Used Pontoon Boats - Pontoon Boat News

• Homemade Pontoon Boat in Namsos | Used Pontoon Boats - A mixed quality compilation of trips on Namsenfjord during 2003 and 2004, with and without sound.Duration : 0:4:4.

• The Importance Of Pontoon Boat Seats : Buying Guides For Pontoon ... - Who wants to be on an uncomfortable boat? No-one. So make sure you get the best out of your pontoon with the best seats and seating arrangements.

Choosing The Right Boat Insurance Company

By Trent Trebler

Selecting suitable boat insurance is important. To a large extent, Obtaining the best coverage or protection rests to a large extent on the insurance company.

Given the multitude of boat insurance companies operating in the marketplace, it may be perplexing to choose the most suitable company that can offer the right protection for your vessel.

What you should bear in mind is that no two insurance companies are alike when it comes to coverage. You can refer to some online tools for information on plans and coverage offered by specific companies. Comparing them will help you arrive at the best possible deal.

Once you reach the stage when you are now touching base with an insurance company, you may be provided some quotes, but remember that the insurance firm may not stick to these quotes.

Quotes, nonetheless, will give you a clearer idea on the investment you need to make, and help you assess if indeed you are ready meet to plunk in your hard-earned funds to have your boat insured, and to meet the ensuing payments.

When discussing things with the insurance firm, ask as many questions that crop in your mind. After all, your peace of mind is of paramount importance, and the most zealous boat insurance companies will take this to heart.

A track record of experience in marine finance and insurance, coupled with dedicated customer service and a drive to exceed their targeted public's expectations are but some of the things to look for in scouting around for boat insurance companies that hit the mark in terms of the coverage you need and render topnotch service.

There is a variety of coverage options, and a good, customer-oriented insurance firm should be able to offer you proper marine insurance coverage tailored to your needs, at the best price.

About the Author:

Before you Buy Boat Insurance make sure you understand How Much Does Boat Insurance Cost

Used Pontoon Boats - Boat Review, Chinook Pontoon Boats

Chinook “Resort Classic” Series Pontoon Leisure Boat

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here from North American Waterway bringing you Used Pontoon Boats along with news and views from the boating industry. Pontoon boats aren’t for partying and puttering around the lake anymore.

These unique vessels have earned a reputation as some of the most versatile and rugged work boats. Boats that easily adapt to various and sometimes dangerous tasks including fire fighting, commercial recreation, wildlife protection, marina construction, fish and game research and management, and marine demolition or construction.

Pontoon boats, particularly Chinook Boats from Metalite Industries, have earned respect because design specifications can be tailored to payload capacity, work environment and weight demands.

Width, length and buoyancy can all be modified to meet working requirements. And bow and stern shapes can be adjusted to allow for the best utilization of surface space and work requirements.

Each pontoon boat user will begin with a platform that is crafted for its durability and incredible flotation stability. But you can customize almost anything on these boats. From riggings, cleats, tie-downs, steering and enclosures - cabins, tarps or canopies. All based on the simple or complex nature of the enterprise.

Ken Hagman’s firm, Copper Bay Construction, has been a fixture on Idaho’s Priest Lake since 1977. He ties the increased use of his pontoon boats to the demand for greater longevity of marine construction. “We’re using more aluminum framing and composite decking. Because of that, transporting equipment and materials to the site has become much more critical over the years.”

In Hanman’s work, one thing he does is remove damaged boat lifts and he replaces them with fresh equipment. He wanted to make this job more efficient, so Hagman went looking for a large high-speed pontoon boat that could install heavy machinery easily and readily. He chose a Chinook Pontoon Boat that was built to spec by Metalite Industries, a subsidiary of NewMax Incorporated. The 12 x 32-foot boat he chose has a 15,000-lb capacity and carries a gantry crane that can lift and position 8,000 to 12,000-lb boat lifts. His new boat’s speed and size saves him time and labor costs. “With it being 12 feet wide, which is extremely wide for its size, it allows us to deliver and set boat lifts with a two-man crew. As opposed to the old method, a slow moving boat that needed four people to jockey and set the lift in place.”

In fact, Hagman calculates that since purchasing the Chinook Pontoon five years ago, half the cost has been recouped in labor savings alone. And further savings have been realized as fuel costs rise: the boat’s four-stroke engines operate at one-third the cost of powering the large and heavy semi-displacement work boat Copper Bay previously used.

“We’ve been very impressed with the performance of the boat. It’s common to travel fifteen miles over water to get to a job site. Most work boats are semi-displacement vessels that plow through the water at a slow pace.

The Chinook Pontoon work boats incorporate an angular, flat pontoon design that has a higher displacement and better surface planning capability.

The design provides better hydro-dynamics to allow the vessel to plane on the water’s surface, where it can move quickly and more efficiently. We specifically wanted this boat so it would save money in labor costs by getting people to the job faster. We’ve had a lot of competitors, some who come from five hundred miles away, looking at the boat for design ideas for their operations,” he said.

Hagman’s Copper Bay Construction crew is in the process of replacing Priest Lake’s oldest marina. A new breakwater will be installed and a hundred boat slips replaced. The on-shore construction of a bar and restaurant will be the main focus when the marine aspects of the project are completed in the end of 2008

Hagman’s Chinook Pontoon Boat was outfitted with aluminum ramps that attach to the front of the boat. These ramps allow the crew to easily transport and disembark mini excavators. The on-shore work requires the machinery that must be done in the winter months, when Priest Lake, a reservoir lake is drawn down. Standing snow may arrive as early as the end of October and remain on the ground until April. The pontoon boats are still in the water year round. “The aluminum gets cold, but the boat performs well,” he said.

Though Hagman keeps busy throughout the year, when time permits, he’s not opposed to a little fun. “Every summer, we throw a party for our twenty-five employees. We turn the pontoon boat into a floating party. We spruce it up and cruise around the lake, smiling at everybody. We’ve had more than 30 people safely on that boat,” he said.

About the Author:

Chinook Boats is the premiere manufacturer of pontoon boats and work boats for a wide range of applications. Each boat is custom designed and precision crafted to meet the the customer’s needs. Chinook also builds recreational pontoon boats. Thanks to; Party Pontoon Boat Becomes Revered Work Horse | The Baron

Used Pontoon Boats - Heckel’s Eagle River Marina files bankruptcy protection

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here from North American Waterway bringing you Used Pontoon Boats along with news and views from the boating industry.

Wisconsin’s boating season hits rough waters in bad economy

It’s been unusually quiet this summer on the Chain O’ Lakes in Waupaca where, normally, the buzz of boat engines starts shortly after dawn and lasts until dusk.

For some lakefront residents, a decline in boat traffic is welcome because they never liked the noise and partying that’s associated with recreational boating. But it’s an uneasy silence for others whose livelihoods depend on summer tourism.

“It’s a short season to make money. Basically, we have six weeks for boat rentals,” said Bruce Becker, owner of Becker Marine, which has been in business since 1949.

Statewide, the 2008 boating and camping season got off to a slow start because of poor weather.

Now, boating especially has run into rough water because of the economy and high fuel prices.

This week, Heckel’s Eagle River Marina Inc. and three of its Wisconsin affiliates sought bankruptcy protection from creditors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The closely held companies, Heckel’s Lake DuBay Marina, Heckel’s Madison Marina, and Heckel’s Outlet Stores, each listed assets of as much as $10 million and debt of up to $50 million.

No reason was given for the bankruptcy filings and owner Bob Heckel did not return calls seeking comment.

Several Wisconsin boat dealerships have gone out of business in recent months. Nationwide, powerboat sales have fallen to the lowest levels in more than 40 years as consumers have faced shrinking job prospects, record gasoline prices and declining home values, according to Brunswick Corp., the parent of Mercury Marine Inc., an outboard engine maker in Fond du Lac.

Tourism decline overall

This summer, many boaters are spending more time partying at the docks or anchored off a beach.

Some campgrounds and tourism businesses are seeing a decline in customers as people vacation closer to home.

The Fourth of July weekend was “absolutely nuts” in Waupaca, but otherwise the summer has been fairly quiet, said Maria Belke, owner of Ding’s Dock, a canoe and cottage rental business on the Chain O’ Lakes.

“People are being extremely conservative in their spending,” Belke said. “I think a lot of them don’t have the money to travel as much, so they used the July Fourth weekend as their summer vacation.”

Sales are down between 15% and 20% at some tourism businesses, especially on weekdays.

There are noticeably fewer power boats on the Chain O’ Lakes this summer, according to Belke and others in Waupaca.

Some vacationers are renting pontoon boats rather than spend hundreds of dollars in gas to haul their own watercraft to the lake.

Others are trying to save money by asking seasonal businesses for discounts, figuring the business owners will give up a few bucks just to get customers.

Don’t bother, Belke said, because business owners also are struggling with higher operating costs.

“I hate to be rude, but that’s just the way it is,” she said. “We already didn’t increase the price of our river trips this year, just trying to help people out, and we are making less money on the trips than we did a year ago.”

Camp reservations up

Campsite reservations at state-owned campgrounds are up about 1% from a year ago, according to the latest figures from the Department of Natural Resources, although attendance at some facilities is down 10% or more.

“We were heavily impacted by the storms in June. The campground system, as a whole, took a big numbers hit” then, said Peter Biermeier, DNR operations chief.

Campgrounds closest to large cities, such as Kohler-Andrae State Park about 45 miles north of Milwaukee, have weathered the latest economic storms better than some facilities farther away.

The Kohler-Andrae campground has been consistently full this summer. It’s one reason why the DNR is adding 30 campsites to the park and opening a new campground at Harrington Beach State Park about 35 miles north of Milwaukee.

Both new camping facilities will be open next year, Biermeier said.

The number of visitors to Peninsula State Park, in Door County, was down 10% in June from the same month last year, according to park officials. Camping was down 4%, and it was easier than usual to get a campsite without a reservation.

Many people are still bringing their motor homes and fifth-wheel trailers to Peninsula State Park, but some are downsizing.

“Our campground hosts have said they’re seeing more tents and pop-up trailers than they’ve seen in the past,” said Gene Tiser, assistant park superintendent.

Vacation habits change

Vacationers’ habits are different this year in Bayfield, one of the North Woods’ hot spots about 300 miles northwest of Milwaukee.

“People are staying longer rather than the quick day-or-two visit. And we are seeing a lot more apartment and condo rentals where the units have kitchens,” said Kristen Sandstrom, Bayfield Chamber of Commerce marketing manager.

Bayfield’s tourism got off to a slow start in June, largely because of the weather and the economy. Lately, business has rebounded.

“Our numbers aren’t necessarily down at this point, but the season is different. People are certainly being more careful in deciding where to spend their money,” Sandstrom said.

August is one of the busiest tourism months in Wisconsin, so there’s still time for businesses to recover from the summer’s sluggish start. But in some cases, people are probably making one or two trips this summer instead of three or four, said Steve Petersen, property superintendent for the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest.

On a recent Friday at Lake Tomahawk, in Oneida County, local officials collected boat launching fees from only about eight people. But the next day they collected fees from about 200 boaters.

“That’s still a lot of action,” even if there are fewer boats on the water, Petersen said.

JS Online: Wisconsin’s boating season hits rough waters in bad economy

Used Pontoon Boats - Chinnook Pontoon Boats

Sponsored by PRACTICAL BOATER: PONTOON & DECK BOATS

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here from North American Waterway bringing you Used Pontoon Boats along with news and views from the boating industry. When you think of Pontoon boats, you probably think of cruising around the lake. Not anymore.

Pontoon Boats earn a fantastic reputation

These versatile boats have been put to work and have actually earned a fantastic reputation. These boats are not only good at being party boats on the lake. They can easily adapt and perform in various tasks such as fire fighting, commercial recreation, wildlife protection, marina construction, fish and game research and management, and marine demolition or construction.

Chinook Boats from Metalite Industries

Pontoon boats, particularly Chinook Boats from Metalite Industries, have earned respect because design specifications can be tailored to payload capacity, work environment and weight demands. Width, length and buoyancy can all be modified to meet working requirements. And bow and stern shapes can be adjusted to allow for the best utilization of surface space and work requirements.

In short, each pontoon boat user starts off with a platform that is designed and honored for its durability and flotation stability. But the end product requires the customization of everything from riggings, cleats, tie-downs, steering and enclosures - cabins, tarps or canopies to make this boat yours. All based on the simple or complex nature of the enterprise.

Copper Bay Construction, a fixture on Idaho’s Priest Lake

Ken Hagman’s firm, Copper Bay Construction, has been a fixture on Idaho’s Priest Lake since 1977. He ties the increased use of his pontoon boats to the demand for greater longevity of marine construction. “We’re using more aluminum framing and composite decking. Because of that, transporting equipment and materials to the site has become much more critical over the years.”

One line of Hagman’s work is to remove damaged boat lifts and replace them with fresh new equipment. Hagman wanted to make the job more efficient, so he went looking for a large high-speed pontoon boat that could readily move and install heavy machinery. He chose a Chinook Pontoon Boat that was built to his customization and spec by Metalite Industries, a subsidiary of NewMax Incorporated. The 12 x 32-foot pontoon boat has an enormous 15,000-lb capacity and carries a gantry crane that can lift and position 8,000 to 12,000-lb boat lifts. The speed and size of his new boat saves him time and labor costs. “With it being 12 feet wide, which is extremely wide for its size, it allows us to deliver and set boat lifts with a two-man crew. As opposed to the old method, a slow moving boat that needed four people to jockey and set the lift in place.”

In fact, Hagman has calculated that since purchasing the Chinook Pontoon five years ago, he has saved half the cost of the boat in labor savings alone. Even as fuel costs rise, Hagman has calculated that he has saved even more money because of the boat’s four-stroke engines operate at one-third the cost of powering the large and heavy semi-displacement work boat Copper Bay previously used.

He said, “We’ve been very impressed with the performance of the boat. It’s common to travel fifteen miles over water to get to a job site. Most work boats are semi-displacement vessels that plow through the water at a slow pace. The Chinook Pontoon work boats incorporate an angular, flat pontoon design that has a higher displacement and better surface planning capability. The design provides better hydro-dynamics to allow the vessel to plane on the water’s surface, where it can move quickly and more efficiently. We specifically wanted this boat so it would save money in labor costs by getting people to the job faster. We’ve had a lot of competitors, some who come from five hundred miles away, looking at the boat for design ideas for their operations.”

Hagman’s Copper Bay Construction crew is in the midst of replacing Priest Lake’s oldest marina. A hundred boats slips will be replaced and a new breakwater will be installed. The marine aspects of the project will not be completed until the end of 2008, when full attention will be given to the on-shore construction of a bar and restaurant.

Hagman had his Chinook Pontoon Bout built with aluminum ramps that attach to the front of his boat. This allows the crew to transport and disembark mini excavators easily. The machinery is needed for the on-shore work that must be done during the winter months, when Priest, a reservoir lake, water level is lowered. Snow many arrive in early November and remain on the ground as late as April. Nevertheless, The pontoon boats are still working hard in the water year round.

Hagman keeps his people and boats busy most of the year, but when the season allows he’s not against a little fun. “In the summer, we throw a crew party for our twenty-five employees. We turn the pontoon into a floating party barge. We decorate it and cruise all over the lake, waving at everybody. We’ve had more than 30 people on that boat,” he said.

About the Author:
Chinook Boats is the premiere manufacturer of pontoon boats and work boats for a wide range of applications. Each boat is custom designed and built of the finest to meet the the customer’s needs. Chinook also builds leisure craft pontoon boats. Thanks to
Chris Newman, http://www.odysseycs.org for this.

For more information on Pontoon Boats and Pontoon Enclosures Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

Please visit our sponsors, they help make this possible. Thanks............Rick
Sponsored by PRACTICAL BOATER: PONTOON & DECK BOATS