Long-Term Solutions - Highlighting Key Employees
Pontoon and Deck Boat logo
Luxurious Sneak Peak
The '24 XP is Coming
Salute the Troops badge
Pontoons, Picnics & Pyrotechnics: Celebrating the Fourth on Kerr Lake
July 2023
July 2023 | Volume 28, Number 7
CONTENTS
Features
18
WELL BEYOND LUXURIOUS
Godfrey Releases Its 2024 XP Series
24
SALUTE THE TROOPS
A Special Tribute To Those Who Serve
30
PDB ADVENTURES
Pontoons, Picnics & Pyrotechnics On Kerr Lake
36
OUR 10 ROUNDUP
Long-Term Employees
PDB TESTED
44
PINULTIMATE
Quick-Release Hitch Pin
FROM THE BOW
DEPARTMENTS
boat on the water with cliffs in the back
COVER PHOTO PROVIDED BY: Godfrey Marine

By Brady L. Kay

Captain’s Chair
“I was impressed that all of these people had come to watch my blind spots and help me get out, but that wasn’t the case at all. I quickly realized they had their phones out videoing me and were probably hoping for something horrific to happen.”
Brady Kay sitting in the drivers seat of a boat in a blue Pontoon and Deck Boat t-shirt
When To Video…And When To Help
I freely admit launch ramps can be entertaining to watch and I often get drawn into chaos. Some of the follies you might encounter on a busy summer weekend as boats are being launched can be amusing, yet at the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I think some people may be taking it a little too far. It’s one thing to watch an inexperienced boater swerve back and forth as he struggles to back down a crowded launch ramp, but it’s another to actually video and then post it.

Like it or not, we live in a very video-heavy world these days. Thanks to cell phones, nearly everyone is packing around a portable video camera and most seem eager to capture any mishap or mistake they may see in an attempt to increase views on their social pages.

family on a boat with an American flag
For Your Service and Sacrifice, We THANK YOU
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of the men & women of our armed services, past and present, that have given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. We’d also like to recognize our Barletta family, listed on this page, who have served this country and protected our freedoms.
Antonio Ballard • Craig Bartoszewicz • Alex Basse • Nicholas Basse • Paul Bell • Keith Bruens • Nicholas Buzalski • Conner Calhoon • Mark Cichoracki • Cecil Comadoll • Jackson Conner • Kevin Corona Brandon Dean • Kevin Grzybowski • Nathan Haas • Ronald Haas • Salvador Hernandez • Eddie Hoelyfield Jeff Inman • Kyle Kerins • Willian Madden • Daniel Meade • Mark Neibert • Trey Neibert • Andres Nieves • Phillip Russell Scott Schrader • Michael Stager Sr • Clint Stauffer • Ryan W Stewart • Andre Tousignant • Joshua Turfler • Mindy Walls • Andre Williams Sr. • Josh Wygant
Barletta Boats logo
Better Boater title
IN NEED OF LIFE JACKETS?
TIPS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY
BY BRAEDEN KRIEGER
We’ve all been there. After months of coaxing your neighbors to spend a day with you on your boat, they finally free up some time and agree to join you. You have plenty of food and drinks and you even compiled the perfect songs for your boating jams playlist. Everything is all set until you realize… you don’t have enough life jackets for everyone. Arguably the most important item for a safe day on the water is missing. What do you do? Well, you buy some, of course, but that’s easier said than done.

What type should you get? What size? And heck, what does this USCG approved tag even mean? With the help of bestboatingtips.com we’ve compiled a quick overview of everything you need to understand when shopping for personal flotation devices (PFDs).

NWZ typography
NO WAKE ZONE
close view of Clarion Marine’s ultra-compact CMM-10
Compact Tunes
Clarion Marine’s CMM-10 is an ultra-compact audio device that is ideal for smaller vessels. Its features include a global, digital AM/FM tuner with RDS; built-in amplifier capable of delivering up to 80 continuous watts of high fidelity power to your speakers; built-in USB 2.0 input that doubles as a charging device for phones and other accessories; and an IP66 water and dustproof rating with Salt & Sun Certifications. The CMM-10 starts at $179.99. (www.clarionmarine.com)
close view of a container of Airy sunscreen held in a hand
A Sensitive Sunscreen Option
Blithe’s line of skin-centered sunscreen is perfect for a day out on the water. Their Honest sunscreen features a recipe crafted purposefully for sensitive skin. It features a pH of 5.5 to protect your natural skin barrier, SPF 50 protection, and will deeply nourish and hydrate your skin. It is easy to apply and leaves no white cast on its user. Best of all, it has been created with our ocean’s coral reefs in mind and is reef safe.

Their other line of sunscreen, Airy, is an ultra-light, fluid-type sunscreen meant to help oil control and tone correction. It’s lightweight and leaves a soft, matte look on the wearer. Its formula includes eight kinds of plant extract meant to help prevent excessive sebum and reduce enlarged pores. (www.blithecosmetic.com)

JC TriToon Marine logo
Forty-five years in the making, today’s JC TriToon soars over the water as one of unequalled technology and comfort in the world of pontoons. Let JC TriToon introduce you to extraordinary boating!
Suzuki boat engine attached to a boat on the water
Find your local dealer* today
*Not for sale in California.
Suzuki Marine & JL Audio link
JC Manufacturing, Inc. | North Webster, IN 46555
e-mail: sales@jcpontoon.com
Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual.
Forty-five years in the making, today’s JC TriToon soars over the water as one of unequalled technology and comfort in the world of pontoons. Let JC TriToon introduce you to extraordinary boating!
Suzuki boat engine attached to a boat on the water
Forty-five years in the making, today’s JC TriToon soars over the water as one of unequalled technology and comfort in the world of pontoons. Let JC TriToon introduce you to extraordinary boating!
Suzuki boat engine attached to a boat on the water
Find your local dealer* today
*Not for sale in California.
Suzuki Marine & JL Audio link
JC Manufacturing, Inc. | North Webster, IN 46555
e-mail: sales@jcpontoon.com
Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual.
front view of a family of four enjoying a lime green Godfrey XP series pontoon on the water
Well Beyond
Luxurious

Godfrey releases its 2024 XP Series

By Brady L. Kay
Already known for its impressive lineup of quality pontoon boats, Godfrey is creating excitement in the industry once again with the release of its XP Series for the upcoming model year. I got my first sneak peek at the 2024 Godfrey XP at the Minneapolis Boat Show earlier this year when it was on display. During the January show it stopped people in the aisles and created a positive buzz throughout the convention center with its modern look and luxurious vibe.

The XP made a solid first impression as attendees were drawn to the Godfrey booth for a closer look and in some cases show goers probably heard the boat before they actually saw it, thanks to one of the best production sound systems you’ll find on a pontoon.

In Honor of Our Boating Veterans
The military is the backbone of our country. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the selfless actions of our servicemen and women. Deciding to give up a more traditional life and put yourself in harm’s way to protect friends, family, and millions of people you’ve never met takes a rare dedication.

Our annual “Salute The Troops” edition, brought to you by KICKER, originally started with our July 2016 issue and it’s something we look forward to as a staff every year. We got the idea to do the special feature when we started noticing a trend or pattern in some of the emails and messages we were receiving. A number of the messages coming in were from soldiers who were pontoon and deck boat enthusiasts looking forward to getting out on the water when they returned home to the states. However or whenever you served, this issue is dedicated to you. We want to honor those who put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms.

Boats on the lake at night with fireworks in the sky
"Pontoons, Picnics & Pyrotechnics"
"Pontoons, Picnics & Pyrotechnics"
Celebrating the Fourth on Kerr Lake in North Carolina
By Gini McKain
The Fourth of July weekend is a celebratory time in our lives where we come together as family and friends to enjoy boating or to simply spend time on land having a picnic. Kerr Lake State Recreation Area by Henderson, N.C., is an ideal place for such a celebration where multitudes of picnic tables or convenient areas to pitch a shelter are found under numerous trees throughout the picturesque parks.

It is also a place where many of those locations are right next to a sandy beach to “dock” your pontoon boat while you enjoy your picnic. Numerous families have also come here year after year for the grand fireworks display celebrating our national heritage of freedom to swim in the clear, clean water.

Our 10 Roundup department heading
Long-Term
Solutions
By Braeden Krieger
Long-Term
Solutions
By Braeden Krieger
Employees who have helped some of the oldest manufacturers in our industry
Pontoon and deck boat manufacturers have been hard at work producing quality boats for decades and those success stories are a direct result of a dedicated workforce who have spent years helping those companies grow. Recognizing or highlighting just one current employee from each company is a near impossible task and only compares to asking a manufacturer to name its one best model, yet we reached out to find the best of the best.

We contacted builders who are at least near a half-century old and asked them to recommend an employee who deserves a little recognition. Not necessarily an employee who has been with each manufacturer the longest, but one who has played a significant role in the company’s success over the years. What we discovered was a list rich in history with plenty of stories to share.

Tackle box typography
Give ‘Em the Slip
By Dan Armitage
Soft plastics are popular baits to use below slip bobbers for catching summer crappies, which often suspend in deeper, offshore waters during the Dog Days.
Give ‘Em the Slip
By Dan Armitage
Soft plastics are popular baits to use below slip bobbers for catching summer crappies, which often suspend in deeper, offshore waters during the Dog Days.
Year in and year out, July is typically our hottest month here in the Northern Hemisphere. Ancient Greeks and Romans named the searing summer period the “Dog Days” which they believed to be a time of drought, unrest, and bad luck, when man and dog alike may be driven mad by the heat. The Old Farmer’s Almanac considers the Dog Days to be from July 3 to August 11 annually, and any angler who has attempted to use spring fishing tactics during this stretch of summer can attest to the frustration that may cause.

Being cold-blooded, fish are adept at assuming the temperature of the surrounding water. To a point. But even heat-tolerant gamefish species such as largemouth bass and panfish seek out water temperatures that are in their preferred comfort range. This time of the year, with the heat of the sun beating down on the water, that often means the fish must move deeper to find cooler water and avoid the annoying rays of said sun. Using spring tactics that target fish in the shallows, or suspended in shallow water over deep, will often go unrewarded as the finned targets may now be many feet below the productive fishing depths found earlier.

PDB 360 Tested Badge
PinUltimate
Quick-Release Hitch Pin
By Roy Sparks
Close-up photograph perspective of the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin situated on top of a tow hitch
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's fingers inserting the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin into the side hole of a tow hitch
Close-up photograph perspective of the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin with a key inserted into the product while being secured onto the tow hitch
Close-up photograph perspective of the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin
PDB 360 Tested Badge
PINULTIMATE
QUICK-RELEASE HITCH PIN
By Roy Sparks
Close-up photograph perspective of the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin situated on top of a tow hitch
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's fingers inserting the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin into the side hole of a tow hitch
Close-up photograph perspective of the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin with a key inserted into the product while being secured onto the tow hitch
Not locking the receiver hitch on my truck is not an option; there are just too many thieves out there. However, the new all-titanium PinUltimate Quick-Release Hitch Pin goes beyond security. It also allows you to remove your hitch faster and easier than ever.

If you’re still using the basic hitch pin that came with your hitch – you know, those steel rods that are secured by clumsy “R-clips” that are a pain to take on or off – you should pay attention.

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  • Avalon/Tahoe Pontoons48

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  • Conrad Marine45

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  • Hampton Pontoons17

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  • Skysmith Specialty Insurance8

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  • Stingray Boats47

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  • Suzuki Marine Outboards2

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By Sky Smith
STAYING IN ‘TOON
Boating Tips and Observations with Sky Smith
Military Inventions & Other Tidbits
Sky Smith Headshot
July is a month of celebration. It’s the celebration of the country and the people who serve in the military and emergency services. A sincere thank you for your support. Those of us that have not served don’t really understand what it’s like. My father-in-law spent four years as a prisoner of war in Germany. The stories he told (and didn’t tell) do not give us half of what it was really like. This time of year reminds us to show support for the people and products that were developed to help them in their service to our country.

My search started by looking for military inventions that we use in recreational boating. Things such as GPS technology, duct tape, sonar, etc. all started as military products and then they were filtered down to everyday use in boating, cars and such. I found a couple but then I got sidetracked by a few outboard engine details.

Pontoon and Deck Boat
Thanks for reading our July 2023 issue!