No longer shore bound...

[Marc Martyn]

Chad,

I am sorry about the problems that you have experienced with your new boat. Getting on the water should not be that hard. I hope that you can get it resolved.
There are a couple of things that I thought I might mention about safety in a pontoon boat. Mike brought up a good point about the anchor. From what I gather, there is a standing platform on the frame. With literally hundreds of hours in a pontoon boat, both on a river and lake, standing up while in a pontoon boat could be very tricky if the conditions change suddenly. With the pontoons being like rocking horse rails, they will rock to a certain degree when the weight (center of gravity) changes. I saw a guy up at Browns Lake fall in forward while trying to land a fish. He did not have his stripping apron attached. He leaned too far forward, the back raised up and he went in the drink. If while standing up facing forward and a gust of wind hits your back, you may go face forward into the water.
Now, if you do plan on standing up on the deck, make sure that you have enough counter balance in the back. If you have an electric motor and battery back there, it might be enough to offset the weight shift. You have already moved the anchor to the front. This will leave the back even lighter.
I don't want to scare you Chad, but I also don't want your first experience on the water to be a nightmare also. Be sure that you where a life jacket. Try standing on the deck close to shore first.
Both Mike and I have a lot of experience in a pontoon boat. There are several other guys on the site that have the same amount of experience also. Please don't hesitate to ask any of us questions. We would be more than happy to help make your new fishing experience a happy and safe one.

Marc

[leahcim_dahc]

Thanks for the tips, Mike and Marc! Good information to have.

Marc-

I have been thinking about that very thing. I have often wondered about the boat tipping while standing on it. I am about 6'2" and 215lbs, so that's going to be quite a bit of weight at the front while standing. I will have a battery and trolling motor on it, should add roughly 50-60lbs, along with my assault pack full of gear...so that should bring a total of right around 95-100lbs on the rear deck. Definitely, not 215lbs worth of ballast...but better than nothing. I am a little sketchy about the whole standing thing...especially with how cold the water gets. I will test it out close to shore just to be on the safe side.

I can swim like a fish...have been since I was around 5 years old, not too afraid of going in the water. But that doesn't change the fact I'll be wearing enough snivel gear to sufficiently weigh me down. I bought me one of those co2 inflatable life vests. Put in the co2 canister, in case of emergency, yank on the big yellow lanyard. I will be wearing it whenever I am on the water.

Either way...I think I'll be taking me an extra set of clothes...just in case.

I wonder if they make training wheels for these things....?


Chad

[Marc Martyn]

I wouldn't be too afraid of the boat, Chad. The main thing is balance and stability. I have been in my pontoon with large whitecaps and have felt totally secure. Floating down the Clark Fork shooting white water with waves over my shoulder height, I felt very secure.

I would think that you can adjust the position of the loaded frame on the pontoons. You want it so it sits level. I am attaching two picture of Dave Hall's boat when he first got it. (I could not get the first picture to post open, click on the attachment to open) The first day of the float down the Clark Fork, his boat wasn't balanced right. The next morning we adjusted it on the frame and it sat better (left boat in second picture). It is just a matter of moving the loaded frame back or forward. With it level, it will feel a lot more safe.


Remember, this time of the year, even though you are a good swimmer, your survival time in the water is very limited.

[Mike Carey]

I wish I could toss a fly linel ike that!

The more I think about this, the more nervous I feel about that anchor setup. I would change that anchor position back the way it was. If you're floating down a river and release your anchor (or it releases itself, which has happen to me), you will get whipped around pretty severely when your anchor grabs hold.

Your stated purpose was that you want to see what's coming at you when you're anchored. I can't frankly see an advantage to that. When you're anchored it takes a bit of pulling to get free and if you're fishing on a river that has a lot of logs coming down it you shouldn't be anchored out there to begin with.

[Marc Martyn]

I wish I could toss a fly linel ike that!

The more I think about this, the more nervous I feel about that anchor setup. I would change that anchor position back the way it was. If you're floating down a river and release your anchor (or it releases itself, which has happen to me), you will get whipped around pretty severely when your anchor grabs hold.

Your stated purpose was that you want to see what's coming at you when you're anchored. I can't frankly see an advantage to that. When you're anchored it takes a bit of pulling to get free and if you're fishing on a river that has a lot of logs coming down it you shouldn't be anchored out there to begin with.

Isn't that photo great!! I have that photo as a desktop background. Dennis does have a excellent cast and is a very good fisherman.

I agree with what Mike says. Leave the use of the anchor for the lakes. Even on a lake when the wind is blowing, anchors can be hard to get back up.

Get comfortable with the boat on a small lake, close to shore. Always wear kick fins, especially on a river. If you loose or break an oar, unless you have fins on, you have no way of guiding or steering the boat.

Chad, before going on a river with the boat, I would suggest floating with someone who has river experience. My policy is that I never float alone. When we do float, we all have 2-way radios so we don't loose contact with each other and if a guy is in trouble, he can call for help.

[Mike Carey]

I carry a spare oar and I have a heavy set of oars just fr rivers. THe ones that came with my pontoon are fine for a lake but would be quickly destroyed in a heavy water situation. My pontoon boat is rated class three, but not those original oars!

[Marc Martyn]

Chad-

You may find that it is not necessary to even stand up in the boat. All I do is fly fish out of mine and I can carry the line fine sitting down. I don't really see a need to stand up in a one man boat. Looking at Mike's two seater, it is really designed as a guide boat (I think). While the guide maneuvers the boat seated in the back, the "client" up front can stand and cast.

Yours looks like a great set up. It has some great features. I like the large cargo area. If you find that standing is not necessary, it looks like the front rail can be removed or lowered. A foot platform would be great when the water temperatures are low. Play around with it and see what is comfortable for you and adjust the boat for that. Post pictures of you on the water in it.

Mike-
That is quite the craft. You have that decked out real well. Now, all you need is a port-a-potty and a microwave.:thumright
If you get the microwave figured out, let me know. A hot Stouffer's entree' on the water would be great:cheers:

[leahcim_dahc]

Thanks for the tips guys...!

I set the boat up basically in its stock configuration. I haven't tested anything yet, and it all is subject to change. Once I get it on the water, I may decide I don't even like standing, and remove the front platform and replace the foot rests.

With regards to anchoring in fast water, I have no intentions on taking it in any swift water any time soon. I don't think I will take it in anything with much movement at all. Only places I really want to use the boat for now is on small lakes such as Swofford Pond, Five Mile, Carlisle, Bowman and others. Mostly the small 200 acre or smaller lakes scattered about Pierce, Lewis, and King counties. Once I get comfortable with it, I will more than likely dump it in larger bodies of water like Riffe Lake, Lake Washington and others. But for now, I need to get some time under my belt first, before going willy nilly and either destroy the boat...or myself.

The only places on rivers I have really thought about trying, is the Cowlitz just above the Cowlitz Falls Dam...and just below the dam before it dumps into Riffe Lake, the Puyallup and even the Green. The water in those spots seem to be moving slow enough not to cause much of a problem.

With regards to boating with others, I think that is generally a good idea. I don't think I'll attempt any trips on a large scale without others being around. If nothing else, at least from a safety standpoint.

Thanks for sharing your concerns, I will keep them in mind before dumping the boat in the water. I definitely appreciate the the information from the experienced boaters.


Chad

[Marc Martyn]

Mike will be a great source of information for the rivers on the west side. I can't pronounce the name of most of them and couldn't tell you where one of them is.

[JimLyons]

Is it to late to ask Santa for a Pontoon too?:bigsmurf:

[Marc Martyn]

Is it to late to ask Santa for a Pontoon too?:bigsmurf:

I contacted the old jolly elf and he told me that he had made his list, checked it twice and there wasn't a pontoon boat on it. Sorry........... not this year

[leahcim_dahc]

I can't pronounce the name of most of them...

I'm with you on that one...


Chad

[Anonymous]

I mis-pronounced Pend OReile for as year when I first got to Spokane. "Pond O Reilly" :bounce:

[Marc Martyn]

I mis-pronounced Pend OReile for as year when I first got to Spokane. "Pond O Reilly" :bounce:

That is funny! I am guessing that you got some very odd looks.

To be on the safe side, I think when I fish over there, I will call them "you know, the river just down the road?"

Just for giggles, pull up an atlas of New Zealand and try to pronounce their river names!:scratch: I fished one that was easy to pronounce- The Rumahunga.

[Mike Carey]

I found a picture of the pontoon in the water... the oars are the original lake oars, this is a shot on I believe the lower Hampton in the Potholes.

[leahcim_dahc]

All these pictures of pontoons is getting me all worked up to get mine out on the water. Target launching date...next Saturday. Can't wait!! :bounce:


Chad

[Marc Martyn]

Pictures...................we want pictures:thumleft:

[leahcim_dahc]

Well....after a few months...I finally got it wet, other than watering it with a garden hose or rain. Going to take a bit to get used to operating the thing, but works rather nicely none-the-less. Tested out on American Lake on Sunday and Five Mile on Monday. Handles quite well, even sits halfway level. The back sits maybe an inch to an inch and a half lower in the water with the motor and battery, but levels out quite nicely when standing on the front platform. While standing the pontoon is quite stable. Stable enough to move around a bit without fear of falling in like I originally thought. The 35lb trolling motor is more than enough to push it around. Not sure how fast it moves, but doesn't take long to cruise a couple hundred meters away from shore. Even tried rowing just so I could see how difficult it is going to be if I run the battery dead. Was fairly easy...minus the whole left and right hand synchronization. If I didn't pay attention, be pretty easy to row myself in circles...not like I would do that anyway, I don't care what they said at the dock.

Learned a few important items that definitely will not be overlooked again. Trim down the gear...or at least organize it better in the compartments, always go out with an anchor or at least a drift sock and when selecting a place to launch...downhill is always easy, however gravity works rather well coming back up. Launched from the Harry Todd park in Lakewood. It was a bit of a workout hauling all my gear back up the hill.

Anyrate, the pontoon works wonderfully, marked lots of fish on the hummingbird, got a few bites while trolling around...didn't sink or run into anything(...that caused any injury or property damage). All in all...it's a good time.


Chad

[urbanangler]

Wow, just read this entire thread. What a saga! But I bet it was liberating to be free from the shore. I am feeling that too this year with my first real water craft -- had it out three times now -- a fold up porta-bote. Thanks for sharing. Pictures?

[leahcim_dahc]

Yeah...the whole deal was a bit too much drama for my taste, but it happens. I have a couple photos my friend shot, but not sure if he saved them or not. He printed them out and I looked like a total dork fumbling around trying to operate it. :bom:

I'll get some decent one's here in the over my next couple trips.


Chad