not? We lived in the Fort Lauderdale area; it seemed like the natural thing to do.”

They’ve owned several boats over the years, including a 2021 20-foot pontoon with a 90hp engine and a Chris Craft 210 with a 327hp motor. They owned the Chris Craft in the Fort Lauderdale area and used it to explore the Intracoastal Waterway with it.

“We did take some time away from boating and got horses for trail riding,” Tom admitted. “But the bug came back; we wanted to get back on the water again. We did a lot of camping with the horses, but we now do a lot of camping with our boat as well.”

When it came time to trade in their pontoon they did some homework before making their next purchase. The couple explained they went to numerous boat shows, which is where they first met Lynch from Action Water Sports. They also went to a demo event out on a local lake where Lynch took them for a test ride on the Barletta. Soon after, they were owners and have never looked back.

“There’s so much to do here on a boat,” Tom said. “That’s one of the reasons we had to get a boat.”