Used Pontoon Boats - BoatMax Opens In Port Carling

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here with Used Pontoon Boats on news from BoatMax. As Canada's largest full line Doral and Seaswirl dealer, also offering Bennington Pontoon Boats, BoatMax is excited to announce the opening of its third location in the heart of Muskoka, Port Carling.

Recognized formerly as Proline Marine, General Manager Tom Fulton shared the news with Boating Industry Canada that the negotiations were just completed to re-open under the BoatMax name what was once Doral's top Sport Boat dealer for many years.

"Without question, this will extend our share of the marketplace, as well as provide a service outlet for all our current and future customers who do their boating in the Muskoka area," said Fulton.

Sales and Rentals will be offered as of April 1st, the anticipated grand opening.
Thanks to Boat Industry Canada for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - LAKE OF THE OZARKS Shoreline volunteer Honored

The Outstanding Volunteer of the Year for AmerenUE's Adopt-the-Shoreline program was presented to Louis DeVries, who has helped haul more than 35 tons of trash and debris from the lake since 1996. Photo courtesy AmerenUE

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with news from the boating industry.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS - Louis DeVries has hauled 35 tons of trash and debris from a 13-mile stretch of shoreline between Linn Creek and Race Track coves since 1996.

DeVries was honored this week as AmerenUE's Adopt-the-Shoreline Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.

The award is highly coveted among the die-hards who get out every spring, and sometimes in the fall, to keep the lake's shoreline pristine. They haul out pontoon boats, barges and shovels to do their part for the lake. Nothing deters these hardy souls.

Over the years, he's recruited neighbors to volunteer and when he had to, paid helpers out of his own pocket. These days, he has a pretty good crew to help out.

Ask him how long he's been doing the shoreline cleanup and his response is a quick, 'as long as I can remember.' And at 78, he says he has no intention of slowing down. At least not yet. He plans to have his crew ready by April 19 to tackle their 13 miles of shoreline.

DeVries and his wife Janet have owned and operated the Creel Resort at the 28.5-mile marker since 1982. Today, the family-style resort is still open for seasonal rentals. The resort has eight cabins and slips for more than 20 boats. Although there's plenty to keep DeVries busy around the resort, he always seems to find time to help out.

According to his neighbors, Ron and Lanell Hagar, he was able to recruit them in 1999. For several years the three of them did the work of cleaning more than 13 miles of shoreline.

'Most years we completely filled two large dumpsters with foam and debris,' they said. 'The last two years Louis was able to recruit more helpers and last year Doc Pushers provided a boat and barge, which was a great addition to the cleanup efforts. With a dozen volunteers we completed our cleanup in record time. This came at a good time as Louis's old pontoon work boat finally had too many holes in the tanks and had to be retired.'

He's hauled a lot of old, soggy dock foam and trash off the lake and has stumbled across some unusual junk along the way. The most unusual was an old safe that he found lying on the bank.

'Someone had beat us to it,' he joked. 'There was a hole cut in the back of it.'

This year's theme for the annual dinner to recognize volunteers and kick start the shoreline cleanup was a play on the popular Survivor games with the theme 'out work, out clean and out haul.'

DeVries and his team will definitely be some tough competition for other crews when the spring cleanup officially gets underway April 1.
Thanks to Joyce L. Miller at lakesunleader.com

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Used Pontoon Boats - North Carolina’s Lake Monster

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a MONSTER of an article. Scotland is home to the world-famous Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie. But could nearby Lake Norman have a monster named Normie?

Residents say something strange is lurking in the waters of Lake Norman

Some people living along the shores of North Carolina’s biggest lake suspect that some kind of strange, large creature exists beneath the surface. For years, they have told strange stories about a monster in the lake.

And an entire Web site is devoted to the weird phenonemon. If you go to LakeNormanMonster.com, you can read all kinds of strange and sometimes funny stories about the purported creature. You can also submit your own report if you have seen something unexplained at the lake. The many rumors and tales prompted Mooresville resident Matt Myers to create the site.

“People in Lake Norman have seen strange things in the waters,” read a news release from the Web site. “Many dismissed these sightings and the resulting speculation as flights of fancy. In 2000, locals began spreading disturbing sightings of alligators sunning on docks and sand bars. No one believed these sightings, either, until video footage of one of the alligators was delivered to a Charlotte news station.”

Bobby of Huntersville submitted his tale to the site, dated Aug. 21, 2006. “I’ve lived in North Carolina all my life and while I was growing up I’ve always heard the story of the Lake Norman monster also known as ‘Normie’ and I never really believed it until last week when I was fishing off my boat with my dad,” reads Bobby’s tale. “I had a bass on my fishing line and while I was reeling it in I saw a big creature in the lake with huge eyes about the size of a basketball and a striped squirmy tail. At this time I couldn’t believe what I had seen and I told my dad and all he said was ‘Bobby, your seeing stuff,’ but when I pulled in my line something pulled it and then out of nowhere my bass was gone and the creature I saw was gone too. I was in total shock and now I believe there is something in that lake and I am scared to swim in it.”

The site also offers a history of Lake Norman, facts about the man-made lake, a list of the most recent sightings, a form for users to submit their own sighting and a tongue-in-cheek introduction by world famous Swedish cryptozoologist Jan Sundberg, best known from documentaries on The Learning Channel, including “Loch Ness: The Search for The Truth.”

Visitors to the site can also sign up for a free monthly newsletter and purchase souvenir T-shirts, mugs, hats and more.

In addition, Asheville author Joshua P. Warren and his team of paranormal investigators called LEMUR have looked into what is underneath the waters of Lake Norman. LEMUR stands for League of Energy Materialization and Unexplained Phenomena Research. The group has previously investigated the Brown Mountain Lights, the Pink Lady ghost at the Grove Park Inn and UFO sightings.

In April 2003, the LEMUR team got on a pontoon boat and went out on Lake Norman, armed with video and digital cameras. “It was a wonderful way to spend a beautiful day,” reads LEMUR’s Web site. “However, we never witnessed anything out of the usual.

Of course, if Normie was out there, it would literally have been easier to find a needle in a haystack. At least a needle doesn’t move around!”

Unlike Loch Ness, Lake Norman is a manmade body of water. It was created from 1959 to 1964 when Duke Power built the Cowans Ford Dam across the Catawba River to generate electrical energy.

Lake Norman has more than 500 miles of shoreline and some parts of it are more than 110 feet deep.

In addition to Normie, other folks have reported seeing huge catfish in the lake. Some people have said they are as big as a car with mouths large enough to swallow a human.

So how could such weird creatures live in a manmade lake?

Some folks speculate that the Lake Norman Monster and the huge catfish could be mutations caused by the nearby nuclear power plant.

Others think that Normie swam up the river from the ocean and got trapped there before the lake was formed in the 1960s. Thanks to

Thanks to Mike Conley, ourstrangeworld.net for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - Oakridge, Oregon Project Manager is Felon

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with inforamtion out of Oakridge, Oregon about a project manager being felon. The project manager of a multimillion-dollar “manufacturing and office operation” proposed in the city’s industrial park is a convicted felon, City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman and Community Development Director Kevin Urban have confirmed.

The two officials identified the man they know as Atherton Properties LLC Oakridge representative Ted Thomas from a 1998 jail booking photo of Ted Combis, 62.

According to court records, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Hogan sentenced Combis then to 57 months in prison after a plea bargain in which Combis pleaded guilty to payroll tax evasion and mail and bankruptcy fraud. He was sentenced to an additional 24 months in prison in January 2005, when Hogan found he had violated conditions of his probation by consuming alcohol, unlawfully receiving Social Security and distributing controlled substances by selling drugs prescribed for him.

The Register-Guard obtained the prison photo on Friday after being directed to old Modoc Record newspaper accounts of Combis’ criminal activity by an anonymous telephone caller who said he is an Oakridge business owner. The newspaper then showed the photo to Oakridge officials, who confirmed he is the man they know as Thomas.

Thomas called The Register-Guard on Friday afternoon to say that he legally changed his name last year in order to make a fresh start after satisfying his prison term. He also said that because of the disclosure he was now resigning from the company and that his past should not reflect on its partners, whom he identified as “Keith, Joe and Rich.”

Atherton, which is incorporated in Nevada and not registered to do business in Oregon, has been secretive about the identity of its owners and its plans for 18 acres of industrial land it optioned a year ago in a $628,000 conditional purchase agreement with the city. The only publicly identified partner is Eugene attorney Keith Boyd, who did not return phone calls and an e-mail inviting him to comment on the matter.

Court records show Boyd represented Combis in a 1995 bankruptcy proceeding that followed a federal raid of Combis’ former company, Thena Inc., during an investigation of alleged fraud.

Combis was the company’s president. Details of the criminal and bankruptcy cases are archived in Seattle and not immediately available.

But Oregon and California newspapers reported that a July 1996 federal grand jury indicted Combis on 48 counts of mail fraud, interstate transportation of stolen goods, money laundering, failure to pay payroll taxes, obstruction of justice and tampering with a witness.

The indictment charged that Klamath Falls-based Thena sent letters to thousands of Northern California landowners, offering to remove dead and dying timber at no cost. When its loggers did so, they also removed 25 million board feet of healthy timber, the government charged, selling it for $15 million. The alleged fraud loss was reduced to less than $1.5 million as a part of Combis’ plea deal.

“This is news to us,” Zimmerman said Friday soon after he and Urban viewed the booking photo of Combis.

Washington County records show that Combis indeed changed his name to Thomas in May 2007, four months after completing his prison term and post-release supervision. According to city records, however, he was identifying himself to Oakridge officials as Ted Thomas as early as September 2006.

According to court records and news accounts, Thena owed $3.4 million to some 500 creditors at the time of its 1995 bankruptcy filing.

Even though federal authorities seized more than $1.75 million in Combis-owned real estate, airplanes, boats and other assets, the reports said, hundreds of creditors never received full payment.

Zimmerman said he did not expect the revelations about Thomas to affect the land deal, which has not yet closed despite an initial deadline of Jan. 1.

The city twice has extended the timeline as it continues to work with Atherton on details of the proposal.

“All I can tell you is that (the criminal activity) happened before he was an employee, he served his time for what he did, and he was a real champion for Oakridge by helping convince these five principals (Atherton partners) to move their business here,” Zimmerman said.

He credited Thomas with persuading the partners to build their project in Oakridge rather than Harrisburg, the other site they reportedly considered for a development they projected eventually could include 800,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space and create up to 545 jobs in enterprises as diverse as printing, logging and racing.

Oakridge has been trying for more than a decade to attract new employers to the industrial park, site of the former Bald Knob mill that once employed hundreds of area residents.

“We vetted the five principals and didn’t find anything in their backgrounds — we didn’t vet Ted because he was an employee,” Zimmerman said. “I am sorry that this has come out now, because it appears to be his personal life and unrelated to this project.

“I’m sure the council will want to have the five principals answer some questions about this, but I don’t think it changes the economic nature of their proposal.”

Zimmerman said the revelations did not cause him to question the judgment of the company’s partners.

“In fact, I think we ought to applaud a company that employs someone who’s been convicted of wrongdoing and paid the price for it,” he said.

Mayor Don Hampton declined comment on the matter, saying he wants more information first.

In an e-mail to the City Council last week, Zimmerman revealed details of Atherton’s first planned business on the site.

He said Record Boats, a manufacturing plant and showroom, is expected to employ up to 100 workers building fiberglass and pontoon boats “under the Oakridge brand by the end of the year.”

He declined to provide further information, citing a confidentiality clause in the purchase agreement.

He said he was able to speak about the boat businesses because Atherton had made that information public in a press release to Oakridge’s weekly newspaper, the Dead Mountain Echo.

Boyd did not respond to The Register-Guard’s request for the same press release.

He said in December that Atherton would no longer provide The Register-Guard any information about the company because it had refused his request that it withdraw a request for Oakridge’s public records pertaining to the development.

“Other than curiosity, I see no public interest or need to know in connection with our dealings with the city of Oakridge,” he said then.

Thomas said Boyd “convinced me to work for the company.”

“My original capacity was to try to find a location that was suitable,” he said. “I wanted to prove that I was a good and honest person.”

Thomas said other enterprises that he previously owned and were listed in bankruptcy records — including Oregon Racing Products and Diversified Fiber Corp. — are “past companies not remotely connected to Oakridge.”

He expressed concern that publicity about his past would unfairly hurt the owners of the company. “I don’t own the company. Please don’t hurt Keith, Joe and Rich. I don’t want the owners of the company to be hurt because of me. Keith (Boyd) is an honorable man, an honest attorney. They don’t belong in a bad light.”

Thomas said he was in Klamath Falls while his former partner conducted the salvage operation that included the alleged theft of healthy trees.
Thanks to Karen McCowan, The Register-Guard for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - Fined for Deeding Dolphin

Hi gang, Rick here again from Used Pontoon Boats with interesting from BREVARD COUNTY, Florida about a man cited for feeding a Dolphin. A captain of a Merritt Island pontoon boat tour got a $321 ticket for allegedly feeding a dolphin in the Banana River.

Officers cited Donald Quinn, 51, of Brevard County, captain of the vessel, Fish Tales, at about 1 p.m., at the Barge Canal locks, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.

An undercover officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission filmed Quinn and a passenger on the 24-foot-long boat feeding menhaden baitfish to the dolphin, said Lenny Salberg, an officer with the commission.

Quinn's ticket was for interfering with a dolphin’s normal activity, a second-degree misdemeanor.

The passenger who also fed the dolphin was not cited.

"They didn’t know. They were tourists from Pennsylvania," Salberg said.

Quinn declined to comment.

“He’s brand-new,” said Peter Wallace of Rockledge, owner of Fish Tales.

“He didn’t know what the rules were, which isn’t any excuse,” Wallace said. “It was his third trip. He’s from Utah. He’d never seen a dolphin before.”

Officers could have charged Quinn under a federal law that also bans feeding wild dolphin, which carries much stiffer penalties.

“That could go up to $5,000,” Salberg said. “It could be as high as seizing the boat.” Thanks to local6.com/news for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - Keego Harbor Sandbar Parties

Hi gang, Rick here again from Used Pontoon Boats with an article about Keego Harbor aiming to rein in sandbar parties. On almost any given summer weekend, more than 100 boats anchor on Cass Lake's popular sandbar, a shallow stretch almost a mile long off the lake's eastern shore.

That's when the sandbar sometimes turns rowdy, with public urination, drunken behavior, obscene language, and occasionally, indecent exposure.

Some say as many as 500 boats anchor there, but Oakland County sheriffs who patrol the lake put the number closer to 200.

Keego Harbor and the Department of Natural Resources are taking a hard look at the complaints and may soon come up with a plan to regulate the sandbar -- the first such plan in the state, and one that other communities may consider.

"It could very well be a test case for other lakes," said City Attorney Thomas Ryan. "We're not trying to stop people from using the lake. But we can't just have wall-to-wall boats anchored out there."

Although there already are ordinances that prohibit drunken boating and other bad behavior, such as urinating off boats and taking a bikini top off, there are no rules that restrict the number of boats anchoring, or the number that "raft," a local term for tying several boats together so that people can hop from pontoon to pontoon.

Among the considerations, creating navigational lanes using buoys every 50 feet that would make it easier to cross the sandbar and to break up the large crowds. Keego Harbor also is considering limiting the number of boats that can tie up together.

The rafting and sheer number of boats make it impossible to cross the sandbar on some days, residents said. Some citizens worry that law enforcement would have trouble responding to reports of people needing help. A St. Clair Shores woman testified at a DNR hearing in January that she lost a finger in a clasp on a pontoon last summer and that medical help was delayed because of the crowded sandbar.

"If you took this exact problem and put it on a street, it would not be tolerated," said Paula Reeves, who lives a block off the lake. Reeves, a Keego Harbor council member, said she has grown disgusted by the antics on the sandbar. "It's clearly out of control." The DNR, which held a public hearing on the matter in January, solicited written opinions from residents in February and is expected to make a recommendation to Keego Harbor in April and May. The city can then consider adopting ordinances that the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and DNR officers could enforce.

But some residents say they would object to restrictions or navigational lanes.

"It's gotten a bit more crowded in the last few years and more people go out" on "pontoon boats, but I think all you need is a police presence when you get a crowd of people," said David Osborn, who has lived on a canal leading into the lake for 12 years. "I don't think you need more regulation."

Should Cass Lake become more regulated, other lakes might follow suit. The Macomb County sheriff's marine division routinely responds to complaints about parties on Gull Island in Lake St. Clair. On Torch Lake in Antrim County, hundreds of boaters tend to congregate on a sandbar there.

"Almost any lake that has a sandbar has this situation," said Sgt. Al Bavarskas, an enforcement officer with the DNR. "It's not a situation unique to Cass Lake."
Thanks to BY L.L. BRASIER • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER for this.

PS: Go to their website and read the comment responds from boaters.......

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Used Pontoon Boats - Old Barney at Lake Havasu

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with an article about Old Barney. Lake Havasu Lighthouse Club recently installed their latest lighthouse replica at Mohave Point, Barnegat Light. Old Barney, as it’s affectionately known in New Jersey, joins the thirteen others already acting as navigational aids around the Arizona lake. This wasn’t like the other installations, though.

As the sites get more remote, the replicas are being built offsite and hauled by pontoon boat to their destination. This particular feat of engineering involved hauling the twelve foot fiberglass body up a thirty foot bluff to set it on its concrete footing. Previously, they were built on site of wood and stucco.

As soon as the volunteers finish the final work on the solar powered, LED light from Canada (which only needs five hours of sunlight a month, by the way, easy to get in Arizona), they’ll be busy installing the next one. Berwick Light from Louisiana is next, along with three others expected to be installed this year.

All the replicas are based on the original lighthouse plans, just scaled down to around fifteen feet or so. It costs $4,000 to sponsor a light, and Barney was sponsored by Ruth Naven and her family, in honor of her father, who grew up near Barnegat in New Jersey. The West Coast lights are on the California ( west) side of the lake, the East Coast lights are on the Arizona (east) side of the lake, and Great Lakes lights are placed around Parker Dam.

The “East” coast lights also include one Canadian light, East Quoddy Head, pictured below, in honor of our nation’s longstanding friendship and good relations. The Lake Havasu Lighthouse Club was previously featured in a story when their floating lighthouse won a sweepstakes last December. Thanks to Sue Clark, at Lighthouse News for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - A Turtle Tale

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with an interesting turtle tale. When we were kids we spent more than a few hours catching turtles. We had a really nice restaurant, about 1 mile from our house, that specialized in seafood. A couple of their great fares were fried turtle, and turtle soup.

It was my dad’s favorite place to go, whenever he could afford to take his gang of 8 out for dinner. The name of the place was Drouillard’s, and it sat right on the banks of Otter Creek, just a 1/2 mile or so from Lake Erie. Sometimes dad would “sneak” off by himself, just to enjoy a bowl of turtle soup, and chat with Don Drouillard the owner. Don’s turtle was always fresh, and sometimes we would even sell him ours, when we caught some large enough to make it worth while.

Back then you could bring your boat, in from the lake, and dock right out the back door of the restaurant. The atmosphere was one of always being on vacation, even when you weren’t. Don’s perch and walleye dinners were also well know among those locals, who liked seafood, and the atmosphere of this water side eatery.

The huge snapper in the picture was intended for the frying pan. I had visions of those great Drouillards turtle dishes, and figured I could get about 15 pounds of great meat from this “old buzzard!” I caught him by leaning out from a pontoon boat, and when I grabbed his tail, he almost pulled me in the water!

Once I got him back to the cabin I started thinking “man This is a really old turtle!” The more I thought about “doing him in” the less I liked the idea. He was probably older than I was, and I was always told to “respect your elders”, so I put him back in the lake. He’d made it this long, and I didn’t want to be the one to stop his monopoly on 16 Mile Lake. Besides it made my wife and grandkids happy!
Thanks to Mike at blogsmonroe.com for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - Quinte Sportsman Boat & RV Show

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a report from the Quinte Sportsman Boat & RV Show this weekend. Jeff Cox says a great winter escape is just a short drive away to the Quinte Sports Centre this weekend.

The 10th annual Quinte Sportsman Boat & RV Show will help get people's minds off the brutal and snowy winter, said Cox, the event's organizer.

"Escape the winter and see everything to do with spring and summer. It's the easiest way to get rid of the winter blahs."

The show opens its doors today at 10 a.m. with a record number of exhibitors displaying everything from boats, park and travel trailers, motor homes and travel vans to tent trailers, fishing equipment, ATVs and campgrounds.

"We are the largest sportsman show between Montreal and Toronto and this year is our biggest yet," said Cox, who owns Carl Cox RV Sales and Service on Old Highway 2 East.

There are more than 60 exhibitors displaying their wares on every inch of available space both in the Wally Dever Arena, Yardmen Arena, an upper mezzanine level and the paved parking lot around the Quinte Sports Centre.

"I've even had to turn away American vendors because of the lack of space. That shows the growing interest in this show," he said.

Mike Redcliffe of Sault Ste. Marie was attending his second show on behalf of Chapleau Air Services Ltd. located almost three hours north of Sudbury.

The 24-year-old former Madoc resident is the chief pilot for the fly-in fishing charter firm.

"The owner of the company is attending the Toronto Sportsmen Show this weekend and I'm here. This is the only show I do to promote the business," he said "I like this show because I'm the only fly-in fishing company here."

Redcliffe will be manning an information booth throughout the show and he's expecting to be busy talking to prospective customers.

"Last year, I had a lot of interest and had two bookings. This time, I'm hoping for even more bookings," he said.

Redcliffe's company is also giving away a major door prize of a trip for two to a remote northern lake for a fishing getaway.

Wes Bristow has been to every one of the local shows on behalf of his family's business, Bay Marine on Old Highway 2 West.

"It's a local show and we do really good business out of this show," he said. "It's an opportunity for us to show what we carry in boats and promote any new products."

Bay Marine has more than a dozen boats in the show, including bowriders, fishing boats, Seadoos, pontoon boats and its new line of Starcraft deck and pontoon boats and bowriders.

Bristow said this weekend's show is an ideal time to buy a boat.

"We have very aggressive pricing at this show," he said. "The price of boats is down 15 per cent over last year because of the strong Canadian dollar so now is a good time to buy."

This weekend's show features about a half-dozen new RV vendors, said organizer Cox.

"This year, we even have a 45-foot long park model complete with a loft and two bedrooms. It's quite a machine and a great way to spend the summer," he said.

"There are towable, parkable, driveable and, of course, buyable trailers right here at the show."

Participating for the first time is Castle Resort Park of Woodview, Ont. that operates numerous trailer parks throughout the province.

"Anyone looking for a trailer park should consider seeing them at the show," Cox said.

"That way you can find a suitable trailer park without even having to leave Belleville."

Other new vendors will be selling everything from sunglasses and fishing nets with built-in scales to deer feed and deer plots (where homeowners can grow their own deer feed in their backyards in order to attract deer).

"We have something for everyone in the family at this show," he said.

Representatives of the Bay of Quinte Power Squadron will also be on hand to conduct testing for the pleasure craft operator's card.

There will be plenty of door prizes given out throughout the three-day show.
The show continues Friday until 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for seniors while children under 12 get in free.
Thanks to Henry Bury at intelligencer.ca for this.

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Pontoon Enclosures-North American Waterway

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Used Pontoon Boats - St. Patrick's Day Ozarks Style

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a different twist to St. Patrick's Day festivities.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS ' Get ready to wear green to avoid being pinched- it's almost time for St. Patrick's Day festivities. The lake area is filled with St. Patty Day events.

St. Patrick is believed to have driven snakes from Ireland. Once a pagan himself, St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures.

Today the modern secular holiday honors the patron saint by folks wearing green, eating Irish food, and attending parades.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade in Lake Ozark, sponsored by Bagnell Dam Board of Realtors, begins at 1 p.m. Saturday March 15. The parade will start in front of Elam Real Estate. Bagnell Dam Boulevard will be closed to traffic for the parade by Lake Ozark police at about 12:45 and will reopen at about 2:30 p.m., parade coordinator Cindy Vaught said.

This is the 24th year of the parade. The Bagnell Dam Board of Realtors has organized the event for the past dozen years, Vaught said.

Last year, there were more than a 100 participants in the parade. Only 60 participants have signed up this year but Vaught anticipates about 50 more will register in the next week.

Plaques will be awarded for first, second and third places for both business and civic categories. A trophy also will be awarded to the best from both categories, Vaught said.

Parade participants throw beads and candy to the crowd lining the street.

'Some of the participants have some real unique ideas on what to hand out,' Vaught said.

Vaught recommends getting to the Bagnell Strip early because the street fills up quickly.

'This is an event the whole family can enjoy,' Vaught said.

It costs $20 to enter the parade and all proceeds will be donated to the Dogwood Animal Shelter. For more information or to register, call 348-4288.

Shrine of St. Patrick in Laurie plans to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 17 with a parade. Participants will meet at Shrine of St. Patrick's parking lot at noon where balloons will be provided to help decorate the vehicles. The parade stops at the Laurie Care Center, Shrine of St. Patrick secretary Renee Magelky said.

'Everyone really enjoys it and the people at the nursing home always look forward to it,' she said.

Celebrate St. Patty's Day Lake of the Ozarks style by getting out on the water during the St. Patrick's Parade on the Water sponsored by the Lake West Chamber Saturday, March 15.

'It's referred to as the unofficial start of the season. It's a good, fun day out on the Lake of the Ozarks,' Lake West Chamber of Commerce executive director Mike Kenagy said.

The event starts at Ozark Bar-B-Que located at TT-75 by land or 10.5 mile marker by water. An all-you-can-eat breakfast will be served beginning at 9 a.m. Captains will meet for instructions at 11 a.m. and the parade will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Those without a boat can jump onboard the Tropic Island Cruise Boat. Tickets are $20 per person. Last year, 139 people took advantage of the cruise, Kenagy said.

The decorated boats will travel up the Gravois Arm of the lake. Stops will be made at Jolly Rogers, Three Pigs on the Water and Richard Knoggin's Pub and Grill.

Prizes will be awarded for a variety of categories, including best-land-lubber costume, pontoon boats, boats more than 24 feet, boats less than 24 feet, personal watercraft and run-abouts of all lengths.

There is not an entry fee, but interested participants are asked to contact Kenagy to confirm their entry. Tickets for the all-you-can-eat breakfast are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. To purchase breakfast tickets, make cruise reservations or to buy souvenir hoodies and long sleeve T-shirts call the chamber at 374-5500.

On the west side of the lake, four water-side pubs are participating in the 4th Annual St. Paddy's Day Pub Crawl. Last year, more than 50 boats joined in the fun, event coordinator Jessica Howell said.

Hooligan Bay will kick off the festivities with breakfast at 10 a.m. For the remainder of the day, corned beef and cabbage will be available. Live music will be performed through out the day by Big John and the 39th Street Blues band and Johnny I and The Receivers. The Pub Crawl schedule is from 10 a.m. to noon.

The next stop is the Red Fox, where the corned beef and cabbage are free. DJ Jammin' Jerry will be spinning tunes and will provide karaoke. Around 1 p.m., the pub does a mini parade around the parking lot. The pub crawl scheduled stop is 1-3 p.m.

Big Dicks is the third stop. It will have food and drink specials all day. The pub crawl scheduled stop is 3:30-5 p.m.

Captain Ron's is the last stop on the pub crawl. The restaurant has recently undergone renovations, so green construction hats will be given away. The Fbombs will perform all day starting at 2 p.m. The pub crawl scheduled stop is 6-8 p.m.

Raffles will be held and a prize will be awarded to the best dressed person at all four St. Paddy's Day Pub Crawl scheduled stops, Howell said.

Swing into St. Patty's Day at the Camden County Museum in Linn Creek on Saturday, March 15. The Lake of the Ozarks Swing Dance Club is conducting its monthly dance with a twist. Everyone is encouraged to wear green, board member Jeanne Laminger said.

A beginner and intermediate swing lesson will be taught at 7 p.m. with the dance following from 8-11 p.m. The lesson cost $3 for members and $5 for non-members. The dance cost $5 per person for members and $8 for non-members.

The club consists of about 60 members, all from a broad age group.

'Come ready to have a good time. It's real casual and real fun. Everyone is willing to help or teach,' Laminger said. 'It's a real popular style of dance and you can dance to just about any music.'

A DJ will be spinning tunes at the dance. Laminger plans to play some traditional Irish music to prove you can swing to anything.

Club members also will be swinging down the Strip during the Lake Ozark Parade.

For more information, contact Laminger at 365 6155.

Hit the links to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Osage National Golf Resort on Sunday, March 16. A brunch will be served at 9:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., a shotgun start launches the three-person scramble. It cost $210 per three-person team. This will include 18 holes, a tee gift and brunch, assistant golf pro Bobby Belton said.

For more information, call Osage National Golf Resort at 365-1950.

Many of the bars and restaurants in the lake area will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Saturday, March 15 and Monday, March 17 with corned beef and cabbage, green beer and/or drink specials.

Maloney's Tavern in Camdenton located on Route 5 plans to celebrate in traditional St. Patrick's fashion with corned beef and cabbage on Saturday, March 15 and again on Monday, March 17. Green beer and bucket specials will be available, Maloney's owner Tom Walston said.

If weather permits, an outdoor beer garden will be open for patrons to enjoy, Walston said.

The band Complimentary Nuts is scheduled to perform from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Roland Allen Band will play from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Last year, Maloney's served more than 500 people.

'Everyone had a great time. Kids, moms, dads, old people and young people,' Walston said.

For more than a decade, Rock Island Line on the Bagnell Dam Strip has been serving corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. That tradition continues Saturday, March 15.

The festive bar begins to fill about an hour before the Lake Ozark Parade, Rock Island Line owner Dean Nelson said.

Nelson has been participating in the Lake Ozark Parade for the past decade. Each year a customized vehicle is entered. This year Nelson hopes to enter a customized Jeep.

Beads and candy will be tossed to the crowd during the parade, Nelson said.

Dempsey's Restaurant and Irish Pub in Linn Creek on Route Y will serve traditional corned beef and cabbage.

Woody's in Osage Beach on Highway 54 is serving corned beef and cabbage and will have green beer to wash it down with on March 15 and 17. Happy hour prices will be available throughout both days, Woody's owner Mark Kelly said.

Kelly plans to participate in the Lake Ozark Parade again this year. Last year his establishment won first place in the parade.

Pickled Pete's in Osage Beach on Highway 54 will be serving free corned beef and cabbage while supplies last on Saturday, March 15 and Monday, March 17. Food and drink specials will be offered on both days including green beer, Irish coffee and green Jello shots, Pickled Pete's owner Jeff Carroll said.

Karaoke is scheduled for Saturday night from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

'It's just fantastic. After the parade, the party lasts all night,' Carroll said.
Thanks to Brian Fleagle/Lake Sun for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - Oooooooh to have Money!

Hi gang, Rick here again from Used Pontoon Boats. Anyone have a spare $495,000 kicking around? Here is where you can spend it.

Gorgeous Riverfront Condominium with Water View from Every Room!

Welcome to St. Tropez, a breathtaking residence overlooking the intracoastal waters of Ft. Myers. This development is the ultimate in waterfront privacy, just steps away from shops, dining, entertainment and more. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath A West unit features gorgeous upgrades in fixtures and cabinetry, and includes the finest amenities, including heated pool and spa, tennis, fitness area, billiards room, home theatre, pontoon boats, sunset cruises and concierge services. This floor plan boasts waterview from every room! Developer has approved permits for 45 boat slips, available for purchase! Call today!

Property Details:

* Property: Condominium
* Year built: 2007
* Area in sq. meters: 153.85
* Price in USD: 494,900
* Bedrooms: 3
* Baths: 2
* Parking spaces: 2
* Price is negotiable
* Financing available

Features & Amenities:

* Washing Machine / Washer
* Stove/Cook top
* Lift / Elevator
* Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
* Gym/Spa
* Drying Machine / Dryer
* Dish Washer
* Concierge Service
* Concierge

Property Highlights:

* Heated Swimming Pool
* Private Club
* Media room
* Boat slip purchase
* Marina
* riverfront with Gulf Access

This property is offered by Susan J. Ball/Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate

For more information on this property, or to inquiry about it, please visit the following URL:
http://www.fusedworld.com/Real_Estate/North_America/USA/Florida/Fort_...

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I'm off to the Bank. I wish.....(:
Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler

Pontoon Enclosures-North American Waterway

Also we value your comments, if you can add more info in regards to this article please do so. Thanks............Rick

Used Pontoon Boats - Never get to Drive the Pontoon

Hi gang, Rick here again with Used Pontoon Boats with a cute article from Jody "The Hunter's Wife". Be sure to read the comments left too.

I’m sure you are all wondering why I never get to drive the fishing boat or pontoon boat so I thought I would share my reasons…

* Mark likes to be the manly man at the wheel.
* Mark can’t sit and just enjoy the view.
* Mark is afraid I will hit a rock and he will fly out of the boat. (Me too.)
* I might hit a sandbar and again he fly's out of the boat.
* Mark is afraid the other guys on the lake will see me driving and not him.
* My dog would need to sit on my lap.
* Mark loves driving the boat.
* If I had to park the boat, me and the boat would end up on the pier.

I have always been perfectly content with Mark driving, Mark fixing my fishing reel, Mark putting my line on my rod, Mark putting my lure on my rod, Mark getting my rod unstuck from the brush, and Mark taking the fish off the hook. When going out fishing with Mark I feel very uncoordinated. Even though I am the girly girl, I am very competitive when it comes to sports.

So this year I plan to learn all of that myself for our spring fishing trip. Although, the thought of taking the fish off the hook is giving me hives right now.
It's payback time!


11 Responses to “ Why I Don’t Drive The Fishing Boat or Pontoon ”

1. # 1 Blessed Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 7:04 am

Driving a boat is easy - unless of course the guys are snagging and they hook a fish or a limb or a car in the bottom of the river and you have to instantly throw the boat into reverse and work with them and against the current to get the fish in or get their line freed - now the really fun time to drive a boat is in summer when the hunter is out back on a tube and you get to try to throw them off the tube into the lake - that’s fun summer, it’s too hot to fish, entertainment! We’ve got a 19′ flat bottomed jon boat with a jet motor so it turns really fast - makes the tube runs a lot of fun - you just have to make sure that anytime you get on the tube, you have a kid with you… otherwise it’s payback time :)
2. # 2 Jeff Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 8:52 am

Jody,

There is only one way to learn… and that is to jump right in. Hand Mark a beer and tell him to get out of the way!
Oh yeah, and tell him to put on his seatbelt and life preserver - then hang on. LOL
3. # 3 kristine shreve Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am

I don’t take my fish off the hook either, or change my own hooks for that matter. I usually go fishing with my Dad or my Uncle and they always do it for me.

I probably should learn to do it myself, but I figure if they’re willing to do it, I’ll let them.
4. # 4 Kris Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 11:19 am

I can see why Mark likes to drive the boat…his fishing time has to be cut down with helping you get all that done…besides, its a man thing…i rarely even let my wife drive the car when we are going somewhere.

I’m betting if you learn to do all the other stuff while fishing, Mark will be so impressed he will let you drive the boat!

btw, you will enjoy the fishing even more when you do all that other stuff for your self!

good luck on getting to drive the boat
5. # 5 Arthur Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

Do what my wife does Jody. Pull your shirt sleeve down over your hand and then take the fish off. Works very well for her and provides more fishing time for me:):):)
6. # 6 Lisa365 Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

aww, all the best! I hope you can learn it all really fast :D
7. # 7 adam Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 7:44 pm

Tell him if you catch a bigger fish than him you want to drive the boat. Then catch a whopper and tell him you are driving, don’t even ask!
8. # 8 Jody Says:
March 5th, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Blessed, you sound like an experienced driver.

Jeff, he would need a life preserver.

Kristine, sometimes I’m o.k. with “that’s what guys are for”.

Kris, Mark spends a lot of time messing with me and all my fishing issues.

Arthur, I don’t think I can handle a fish that close to me.

Lisa, thanks. I hope so too.

Adam, I normally catch the biggest fish. :)
9. # 9 Bill Dodson Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 12:23 am

Great blog, and you did good work on the guest blogging gig. By the way, these are the same reasons my wife doesn’t drive the Jeep when we’re out tooling around forest roads. I don’t want to end up rolling down the mountain side, and neither does she!
10. # 10 haleyhughes Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 3:17 am

Sometimes it’s good to shake things up and bit and try scary things. And, definitely, the thought of baiting my own hook, and then taking the fish off the hook is a little scary.

Do you catch and release? Or do you have to gut the fish yourself, too? Yuck.
11. # 11 Jody Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 4:58 am

Bill, thanks for reading my guest blogging and I sure wouldn’t want to drive around a mountain side either.

Haley, we keep what is allowed for the fish. As far as gutting them, I am no where around.

Thanks to the TheHuntersWife.net for this.

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Used Pontoon Boats - Best Boat Exhibit

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a Whitefish company wining a prestigious marketing award. Duhamel & Dewar Inc., (located on Regional Road 55 in Whitefish) was recently awarded the Best of Show Award for Best Boat Exhibit for Legend Boats at the Toronto International Boat Show’s 50th Anniversary.

This is Canada’s largest and most important event for the industry, and one of the world’s leading boat shows. Each year the event brings the entire recreational boating industry together – manufacturers, dealers and boating consumers.

With more than 90 thousand people attending, this is the premiere show in Canada.

The award winning Duhamel & Dewar booth was comprised of two sections totalling more than 4,200 sq. feet that showcased 27 Legend boats. The display included 14-20 foot aluminum family cruising and fishing boats and 16-24 foot pontoon boats, as well as the launch of their innovative new product, the award winning Legend Luxura pontoon boat.

“We acquired the display booth from Las Vegas, which is known for the incredible shows that are put on for the auto industry. Although we have our own transports to haul boats to and from the shows, we used a third party carrier to get the new display to the Direct Energy Centre,” said Jamie Dewar.

“Each component breaks down and stores in its own place in one of the numerous crates. Then, we assembled all of the pieces at the show. We have a team of about 10 people that spent close to a week putting everything together and getting the boats set up, cleaned and ready for display,” he adds.

The Legend story began in 1968 when Carl Dewar and Vic Duhamel teamed up to open a small company selling tires. Soon they moved on to sell John Deer lawn equipment, RV’s and boats.

In 1986, after realizing that there was no boat designed specifically for the Canadian climate they decided to create their own brand of boats – LEGEND. These new boats were designed with unique features and all of the equipment a boater could want or need to enjoy their boating experience.

Duhamel & Dewar soon became the first in Canada to offer complete boat, motor and trailer packages to offer a one-stop shopping experience. Designed, manufactured and retailed from Whitefish, Legend has become one of the best selling aluminum boats with dealers across Canada. Today, the legend continues with the second generation in this Sudbury family owned and operated business.
Thanks to Judi Koski at northernlife.ca/News for this.

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