There’s nothing like spending the afternoon out on the lake looking for any adventures that come your way. And part of that adventure is finding a great spot to pull over and explore or go camping for the night. When you have a pontoon boat, you aren’t limited by typical barriers like docks and marinas. All you need to get the party started is a beach and a little know-how.
After finding the perfect location to come ashore, you’ll need to know how to stake and beach your pontoon the right way. In this post from Canvasworks in Cokato,MN, we’re taking a closer look at how to do just that. Then, once you’re ready for some fun on the lake, give us a call to order your custom Bimini top to keep you cool when you’re out all day.
Beaching a Pontoon Boat
One of the biggest advantages of owning a pontoon boat is how easy it is to maneuver them onto a beach for lakeside adventures, camping, and more. When you have a pontoon boat, you can slide right up on shore, making it easy to carry your cookout supplies, coolers, and tents to dry land without having to wade part of the way.
Follow these steps to make beaching your pontoon boat a breeze:
- Approach the shore carefully.
Even if you’re an old pro at beaching your pontoon, sometimes there can be hidden hazards lurking in the water that you didn’t anticipate. So, it’s always a good idea to be careful while pulling up to the shore and watch carefully for sandbars, floating logs, and other potential problems that could impede a smooth approach.
Additionally, be especially cautious about swimmers in the water. Children can move quickly and don’t always pay the greatest attention to approaching boats, so be extra careful if you see any families on the beach.
- Reduce draft and drift into shore.
When you’re approaching the shore, trim your engine as you begin to glide into the shallow water near the shoreline. Once your prop starts to take in air, drop it, trim your engine three inches or so and ask your passengers to move to the rear of the pontoon. This gives your engine some movement on the off chance that you end up running aground and prevents your engine from sucking in mud. As you get closer to shore, turn your engine off all the way so your pontoon can drift and glide gently onto the beach.
- Use teamwork to pull your pontoon the rest of the way onto the beach.
Once you’ve come close to the shore, have someone on your boat jump ashore to help pull the pontoon ashore manually the rest of the way. Make sure they can touch the ground easily where they jump off so they have good footing to haul your boat onto shore.
- Don’t forget to set your anchor or stake your boat.
No matter how calm the waters are, you need to set an anchor. Just because things seem pretty stable where you’ve beached doesn’t mean another boater won’t send your boat rocking with their wake or the weather won’t change. You can purchase a stake from a boating supplier or online and easily stake your boat at this point.
There are several methods for anchoring your boat, and every seasoned boater has their preference. One of the more common methods is to use shore spikes to tie two lines off of the foredeck in a V-shape. Alternatively, you could anchor off of the stern and pontoon foredeck.
Order Your Pontoon Covers, Bimini Tops, and More
To make the most of your next pontoon lake trip, visit Canvaswors in Cokato, MN and check out our custom sun tops, pontoon covers, and everything else you need for a boating adventure. Check out our online gallery and then give us a call at 320-559-0165 or contact us online today.