1. Tips for Docking Your Pontoon Tips for Docking Your Pontoon

2. Practice Makes Perfect There are several tips you can practice to make docking a pontoon easier. While getting the hang of docking, you should keep fenders hanging off the sides of your pontoon to avoid getting scratches from the dock. The following tips include techniques to follow while docking as well as things to practice in the open water as you get the feel of your pontoon to prevent docking mishaps.

3. Approach the dock at an angle and straighten the pontoon as you get close while aiming for a particular spot on the dock. It isn’t likely that you’ll ever be able to line up straight to the dock so the angled approach is crucial. Approach at an Angle

4. Go Slow Approach the dock as slowly as possible. To do this, spend most of your time approaching while in neutral and only shift into gear every few seconds to get going ever so slightly. Executing the sharp turn for docking slowly minimizes skidding.

5. Use Reverse Once you’re in your space and your front end is close to the dock you need to knock the engine into reverse. This stops you from continuing to move forward and hitting the front of the dock.

6. Turning Circle It is important to know the amount of space your pontoon needs to complete a turn. This takes practice with turns of various sharpness, at different speeds, and if possible, in varying currents. Using a point of reference while in the open water helps with gaining a feel of your turning circle.

7. Carry Understanding your carry means understanding how far and with how much force your pontoon coasts once you shift into neutral. Boat speed, wind speed, and the current will all impact carry so you should be aware of all three when docking. Practice shifting into neutral under different conditions while out on the open water.

8. Kick Kick is the sideways movement on the stern after shifting into gear and it can cause problems when reverse thrust is applied while docking. Kick varies with RPM and the direction of the prop’s rotation. Keeping RPM in mind, focusing on the rudder, drive, and gear case position before shifting. Using a point of reference while in the open water helps with gaining a feel of your kick.

9. Practice, Practice, Practice It is important to remember that every boat handles differently so it will take time to learn the ins and outs of your pontoon. Elements such as wind, currents, waves, and surrounding boat traffic will come into play and you can’t fully predict how your pontoon will respond until you’ve handled every particular combination of elements.

10. Contact Us Manitou is the leading manufacturer of pontoon boats. There are styles and boat sizes to accommodate everyone’s interest, from those who want to sun and fish to those who want to show off speed. Once you choose your function of the pontoon, you can choose your floor plan and color. Manitou has the perfect pontoon for you and your family! 800-999-9788 http://www.manitoupontoonboats.com/

11. Summary Docking your pontoon can be a stressful end to a fun excursion when you haven’t had much experience. It is important to remember to go slowly, approach at an angle, and use reverse to finish off the docking process. While out in the open water, practice moves to understand your turning circle, carry, and kick. With a bit of practice, you’ll quickly gain confidence with docking.