Used Pontoon Boats - Dining on Your Pontoon Boat

Sponsored by Latitudes & Attitudes - The Boating Lifestyle

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here again from Used Pontoon Boats. Before you pick up the phone to make reservations for that romantic dinner for two...STOP. Instead of battling traffic, waiting in line for your table and being at the mercy of the other diners sitting at your elbow, why not jump on the pontoon and head out to the water? With a little imagination, foresight, and moonlight, you can create a romantic dinner for two that your date will never forget. The most important part of creating this memorable evening is in the planning. You don't want to be in the middle of dinner and realize that you've forgotten something important like silverware or a corkscrew.

So, let's start at the beginning and work through the details. First of all, check the weather. Nothing will ruin your dinner quicker than a storm or rough water. Secondly, dock your boat prior to picking up your date. Trailering and launching can often be stressful and it's important that you and your date are completely relaxed from the moment you step on the boat, until you step off. Make sure all of your supplies are loaded into the boat prior to arriving with your date. Check for the exact time the sun is setting and plan to arrive at precisely that moment.

Using easy to find outdoor light strings, ensconce your pontoon with dangling icicles of light, (Don't forget to plug them in before you arrive with your date.) a few well-positioned flower petals on the deck wouldn't be a bad idea either. There is nothing more romantic than walking your significant other down the pier to a softly glowing pontoon enveloped in the pinks and blues of a setting sun.

When planning your meal, you have several options. Although many boats are equipped with grills, nothing takes the fire out of romance quicker than having to cook before you can sit down. For this reason, it's recommended that you consider cooking your meal at home first or picking it up from your favorite restaurant. Keeping it hot or cold is no problem with a thermoelectric cooler. This is a wonderfulproduct sold by Coleman that can not only keep your food at serving temperature but will hold ice and beverages as well. Food umbrellas are the perfect way to keep pesky insects out of your meal and can be purchased inexpensively.

Setting the table is important and if your boat is docked, this can be done prior to the start of your date. If you're planning on heading out to the middle of the lake, however, you may have to wait until you've chosen your spot to complete this task. There are several picnic sets available that will keep all of your dining items in one place or for a little more class, pack it all up in a beautiful wicker basket. Your date will be pleasantly suprised as you pull your table settings, candles, and champagne from the basket with a little flourish. Don't forget the tablecloth!

When you've finished your meal, simply pack it right back up in the basket. Clean up's a breeze. Follow dinner with an amazing dessert from the local bakery and a delightful cup of fresh brewed coffee and then sit back and enjoy the romantic music you have softly playing in the background. If you follow these easy tips and throw in a few special touches of your own, the next time you suggest dinner, don't be suprised if it has to be on the boat.
Thanks to Thomas Holley, owner of http://www.Pontoon-Boat-Products.com for this.

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

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Used Pontoon Boats - U.S. Soldiers go Fishing on Jordan Lake

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here from Used Pontoon Boats. While the sun was still sleeping at Jordan Lake, 174 bass boats, each decorated with a yellow ribbon and an American flag and arranged in flights of red, white, and blue, held fast as their occupants eagerly awaited the 7:30 a.m. take-off from the New Hope Landing to begin the third Warriors on the Water event, a bass tournament celebrating the efforts of the men and women who have served our country.

Each boat carried a volunteer boater who was taking a soldier fishing for the day. Some boaters came from as far away as Texas, Indiana, New York and Pennsylvania to participate in the military appreciation event conceived four years ago by three Desert Storm veterans, Hal Abshire, Greg Lahr and Bob Cunningham.

At 6:45 a.m., a JROTC Color Guard marched along the elongated walkway to the dock. An invocation followed and then the singing of the National Anthem by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Charles King.

About 7 a.m., some raucous music and the cry of "Let's get ready to rumble!" thundered over the loudspeakers as three female members of the Golden Knights, a demonstration and competition parachute team of 90 men and women stationed at Fort Bragg, dropped out of the sky from an airplane. Each member slowly descended in a banana-colored parachute and landing safely at the back of a designated bass boat to the amazement of onlookers.

Soon, the first flight of boats took off, followed by subsequent flights. On their way out of the landing, the high-powered machines roared by a pontoon boat where media members scrambled to take photos of the passing boats, some shrink-wrapped in bright colors by fishing sponsors. Several occupants waved their caps at the cameras.

The bass fishing at Jordan may not have been as tough as the soldiers' military training, but it certainly was challenging as the fish were bedding and not biting. The participants tried to entice strikes with jigs, spinnerbaits and plastic baits by pitching and casting them at shallow-water shrubbery.

For some soldiers who hadn't wet a hook since childhood or who had never fished at all, their on-the-water experience resembled a boot camp in bass fishing as they discovered that flipping baits required as much manual dexterity as some military maneuvers.

At 2:30 p.m., the march to the weigh-in stand began with many contestants displaying more smiles than fish.

Sanford's Cory Williams, attired in a red, white and blue shirt, and his military partner, George Frank of Fayetteville, took top honors with 23 pounds, 6 ounces. They each received a trophy with the replica of an eagle mounted upon it. They also won a trip to the FLW Championship where they will be given VIP treatment.

Completing the top five teams were boater Richard Szczerbala of New Hope and Bobby Mathis of Claxton, Ga., second, with 15-09; boater Steve Gardner of Pinehurst and Kacey Peoples, third, with 13-06; boater James Wade of Fayetteville and Robert Drakes, fourth, with 13-00; and boater Kelby Waldrip of Bloomington, Ind., and Abey Torrez, fifth, with 11-08.

The second- through fifth-place teams received merchandise and/or free tickets to car racing events.

Boater Jerry Clay of Asheboro and Roger Adkins of Fort Bragg took the big-fish award of $300 with an 8-pound, 2-ounce bass. Boater Ronald Barker of Carthage and Ralph Sanchez of Fort Bragg claimed the second-biggest fish prize of $200 with a 7-pound, 13-ounce bass.

At the weigh-in, Rodolfo "Rudy" Hernandez, a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his heroics in the Korean War, was recognized.

After the event, many boaters and soldiers were ready to sign up for next year's tournament. Wow!

Steve Sink of Winston-Salem and Jack Pendergrass of Kernersville won Saturday's National Bass Circuit Tour event at High Rock Lake with 20.57 pounds and shared $1,500. They edged out the Salisbury team of Rodney Bell and Tommy Jones who had 20.45 pounds and earned $775.

The Lexington team of Orlando Giles and Tony Waterhouse took the big-fish prize of $70 with a 6.81-pound bass.

Lexington's Terry Wien won the co-angler big-fish award of $420 with a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass at the April 12 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division tournament at Kerr Lake. Tony Garitta is the fishing columnist for the-dispatch.com

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
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Used Pontoon Boats - Minnesota Boat Auction

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here from Used Pontoon Boats. Minnesota's love affair with boats is alive and well, and it's coming at a lower price these days thanks to the tepid economy, the weak dollar and the price of gas.

Minnesota Used Boat Auction
Crystal-Pierz Marine held its first-ever used-boat auction a few weeks ago at Minneapolis Auto Auction in Maple Grove. Luke Kujawa, president and chief operating officer of Crystal-Pierz, said he organized the auction in part to scare up some enthusiasm for boating in a soft economy and to loosen up a tight market for used boats.

These days, many of the used boats from Minnesota are being sold to Canadians because of the weak dollar, he said. Still, "there's lots of people looking for used boats," he said.

In 2005, Minnesota had the fourth-highest number of pleasure-boat registrations of any state. But after increasing by 10,000 to 20,000 annually since the mid-1990s, the number -- 853,500 in 2005 -- has remained flat in recent years, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

"The market's been soft," Kujawa said. "We track the housing industry pretty closely."

He said he wanted to create an event that would bring some of the old boats floating around Minnesota under the same roof with the people who might want them. Folks could eat a hot dog and unload their old or seldom-used boats for a little cash, and boat dealers could clean out their inventory. Crystal-Pierz earned a 10 percent fee on each boat sold, or $250 for boats that were not sold because they didn't get the minimum bids set by the owners.

All of that was on display Sunday morning as the first of about 150 boats rolled through as an auctioneer either sang their praises or poked fun at their unique charms to a crowd of about 300 people.

"What color are you calling that?" auctioneer Gary Dehler asked about an old yellow fishing boat that had seen better days. "Mustard? Is that what that is?"

The first to go was an old aluminum Crestliner fishing boat. "I have no doubt you can catch crappies out of that," said Dehler. "I'll take anything."

Sold -- for $500.

Bennington pontoon boat sold for $11,250.
A 2005 Bennington pontoon boat had been used as a rental. The market value, Kujawa told the crowd of stone-faced Minnesotans looking for deals, was $18,500.

Sold -- for $11,250.

George Kiffmeyer's old Alumacraft fishing boat with a Johnson engine sold for $2,800.

"That was right on the money," said Kiffmeyer, 45, of Clear Lake. He decided to sell it because the price of gas in Canada, where he goes fishing four times a year, was killing him, he said. Last year Canadian marinas were selling gas for $6 a gallon, and he expects it to be twice that this year. He'll switch to a couple of smaller boats he keeps on his property in Canada.

A brand-new 2001 Fisher with Mercury 175 motor was worth $19,000, Kujawa told the crowd.

"This is a smokin' deal," Dehler said to encourage hands to go up. "Sold for $12,000."

"Whew, my hand is shaking," said the boat's new owner, Scott Miller, 41, as he signed paperwork after the bidding. He bought it to go fishing with his 13-year-old son, Tony, adding: "It's a steal. I saved a lot on it."

Pritesh Ubad, 31, bought his first boat -- a 1994 turquoise-and-white SeaRay inboard runabout worth about $13,000 -- for only $7,500. He had some help. Wes Schreiber, who works as a salesman for Crystal-Pierz, coached him on which boat to buy and on the bidding.

Ubad, who is from Nepal, said he had been looking for a used boat for about three weeks. A huge smile split his face as he walked around his new toy in the cold sunshine. He said he plans to take his wife and daughter boating on Lake Minnetonka.

"She wanted a boat more than I did," he said of his wife.

The auction wrapped up late in the afternoon.

"It went great," Kujawa said. "I would say, 100 boats sold. A little warmer weather would have helped, but everybody was happy."
Thanks to JOSEPHINE MARCOTTY, Star Tribune for this
Josephine Marcotty• 612-673-7394

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Used Pontoon Boats - Lakeshore Clean-up on Banks Lake

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here again from Used Pontoon Boats. Thirty-four volunteers braved the cold Saturday morning to help with the annual shoreline cleanup effort organized by POWER, the local group headed by Carl Russell.

Driving by Banks Lake on SR 155, or plying its waters in a boat, you might only notice the cattails and rushes along the shore, where bass hide and blackbirds sing.

But there is trash, too. Flotsam blows in on the predominantly west winds after a cooler falls off a boat or an empty bait container is carelessly tossed. It builds up along the shores, but POWER (Promoters of Wildlife and Environmental Resources) has been working to clean it up, one area of the lake at a time. Saturday's was the fourth such annual event on the weekend before Earth Day. The group focused efforts on the bay between Steamboat Rock and the Devil's Punchbowl and along the shores of the islands along inter-island waterway called Lovers' Lane.

The group gathered at the Northrup boat launch, across the water from Steamboat Rock, where three pontoon boats waited to carry them to shorelines on Banks Lake. They gathered bag after bag of trash, enough to fill three large dumpsters, plus another trailer load for the local dump.

"Some of this doesn't decompose very easily and we need to pick it up," explained 11-year-old Ben Brougher, who used a mechanical picker to reach into the weeds and rocks between the shore and the highway.

Brougher was looking forward to the 1 p.m. barbecue lunch provided for volunteers.

Russell said the 34 volunteers, including eight who worked from pickups and four on four-wheel, all-terrain vehicles, logged 161 hours in the effort. He said they cleaned most of the Punchbowl Bay area between the highway and Steamboat Rock, also the Lovers' Lane to Devil's Lake area.

"We had a great crew with participants as young as 6 with their parents and as young as 84, so you see you are never too old or to young," Russell said.

The program is co- sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the state Dept. of Parks and Recreation and Coulee Playland.

A grant from the state's Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account helped pay for garbage disposal, fuel for boats and other expenses.

The lunch was funded by the USBR through the Job Corps, Russell said.
Thanks to Scott Hunter, editor and publisher, Townnews.com for this

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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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Pontoon Enclosures-North American Waterway

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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, By Rick Ostler
Pontoon Enclosures-North American Waterway

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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, By Rick Ostler
Pontoon Enclosures-North American Waterway

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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 - 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

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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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Used Pontoon Boats - Detroit Boat Show Celebrates 50 Years!

Over 1,000 Boats on display at 50th Annual Detroit Boat Show.

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with an update report from the Detroit Boat Show. The Detroit Boat Show celebrated its 50th anniversary this week at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit. The event showcased more than 1,000 boats from 10 feet to 48 feet in length. There were boats for fishing, skiing, cruising, sailing and many other types at the exhibit.

Event goers ranged from savvy boat owners checking out what's new and hot, to newlyweds looking to indulge on a boat. For those who knew little about the boating community, it can be quite intimidating standing amongst these massive vessels.

But there are plenty of representatives from different dealerships to go through all the details.

Jeff Dzubia, of the Club Royale Marina dealership, has worked at the boat show for 10 years. According to him, the sluggish economy and winter weather has not slowed down attendance of this year's show.

Dzubia suggested that the Outback V model by Moomba Watersports would be ideal for someone who wants a moderately priced boat to just cruise and have fun on the waters.

Conversely, he suggested the higher priced, South Bay XBS by Crownline, for someone who was looking for a larger sized boat to accommodate more people.

One of the representatives at Wilson Marina dealership is Randy Wilson. Wilson has a lot of history with the company. His father was actually one of the founders of the business.

The fishing boats were a new addition Wilson Marina this year. The 2902 Trophy model was very popular among fishing enthusiasts.

Wilson recommended the GT 185 model for those on a budget but still looking to have a good time. It's reasonably priced but it still offers the same amenities as some of the other highly priced boats.

For those who want a boat for family outings of fun and relaxation, he showed us the Bayliner 175. The features are adapted to accommodate a family setting.

The show had something for everyone including entertainment for the children. Throughout the show room there were pirates giving kids tips on boater safety and magicians making balloons. The show also provided a designated area for kids only, where they could play while their parents looked at some of the luxury items that the boat show had to offer.

For those boaters who were willing to spend a $100,000 and up or just want to look Meriden Yachts brought all of their 2008 models to the show this year. All of the models had amenities that were equivalent to some small apartments including bedrooms, Bathrooms, kitchens, and living areas.

However, the 441 sedan is luxury at its best the boat offered the perfect combination of living space with out door space to appeal to most people.

To learn more about boats check out,
www.wilsonboats.com
www.clubroyale.net

Thanks to Cymone Allwood and Jennifer Vuong, americajr.com/news for this. as8538@wayne.edu / jennifer.vuong@hotmail.com

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Used Pontoon Boats - Low Water Report, Lake Marion, South Carolina

The Santee Park dock is no longer over the water as the severe drought has dropped lake levels significantly. (T&D Correspondent/Mary Ann Larkin)

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a low water report from Lake Marion, South Carolina. Up and down Lake Marion, locals and visitors alike are in awe when they see how dramatically the water levels have fallen. Hundreds of pictures have been taken. Many news articles have been printed. You can't go to any shoreline without hearing people comment on the low water level.

"My daddy remembers when the river was being made into a lake," Wade Felkel of Elloree said. "He said he can't ever remember it being this low before."

The impact of the severe drought gripping most of the state is being felt by many businesses which make their living serving people who use Lake Marion for recreational purposes. Business owners say they're just trying to ride it out, and many are optimist that conditions will improve on the lake.

One of the bright spots is that fishing guide services are seeing little change in their day-to-day business.

"With the recent rain, the lake level has already come up about 1.5 feet," said Linda Shipley, Santee town planner and zoning code enforcer. She and her husband, Steve, who run the Ships Guide Service, have a positive outlook about the lake levels rising and encourage fishermen not to give up on Lake Marion.

"There are still plenty of fish in the lake. The trick is to find a boat ramp to accommodate our 30-foot pontoon boat," Shipley said, noting that they are using ramps in the Vance and Eutawville area.

Barb "Mouse" Witherell agrees with the Shipleys' assessment of fishing in the lake. She and her husband, Nathan, run Santee Cajun Guide Service.

"We have a boat out today with people from Kentucky," Witherell said. She says her business hasn't suffered from the decreased water levels.

"We have 35 bookings right now, and we are taking more local fishermen out because they can't get their boats in the water."

Santee Cajun Guide Service usually works out of the Mill Creek area, but when the water level began to drop, they moved their boats to Marker 79 in Vance.

"The patterns have changed. They (the fish) may not be in the places you normally find them, but they're out there," Witherell said.

The news around the lake is not all good, however. Some businesses slow down during the winter months, but this year's drought has caused them to cut their seasons short and find other sources of income.

"We normally continue swamp tours up to around Thanksgiving," Tim O'Connor of Fisheagle Tours said. "This past fall we had to stop in October because there was no access into the swamp areas."

The tours usually start up again in mid March, but "Captain Tim" said he will have to wait to see if the lake comes up enough to accommodate his 32-passenger pontoon boat. The water needs to rise another five feet for him to pull into his docking area and higher yet for boats to reach his gas pump, O'Connor said.

O'Connor and his wife, Brenda, also have a tackle, bait and gift shop on the grounds of the Santee State Park.

"The park boat ramps have stayed open for the most part, but bait and tackle sales are down due to fewer fishermen launching their boats," he said. "People are still catching fish from the dock and shoreline."

When asked what he was doing to compensate for the lack of tour and tackle business O'Connor said, "We have cut back on our hours, staying open only on weekends. With the price of gas, it doesn't pay to drive here to be open every day."

"Brenda and I have just purchased an embroidery machine which will be set up in the store to do hats, shirts and custom jobs for park visitors and businesses in the area," O'Connor added. "If the lake is slow to rise, we hope the embroidery business will pick up some of the slack."

Other small businesses who rely on bait and tackle sales like Stumphole Landing & Campground are riding out the slump with hopes it won't be long before the lake rises and fisherman can use the ramps again.

None of those interviewed doubt the lake will come back to its normal level. The only question they have is how long that will take.
Thanks to T&D Correspondent Mary Ann Larkin, who can be reached by e-mail at mal4739@peoplepc.com

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Used Pontoon Boats - Pontoon Boats Needed for Cleanup Week

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a message from The Logan Martin Lake Protection Association.

The Logan Martin Lake Protection Association will have its annual lake cleanup March 31 through April 5. LMLPA board members met Thursday to discuss details of the cleanup. The clean up is scheduled for March 31 through April 5 and requires plenty of volunteers to make it a success. “The trash we remove equals the pride of our lake. In the past, more than 708.23 tons have been removed from Coosa River waterways,” LMLPA secretary Ann Moore told board members. “The cleanup is a very satisfying thing that we endeavor to do,” board member Johnny Beavers said. Letters will be mailed to lakefront residents March 21 with more information about the cleanup Moore said it is important that residential areas name a street captain to motivate volunteers and distribute information and give assistance when needed. “We need team captains so they can help us get the word out with the details to those that are not lakefront residents,” she said. In preparation for the cleanup, T-shirts, gloves and bags will be distributed to volunteers Monday, March 31, from 8 a.m. to noon and Saturday, April 5, from 8 a.m. to noon. Cleanup collection sites on both the Talladega and St. Clair County sides of the lake will be in six locations, where Veolia Environmental Services will have trash containers set up for disposal of trash. The locations include: Lakeside Landing, coordinator Don Greer, 205-525-4651 or 205-253-4651; Clear Creek Marina, coordinator Johnny Beavers, 256-268-0855 or 205-405-1880; Poor House Branch Marina, coordinator Ron Vaughn, 256-268-9156 or 256-761-5355; Woods Surfside Marina, coordinator Donn Brascho, 205-369-9828, or Pam Shoop-Bassett, 256-404-1249; Riverside Marina (includes Lincoln residents), coordinator Cliff Early, 205-338-4095 or 205-706-5141; or Ann Moore, 205-763-2113 or 205-365-5671. “There are a few things that are going to be needed to make this cleanup a success,” Moore said. Drivers who have pickup trucks with bed liners will be needed. They will need to have cell phones and must know the area. Pontoon boats are also needed to pick up trash in shallow areas. The pontoon boats must be equipped with depth finders. “Volunteers are the life and blood of the cleanup,” Moore said. Some of the past volunteers include youth groups, Boy Scouts, Kiwanis clubs, Logan Martin Lake Ski Club, Honda Manufacturing and Alabama Power. LMLPA members said they were concerned about water levels for the cleanup and were trying to find out if levels would be lowered for the event. “We have been blessed with the water and we need it. I’m not going to complain; however, that doesn’t give us much shoreline to clean,” Moore said. As a “thank you” to volunteers, the LMLPA will host a festival with Blue Grass music, food and drinks at Lakeside Landing in Pell City April 5 at noon.

Thanks to

Joseph Thornton, staff writer for The Daily Home.

Contact Joseph Thornton

Phone: E-mail:

(256) 299-2121 jthornton@dailyhome.com

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Used Pontoon Boats - A Southern Caribbean Snorkeling Sampler

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a A Southern Caribbean Snorkeling Sampler

Feb 3 – St Thomas: Ship’s snorkel with Capt Nautica . http://www.captainnautica.com/feedback.php
A high speed (35 knots) pontoon boat takes us to Buck Island. First stop is over freighter wreck, visibility is very poor, few fish and less coral. Second stop is on lee side of island, Turtle Cove. Visibility is much better. Did a swim-along with a turtle family, also Stingrays and a Barracuda.

Feb 6 – Bonaire: Catamaran snorkel with Woodwind http://www.woodwindbonaire.com/cruises.html, .
Boat is crowded with 25 passengers, but both the crew, Deirdre (Dee) and Ulf, and the snorkeling is first rate. Lots of marine life and live coral with some fish and turtles. First stop is near shore, mainly for orientation and any who require snorkeling guidance. Second stop, near Klein, is much better. There’s a strong current, so we drift snorkel.

Feb 7 – Aruba: Booked NW Sail And Snorkel. Operator is Red Sail Sports, so I figure why not? Huge mistake!!! 125 people are crammed onto a catamaran, like sardines in a can. There aren’t even enough seats, unless you count the foam pads placed on the net. This is a disgraceful instance of squeezing every last dollar out of the suckers, that’s us folks. I can’t envisage suffering thru this so I immediately leave their boat and request a refund. There were no questions asked.

Feb 11 – Barbados: Full Day Snorkel trip on Silver Moon II.
http://oceanadventures.bb/sailing.htm
Good crew with 24 snorklers on board, but it’s a large cat affording adequate space. First stop is the ritualistic swim with the turtles. Second stop is at a near shore reef. There’s lots of large, live, coral formations, but few fish. Lunch on board follows.

Feb 12 – St Lucia: Full day snorkel with Dive Fair Helen.
http://www.divefairhelen.com/cruise_ship_special.htm
Boat meets us at ferry dock just across from cruise ship. Bumpy ride to dive shop at Marigot Bay. Ten snorkelers and nine divers board boat and head for Anse Cochon. Excellent marine life. The reef is easily accessed from the Tiki Village beach. Lunch is served on board, then a second stop at Richmond’s Trench. Large coral formations on each side are near the surface. A good day with an excellent operator. A big thumbs up for DFH.
A previous report faulted DFH for poor performance, but they apparently have righted their ship. I noticed that the guides were very attentive to the divers and their gear. All of the divers seemed very pleased with the service and the condition and safety of DFH's equipment.

Feb 13 – Antigua: Full Day snorkel with Eli’s Eco Tour:
http://www.adventureantigua.com/tour.html
Today’s boat Captain is J.D., not Eli. Tony was both narrator and snorkel guide. Tony proves to be a good replacement for Eli. A very windy day, 25 knots, makes for a rough ride to the North Shore. First stop is Bird Island beach for a short hike and/or snorkel lesson. There were two more stops, the last at Hell’s Gate. The weather and seas are too rough to snorkel over the reef to the Atantic side, so I just snorkeled between boat and reef. Nice coral and reef, but sand covers most of it and few fish venture out. Lunch is served on board. There are other options here including a climb to the top of Hell’s Gate via the island cave, which most choose to do. Good or bad weather, Eli’s is the best snorkel excursion in the Caribbean.

Feb 15 – Tortola: Full day snorkel with Patouche.
http://www.patouche.com/day_charters.htm
It’s another windy day. We sail Shamwari to the leeward, smooth, side of Norman Island. The first stop is at Treasure Caves. We snorkel along coral reefs and gardens and enter three of the caves. The island and caves were reputedly the inspirational source for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island. Lunch is at Willy Ts, a floating restaurant. Willy T’s is a good divergence from the inevitable barbecued chicken on the snorkel boats. Patouche is a class act. Be aware that Patouche, on the close of this day, relocated their operation from H.R. Penn Marina to a location near the airport.

__________________
Thank to Stevesan, Blue Ribbon Cruiser. Houston, Texas for this.

1957 USS General A.E. Anderson Tokyo to San Francisco
1999 Norwegian Sea W Carib & RVI Europe
2000 Mercury W. Carib & Volendam S Carib
2001 Viking Star Danube River & Veendam E. Carib
2002 B2B Veendam Alaska
2003 B2B Zuiderdam W&E Carib
2004 Maasdam E Carib
2005 Grand Princess W Carib,
RVI Europe & Veendam S Carib
2006 Grand Princess W Carib
2007 Grand Princess WCarib
2008 Feb 2 Crown Princess S Carib



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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