Used Pontoon Boats Can Be a Surprising Find
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I’ve mentioned the memorable times
spent on the lake where my Aunt and Uncle lived in
Michigan. As
a child, my uncle often borrowed his neighbor’s pontoon
boat, and we’d have big parties on the boat (it was a
very large pontoon!).
A pontoon is a floating
barrel-looking object, usually fiberglass for modern
pontoons.
It’s hollow, filled with air so it will float well.
The boat has two of these placed at varying
distances from each other, depending on the width of the
boat. The
length of the pontoon is determined by the length of the
pontoons as well.
In between the pontoons will be some type of
flooring so the entire surface is flat.
Pontoons usually have a canopy if they’re to be
used recreationally.
Houseboats are typically pontoon-style boats.
I Googled some used Pontoon boats
for sale by owner.
One I saw really intrigued me.
It was on iboats and was only a three foot
Mercury – just a tiny thing. It looked perfect for a
retired couple taking their morning coffee on the lake
of their retirement home.
Then, as the sun sets over the lake, reflecting
pinks and purples off the water, they’d enjoy martinis
and gossip over the day’s events.
Of course, that little pontoon
probably isn’t what most boat-lovers are looking for.
So I looked at a few more on the “used” lists.
There was a 1994 Sweetwater 20’ with a patio
deck. It has
a 75 HP Mercury motor.
Next I saw a 2002 Crest Caribbean,
25’ which included the trailer.
It was white, gold and rust.
It featured a half bikini top, cd stereo and came
with a brand new trailer.
There was also a 2004 25’ Crest
Caribbean, 135 horsepower.
Looking at the photo, it reminded me of the one
we used to party on when I was a kid at the lake where
my aunt and uncle lived.
In addition to the little pontoon
advertised on iboats which stirred my fantasy about the
retired couple, they offered a 15 foot Sea Ryder, a 2005
16 foot Fiesta, a 16 foot 1991 Tracker, a 16 foot 2008
Manitou, and a 1990 16 foot Crest.
Pontoon boats are low cost and quite inexpensive to
insure. Their
flat bottomed style is ideal for supporting a structure,
as mentioned earlier in the case of a houseboat.
They’re also used to ferry vehicles across lakes.
They’re almost impossible to capsize.
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