BOATS Fishing Boats
  • Mod V
    Stinger 8 Series Bass
    • Stinger 198
    • Stinger 188
    • Stinger 178
    Stinger-5-Series Bass Multispecies
    • Stinger 195
    • Stinger 175C
    Catfish
    • 20 Catfish
    Side Console
    • Legacy
    Skorpion
    • Skorpion 17
    • Skorpion 16
    • Skorpion SS
    Mod V Overview
  • Bay
    Center Console
    • 22 BAY
    • 20 BAY
    • 18 BAY
    Bay Overview
  • Deep-V Fishing
    Walk Thru
    • FM 1800 WT
    • FM 1775 WT
    • FM 1675 WT
    • FM 1625 WT
    Side Console
    • FM 1800 SC
    • FM 1775 SC
    • FM 1675 SC
    • FM 1625 SC
    Deep-V Fishing Overview
  • Deep-V Fish & Ski
    Walk Thru
    • Fish & Ski 1900
    • Fish & Ski 1800
    • Fish & Ski 1700
    • Fish & Ski 1625
    Deep-V Fish & Ski Overview
  • Utility
    Tiller
    • WV1670
    • WV1470
    • WV1260
    Utility Overview
Pontoon Boats
  • Retreat
    Walk Thru
    • Retreat 270 Ext WT
    • Retreat 250 WT
    • Retreat 230 WT
    Rear-Facing Lounger
    • Retreat 250 RFL
    • Retreat 230 RFL
    Retreat Overview
  • SS
    Conversion
    • SS 250 CL
    • SS 250 DL
    • SS 230 CL
    • SS 230 DL
    • SS 210 CL
    • SS 210 DL
    L-Shaped
    • SS 250
    • SS 230
    • SS 210
    • SS 190
    • SS 170
    Walk Thru
    • SS 270 Ext WT
    • SS 250 WT
    • SS 230 WT
    • SS 210 WT
    SS Overview
  • SF
    Walk Thru
    • SF 232 WT
    • SF 212 WT
    Rear Fishing Station
    • SF 232
    • SF 212
    Fishing
    • SF 234
    • SF 214
    • SF 194
    SF Overview
  • Ultra
    Cruise
    • Ultra 200 Cruise
    • Ultra 180 Cruise
    • Ultra 160 Cruise
    Fish & Cruise
    • Ultra 202 FC
    • Ultra 182 FC
    • Ultra 162 FC
    Ultra Overview
  • Deck Boat
    Side Console
    • SD224
    Deck Boat Overview
Hunt & Fishing Boats
  • Roughneck
    Tiller
    • RX 2070
    • RX 1860
    • RX 1860 Rambler
    • RX 1760
    • RX 1660
    Side Console
    • RX 2070 SC
    • RX 1860 SC
    • RX 1760 SC
    • RX 1660 SC
    Center Console
    • RX 2070 CC
    • RX 1860 CC
    • RX 1860 Pathfinder
    • RX 1860 Tunnel Jet
    • RX 1760 Pathfinder
    Roughneck Overview
  • Jon Boats
    Tiller
    • L1852MT AURA
    • L1852MT Jon
    • L1648 Jon
    • L1648M Jon
    • L1652MT Jon
    • L1648M AURA
    • L1436L Jon
    • L1440M Jon
    • L1448 Jon
    • L1448M Jon
    • L1240 Jon
    • L1032 Jon
    • L1040 Jon
    Jon Boats Overview
BUILD
/content/brunswick/lowe/na/us/en/build-and-price/my-saved-boats.html
Lowe Boats Saved Boats Icon

SAVE MY BOAT

View your customized Lowe

Lowe Hero Image Blog Page 10 06 21

THE RULES OF PROPER PONTOON BOATING

Category: Boating Resources
Jul 05, 2019

If you consider yourself to be a responsible pontoon captain who values safety, you will need to learn the guidelines of proper boating. Taking necessary care to follow these rules will allow you to control your new pontoon boat in a courteous and safe fashion. Too many owners of new pontoon boats spend a lot of time plotting their adventures and explorations, and too little time practicing safe boating maneuvers.

 

Pontoon boat dealers will tell you that The Rule of Good Seamanship is the foundation for all other boating guidelines. “Good Seamanship”, however, doesn’t depend on one clear definition, but on several basic guidelines:

 

 1. Obey all of the rules when operating pontoon boats, unless an extreme circumstance requires that you deviate from them.


2. If a collision is inevitable, alleviate the damage of the collision by carefully maneuvering to lessen the force of the collision. Although pontoon boat manufacturers build these boats with tough materials, there is no way of knowing how a collision will affect your boat’s buoyancy, so bring lifejackets for every passenger (it’s the law!).


3. Ensure that other fishing pontoon boats can see you by equipping your boat with sufficient lighting during low light. These days, manufacturers include all necessary lights in their standard boat packages.


4. You’ll need to keep an effective and constant lookout any time you’re underway. While many best pontoon boats have perfectly unobstructed views, in some cases, the captain may not be able to see all around the boat. The captain should assign a crew member as a lookout who is alert enough to see, and hear, any other vessels.


5. It is required that you know how to properly use a CB or radio communicator or have a cell phone, and are able to use it within regulations to communicate with other custom pontoon boats on the water.

 

There are also rules that explain methods for audible communication between boats by using horn signals. These horn blasts are similar to Morse Code. The horn sounds are structured in groups of short and long blasts:

 

1. A short horn blast on a pontoon boat (or any boat) is approximately 1 second long. A single short horn blast means that you want to pass the other boat on its port side.


2. Two short honks of your horn indicates to other boaters that you’re attempting to pass them on their starboard sides.


3. Three short horn blasts warns other pontoon boaters that you’re operating your pontoon boat in reverse gear. Pontoon manufacturers use outboards that include reverse gear in basically every new pontoon they make.


4. Five quick blasts of the horn notifies other captains that you and your crew are either in danger, or that you’re uncertain about the intentions of a nearby vessel.

 

The rules, while appearing complicated, are really designed for one single purpose – to avoid dangerous or deadly collisions between vessels. If you use a bit a caution, common sense, and alertness, you’ll fulfill the spirit of the rules and ensure fun times on your pontoon boat.

Lowe Boating Safety Tips THE RULES OF PROPER PONTOON BOATING