Looking For a Good Toon

[Macgregorsailor51]

Thank you HR.. some here ( on This Board) are not nearly as honest as you are..
Ive been on 1 Sailing cat and a couple Power Cats and twice I thought we were going to pitch pole.. When the transome comes out of the water and the bow is digging in... I REALLY start to worry.. But I have also been on a Deep V with a buddy and he both... hit a big wave at a bad angle and cut the power way tooooo much at the same time and I was worried then too.. I dont like those Pucker Moments....waiting for bad to happen, on the water..

Originally Posted by HarborRat

Very true, they will plow or dive instead of rise. It's very easy to determine the upper speed limit of a toon when it's rough: If you are getting wet (sprayed) you are going too fast . On my old tri-hull style deckboat it wasn't so easy because it was a planing hull with a low bow; All could be fine up on plane, but when backing down ya better not have too many people up front! And everyone wants to sit up front. Learned this the hard way on a very calm harbor at night. Made it home though, full of water and all....Hurricane makes a good boat.....or at least it stays floating when full of water anyway....

The newer deck boats have a much deeper V, I guess they had too many lawsuits.

[HarborRat]

Originally Posted by Macgregorsailor51

Thank you HR.. some here ( on This Board) are not nearly as honest as you are..
Ive been on 1 Sailing cat and a couple Power Cats and twice I thought we were going to pitch pole.. When the transome comes out of the water and the bow is digging in... I REALLY start to worry.. But I have also been on a Deep V with a buddy and he both... hit a big wave at a bad angle and cut the power way tooooo much at the same time and I was worried then too.. I dont like those Pucker Moments....waiting for bad to happen, on the water..

Not all new boaters have experienced these moments yet, or even think they ever will. With enough time on the water, they will.

I've had a few of those pucker moments in my 30 years on the water and each time it has happened I learned a lesson that I would never forget. Problem is, there are always new boats and new lessons .

The deck boat I swamped might have went "pitch pole" if not for the bow hitting the bottom.....we were in about 7 feet of water in a 22 foot boat...came off plane with some friends sitting up front, water calm as glass. The bow dove and as soon as it was an inch underwater it shot straight to the bottom. The ensuing tsunami cleared the deck of anything not bolted down, straight over the almost 3 foot high gunnel railings. We were barely going 5mph by then so it wasn't a very violent episode, it seemed more like slow motion.

I've had these pucker moments in almost every boat style you can think of. All boats have their different quirks and at some point you WILL find that fine line. And then you will never go near it again .

And if you don't find that "fine line" with your boat ya probably don't use it enough. It will happen eventually, when least expected. Just stay calm and be ready for it.

[rock creek]

Originally Posted by mktobob

After three weeks we are mostly moved in. I say mostly because I have the feeling that there will be a few boxes that will remain untouched.
It is now time to turn my attention to the more important things like purchasing a boat.
We have a dock space here at the marina at Harbor Cove in North Port where we live that will accommodate a pontoon up to 18'.
So, we are looking for a pre owned pontoon that we can use for fishing and site seeing along the Myakka River. I have been checking the usual outlets like Boat Trader, Craigslist and dealerships.
I thought maybe someone here might know of someone selling their pontoon.
Thanks! Bob

To the OP I hope the recent replies were informative and not seen as hijacking your post

[MikeM8560]

HR ive gad a couplee t in my youth. First was in a closd bow sleeboat slowed scared by a big wave and came off the top too slow and nosedived the next. Watched water pass over the bow and arounf the sindshield. The next slowing to circle for a falled skier in a trihull bowrider took my own wake over the bow a 200 or so gallons. Been there....

[Macgregorsailor51]

I too dont really want to hijack your thread OP ... but if.... your new to boating you need to IMHO.... know that boating is NOTHING!!!!!!! like driving your car or even your motorcycle. IMHO its so much easier to make a bad choice on the water.. I AM NOT.. trying to scare you away..... I AM just wanting to raise your awareness.. Little things can be so different when you do them or they happen to you..... on the water. LIKE running out of gas.. or breaking down.. I was coming back into the Manchester Canal System.. I was Navigating that coarse between the makers from the harbor into the actual canal. I was at the controls for a 26 foot sailboat so I was going at a no wake speed. Its NOT TTBOMK the law in fact NO WAKE is only posted at the mouth of the canals and inland.. But IMHO courtesy isnt always evident on the water. ..... Its a bit narrow for two boats to pass between the markers and outside the markers it gets real shallow real fast. Well a fellow came flying thru those markers in a CC with Big Twins on The back and was just getting up on plane after having made it around the dog leg and by the time he pasted me his was pushing a huge wake.. I got SLAMMED into a Marker Post.. no way around it, I was just trapped.. Yep My sailboat was damaged, it was minor fiberglass repair above the waterline but damaged because? Was it my fault or his fault? IMHO It was just RUDE! You cannot miss seeing a 26 foot sailboat with a 30 foot mast.. He just didnt give a damn..

[mktobob]

Originally Posted by Macgregorsailor51

I too dont really want to hijack your thread OP ... but if.... your new to boating you need to IMHO.... know that boating is NOTHING!!!!!!! like driving your car or even your motorcycle. IMHO its so much easier to make a bad choice on the water.. I AM NOT.. trying to scare you away..... I AM just wanting to raise your awareness.. Little things can be so different when you do them or they happen to you..... on the water. LIKE running out of gas.. or breaking down.. I was coming back into the Manchester Canal System.. I was Navigating that coarse between the makers from the harbor into the actual canal. I was at the controls for a 26 foot sailboat so I was going at a no wake speed. Its NOT TTBOMK the law in fact NO WAKE is only posted at the mouth of the canals and inland.. But IMHO courtesy isnt always evident on the water. ..... Its a bit narrow for two boats to pass between the markers and outside the markers it gets real shallow real fast. Well a fellow came flying thru those markers in a CC with Big Twins on The back and was just getting up on plane after having made it around the dog leg and by the time he pasted me his was pushing a huge wake.. I got SLAMMED into a Marker Post.. no way around it, I was just trapped.. Yep My sailboat was damaged, it was minor fiberglass repair above the waterline but damaged because? Was it my fault or his fault? IMHO It was just RUDE! You cannot miss seeing a 26 foot sailboat with a 30 foot mast.. He just didnt give a damn..

No problem. Been running boats for years both fresh water and salt. I had to smile at a few of the stories as I remember close calls and nearly swallowing a boat cushion because the pucker factor was so high.

[Macgregorsailor51]

I will offer this bit of advice and its only IMHO.. If your new to boating .. Do NOT get what we chose for a power boat.. We bought a nice boat for a great price but I dont suggest it , Not Even For Me.. Its a 23 foot Walk Around with a Single 200 HP OB. The More BOAT you see above the water line the more that boat is negatively effected by the wind at low speeds.. If there is ANY WIND its hard to dock and not look foolish.. add it only has a single 200 HP.. it can be an issue to dock at anytime and it weighs well over 3000 lbs... so she will glaide aways WHY The Issues? I personally lack the hours behind the wheel.. I have 1000's of hours water skiing and driving for other skiiers in 17-20' OB powered Ski Boats..
She is a GREAT Boat For taking people as many as 8 , to Pelican Harbor or Cabbage Key or Matlacha.. Or for a Trip out and about on the Harbor.. If I ever get enough hours behind the wheel to get good at manuvering her, I will like her a lot more than I do now..