e-mail: sales@jcpontoon.com
Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual.
Executive Editor Brady L. Kay
Editorial Staff Nicole Richens, Heather Magda Serrano, Roy Sparks, Annie Carbutt, Bradley Sallee
Editorial Correspondents
Dan Armitage, Sky Smith
Advertising Director
Jason Huff, jhuff@pdbmagazine.com
Advertising Executives
Greg Larsen, glarsen@pdbmagazine.com
Robin Witbeck, rwitbeck@pdbmagazine.com
Marketing Director Cameron Bischoff
Circulation Director Chuck Harris
Lead Designer Lavon Horne
Production Jim Donovan
www.harrispublishing.com/pontoon-deck-boat
Publisher Brady L. Kay
Executive Editor Brady L. Kay
Production Manager Janet Chase
Circulation Manager Chuck Harris
Controller Clayton Ward
Production Janet Chase
Founder Darryl W. Harris
President Jason Harris
Vice President Chuck Harris
Vice President Ryan Harris
Treasurer Clayton Ward
Secretary Janet Chase
The basic subscription price is $19.97 for 11 issues. Cover price is $3.95. Canadian and Foreign subscriptions add $20.00 per 11 issues. U.S. funds only. Limited back issues are available for $5.00 each.
Copyright 2022 by Harris Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission is strictly prohibited.
Call 800-638-0135 to purchase a subscription, to correct your mailing label, or to order back issues.
Harris Publishing, Inc.
520 Park Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83402
(800) 638-0135 • Fax (208) 522-5241
www.pdbmagazine.com
Also publishers of Great Lakes Boating magazine.
That same mindset has carried over to other areas of my life, including driving. Of course it’s important to be a good defensive driver when behind the wheel of a vehicle, but as a motorcycle enthusiast it’s actually crucial, as I’ve been on the defense of other drivers as a survival method for decades. If you’re not alert and ready to react at all times to someone who may not see you, riding a motorcycle can be even more dangerous than your mom predicted.
What does this have to do with boating? Well, I’m glad you asked. With new boaters everywhere, accident numbers are up, and even the most experienced boaters need to focus more on defensive driving than ever before.
Many people use fuel additives to insulate their engine against harsh weather conditions during winter storage, but you can get so much more out of your fuel additives. They have a number of day-to-day applications as well. This is especially important information for new boaters, who may not know how to protect their watercraft from common problems that more seasoned boaters have experienced firsthand. Knowledge is key here, so we’ll help with some recommendations for what to use and how to use it.
NO WAKE ZONE | PLACES, FACES, VIEWS, NEWS, PRODUCTS & MORE
A paddle is hiding inside each issue of PDB and the names of the first readers to find it are printed in an upcoming magazine! In our April issue the paddle is on page 39 (shown in the photo on the left) on the man’s leg. Here are the readers who spotted it first:
Marcus Rosehill, Kaneohe, Hawaii
As soon as you find the paddle, email its location, your name, and hometown
to paddle@pdbmagazine.com. Paddle on!
Customers wander in. Some have come to fuel up their boats, while others are looking to pick up a pontoon or personal watercraft rental. A handful of people browse the dock store in search of a morning snack and some sunscreen.
Kent Morris, the owner of Pirate’s Point, totes a thermos of coffee in hand to jumpstart himself for the day ahead. He’s got his sailing hat and sunglasses in place. It’s going to get hot and busy, but he’s ready.
Keep up the good work, ladies!
Apex Marine Marketing Manager
Kristen developed media relations and marketing skills while working for Outdoor News Publications and the Wisconsin Fishing Expo as a floor manager. She also had the honor of representing Team USA in an international Match Fishing Championship in Hungary.
Naturally, the skills behind the lens, solid preparation and a strong team are of the utmost importance, but Kristen thinks another crucial element of a successful photoshoot is fun. The content gathered at these shoots provides the building blocks to a successful marketing plan. This philosophy has aided her success as Apex Marine Inc.
One of the important steps of buying a new pontoon boat is figuring out where to put it when you’re not using it. That’s where boat lifts can come in handy.
Back in the day, a standard lift would probably do the trick, but with modern pontoons getting longer, wider and heavier, you’ll most likely need a lift designed specifically for your pontoon. Let’s dive right in.
While there’s nothing wrong with using some sturdy rope to simply tie your new boat to any available part of the dock or pier, there are some definite benefits to opting for a boat lift instead.
To start, pontoon boat lifts make boating easier by allowing you to launch your pontoon from the dock into water and then elevate it out of the water until you return. Without one, you’d either be leaving you boat to sit in the water at the dock or having to trailer it every time you want to go boating.
There’s a lot of aspects to boating, and where you put your vessel when it’s not in use is one of them. Whether you’re a boater with waterfront property or you have a slip at a marina, you’re going to want to check out these lifts, docks and docking accessories.
The lifts can support boats up to 5,000 pounds. Ideal for pontoon boats, they can flexibly fit at your home or in a marina boat slip. Plus, you can always add more blocks if you get another boat.
This unique docking system is over 50 percent stronger than other leading competitive products due to their patented connecting system and the durable construction process. Dock Blocks are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a thick and durable plastic. Their hassle-free design is easy to assemble while also being low maintenance. (www.dock-blocks.com)
The lifts can support boats up to 5,000 pounds. Ideal for pontoon boats, they can flexibly fit at your home or in a marina boat slip. Plus, you can always add more blocks if you get another boat.
This unique docking system is over 50 percent stronger than other leading competitive products due to their patented connecting system and the durable construction process. Dock Blocks are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a thick and durable plastic. Their hassle-free design is easy to assemble while also being low maintenance. (www.dock-blocks.com)
With the new show venues this year there were plenty of boats to discover, yet we had better odds of finding a snowball in Miami than actually seeing them all in just five days. As the show has grown, so has the presence of pontoon boats as we saw plenty inside and out of the Miami Beach Convention Center as well as on the water. Two of our favorite pontoon offerings at the show had a common connection: both were powered with the new Honda BF150 engine. Also worth noting, both pontoons were manufactured by Premier Marine.
We were teased back at IBEX 2021 last fall when the significant redesigns and upgrades made to the Honda BF115 and the BF150 outboards were first announced. It was great news to hear, but as journalists we like to put the throttle down ourselves first before we get too excited about new engines.
While on the hunt for a new pair of boating shoes for the season, our search led us to Sperry and its new Sport line. The popular Sperry brand was founded in 1935 by avid sailor, inventor and intrepid explorer Paul Sperry and for 2022 its latest collection of footwear is getting a lot of attention from boaters.
The Oshkosh ToonFest grew from the Four Horsemen Poker Run, a go-fast boating event that saw contestants making stops along the coasts to gather cards for a full poker hand, eventually making a play at the end of the course for a grand prize. While the Winnebago poker run was well-received, there was a growing interest in something new, with spectators wanting an opportunity to bring their pontoons out for some fun too.
Jason Lindemann, owner of the Sweetwater Performance Center, and fellow poker run organizers Jeff Eiden and Gary Swanson saw an opportunity. Over time, this team gauged community interest in this pontoon-exclusive event, and found overwhelming support. In 2020, the first ToonFest hit the waters with contributions from a variety of local sponsors who provide the prizes and vendors who man the stops.
View Advertisers
- Aqua Sports Technology8
- Avalon48
- Barletta Boats2
- Bart’s Water Sports17
- BumperMate4
- Conrad Marine42
- Dometic Environmental17
- EZ Anchor Puller3
- Godfrey Pontoon Boats47
- JC Tritoon Marine5
- Kicker Audio25
- Playcraft—Pontoon & Deck Boats25
- Lagun USA8
- Sideshift Inc.33
- Skysmith Specialty Insurance42
- Teak Isle Mfg7
- WOW Watersports11
Still owner maintenance is possible. Here are a few numbers to show why I believe that DIY maintenance is still important for some owners, although these numbers are probably off a bit by now. The closing of shops, the changes in access and the availability of parts (supply chain) has had an impact on all markets.
To begin, there are about 4,500 official marine dealers in the United States. If you look at the number of recreational boats (which is estimated to be over 17 million), that leaves about one dealer for about 3,778 boats. Of course that total number of boats includes canoes and kayaks, but still there are not very many dealers compared to the number of boats.
