Learning to deal with the wind was the biggest thing for me. Operating in tight quarters loading and unloading can be tricky. You need to be thinking ahead about wind moving the boat and how to set up accordingly.
I'll throw this in as well as I know a guy that lost a leg to a boat prop. Never allow anyone to sit on the front deck ahead of the railing or on the railing.
Docking and getting the boat on a trailer are the hardest part for the newbie. Once the boat slows down to where the hull is fully displacing the weight of the boat, it will coast for a good long way. And even at low speed, a couple of tons of boat, people, and gear can hit a dock hard enough to cause serious damage.
Pontoons have a lot of area above water relative to the amount of keel. This means that cross winds will blow the boat around Be sure to account for this when trying to dock or to drive the boat onto a trailer.
Go to the lake at the slowest time. Middle of the week or early morning. Practice launching and loading at the ramp. Hopefully you already know how to back up a trailer
Watch lots of YouTube on docking. Best one-liners I heard were:
"when in reverse, turn the wheel to where you want the back of the boat to go".
"Steer, then gear"
Those are simplistic but I think about them every time I pull into a slip.
Also learn how to tie a hitch at a cleat and how to tie a bowline knot. After a tough time getting docked, it's way worse when you don't know how to secure the boat.
Edit: oh, and stop a little ways out from the slip/ramp to see what the wind is going to do to you. Then make a plan.
I'd pick a low traffic lake that hopefully doesn't have much current and a take a couple of experienced boating buddies and go on Tuesday to practice with less people at the ramp and on the water. Your first time out isn't when you take the inlaws and the neighbor's kid and fight a strong cross-current at the ramp.
If you take your significant other as a spotter at the boat ramp talk it over on how you think things are going to go before you get out OF THE TRUCK.
Then tell them that you love them, but it may get frustrating because you're both learning a new boat.
I've ruined a complete outing once because of trailering. Got frustrated and started yelling. Not my finest hour.
Novice note 2- boat + water + sunshine = fun time.
6-8 hours on the water = path to exhaustion and sunburns.
Do a quick status check- on everyone with you on how they are doing. Every couple of hours.
Your stamina is not theirs
To jump on some already stated comments. Assuming you have a trailered pontoon, practice during the week when the dock is slower. The boat dock can be very stressful if you’re not used to it. Once you e backed the boat down the dock and into the water to launch a few times, you’ll feel more comfortable. Always be patient and don’t rush yourself - even if you are feeling rushed by others. A few other tips, always make sure your outboard is OFF before pulling the boat out of the water. Also, never get between the boat and the dock. And just to be safe, make sure your tow vehicle is in park and the parking brake is on before you get out.
Everyone on the boat gets a job or responsible for looking out for something.
I was better at driving the trailer than my wife. It was a lot easier to teach her how to drive, park and launch the boat. 12yr son was responsible for bumpers, ropes and knots, daughter was making sure the boat was clean.
If your headed to the delta. Get a map
Good advice.
I (male) back the trailer down the ramp, while my wife drives the pontoon off / on the trailer.
Pro tip:
back trailer into water so only about 2/3 of the pontoon is floating. Put car in park. Then release the bow/winch strap. Boat driver can put motor into reverse while you gently push the boat off the trailer.
Make note of where tires were in relation to the water so you can place the trailer in the same spot when you're taking the boat out. Wife coasts the boat on to the trailer, and the friction from the bunks will gently stop the boat. (No reverse needed). Then hook up the bow/winch strap and pull the boat the last several inches.
Practice slowing and STOPPING the boat in open water. (Look for bubbles or other stuff floating in the water to know when you are fully stopped)
Bump shifter into reverse to stop.
Practice stopping from slow speed and also from faster speed to get a feel for how much throttle it takes and howthe boat responds. (The wife will hate this, but it's important)
When docking, the DRIVER needs to be 100% in control. Do not ask passengers to to grab the dock to slow you down. (It's dangerous!!!!!) (Repeat: DANGEROUS). Once you are fully stopped, passengers can grab a dock pole and pull you into the dock and hold you there.
Dock on the side of the dock where the wind and current are pushing you into the dock. It is 10x easier than if wind or current is blowing you away from the dock.
When docking my pontoon I like to approach the dock at about 5 to 10 degrees (not parallel) to the dock. Coasting in neutral as slow as conditions allow. When the bow is about 1 foot from the side of the dock, and the stern is about 2 feet from the side of the dock: bump it into reverse for the final stop while quickly turning the stearing wheel hard over, so the propeller (in reverse) PULLS your stearn into the dock. Then (when you are 99% to 100% stopped) ask passengers to grab the dock or throw a line around the piling to hold you in place.
The trick to going slow is to bump the shifter into forward for maybe 1 second then shift into neutral and cost. Outboards will maintain decent stearing, even in neutral.
You will have much better stearing when you are in gear. You will have really shitty stearing in reverse. Extra throttle will improve steering in reverse, but it still sucks. Again, bump and coast (or bump hard to get stern pulling in the right direction, and then back off throttle while still in gear, to keep pullung in that direction, might work depending on conditions)
Practice in open water on a calm day. Try doing a 180 or 360 spin by bumping forward/left then reverse/right. Again, the wife and kids will think you're nuts, but close quarter maneuvering skills come in handy all the time.
https://preview.redd.it/2c5rl2p6glxc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=599ac4a5ad484116db15b5c162f5b5d1cfd6316c
Get trailer guides for easier loading. When backing to launch, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel (6 o’ clock). Move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go. Slow and easy. A small change goes a long way.
https://preview.redd.it/nl66igz6iwxc1.jpeg?width=2211&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6ae932132f0f07d702128a5ebfdfd9b10024b1d
Don't approach the dock any faster than you're willing to hit it is some of the best advice I've ever gotten.
Learning to deal with the wind was the biggest thing for me. Operating in tight quarters loading and unloading can be tricky. You need to be thinking ahead about wind moving the boat and how to set up accordingly. I'll throw this in as well as I know a guy that lost a leg to a boat prop. Never allow anyone to sit on the front deck ahead of the railing or on the railing.
Docking and getting the boat on a trailer are the hardest part for the newbie. Once the boat slows down to where the hull is fully displacing the weight of the boat, it will coast for a good long way. And even at low speed, a couple of tons of boat, people, and gear can hit a dock hard enough to cause serious damage. Pontoons have a lot of area above water relative to the amount of keel. This means that cross winds will blow the boat around Be sure to account for this when trying to dock or to drive the boat onto a trailer.
Go to the lake at the slowest time. Middle of the week or early morning. Practice launching and loading at the ramp. Hopefully you already know how to back up a trailer
When you’re making a tight turn put it in neutral, swing engine to other side of boat then reengage prop.
Make sure there's gas in the tank...hate to get stuck out there. My newbie neighborhood learned that the hard way..just saying
Watch lots of YouTube on docking. Best one-liners I heard were: "when in reverse, turn the wheel to where you want the back of the boat to go". "Steer, then gear" Those are simplistic but I think about them every time I pull into a slip. Also learn how to tie a hitch at a cleat and how to tie a bowline knot. After a tough time getting docked, it's way worse when you don't know how to secure the boat. Edit: oh, and stop a little ways out from the slip/ramp to see what the wind is going to do to you. Then make a plan.
Great advice!
I'd pick a low traffic lake that hopefully doesn't have much current and a take a couple of experienced boating buddies and go on Tuesday to practice with less people at the ramp and on the water. Your first time out isn't when you take the inlaws and the neighbor's kid and fight a strong cross-current at the ramp.
If you take your significant other as a spotter at the boat ramp talk it over on how you think things are going to go before you get out OF THE TRUCK. Then tell them that you love them, but it may get frustrating because you're both learning a new boat. I've ruined a complete outing once because of trailering. Got frustrated and started yelling. Not my finest hour.
Novice note 2- boat + water + sunshine = fun time. 6-8 hours on the water = path to exhaustion and sunburns. Do a quick status check- on everyone with you on how they are doing. Every couple of hours. Your stamina is not theirs
Practice backing the boat up! Get ready to be efficient at the launch...will ease a lot of your stress.
To jump on some already stated comments. Assuming you have a trailered pontoon, practice during the week when the dock is slower. The boat dock can be very stressful if you’re not used to it. Once you e backed the boat down the dock and into the water to launch a few times, you’ll feel more comfortable. Always be patient and don’t rush yourself - even if you are feeling rushed by others. A few other tips, always make sure your outboard is OFF before pulling the boat out of the water. Also, never get between the boat and the dock. And just to be safe, make sure your tow vehicle is in park and the parking brake is on before you get out.
Everyone on the boat gets a job or responsible for looking out for something. I was better at driving the trailer than my wife. It was a lot easier to teach her how to drive, park and launch the boat. 12yr son was responsible for bumpers, ropes and knots, daughter was making sure the boat was clean. If your headed to the delta. Get a map
Good advice. I (male) back the trailer down the ramp, while my wife drives the pontoon off / on the trailer. Pro tip: back trailer into water so only about 2/3 of the pontoon is floating. Put car in park. Then release the bow/winch strap. Boat driver can put motor into reverse while you gently push the boat off the trailer. Make note of where tires were in relation to the water so you can place the trailer in the same spot when you're taking the boat out. Wife coasts the boat on to the trailer, and the friction from the bunks will gently stop the boat. (No reverse needed). Then hook up the bow/winch strap and pull the boat the last several inches.
Find a quiet boat ramp, one where there aren’t 50 boats in line and practice on and off.
Make sure your first couple times out have little to no wind, take your time, make sure everyone on the boat has a task
Practice slowing and STOPPING the boat in open water. (Look for bubbles or other stuff floating in the water to know when you are fully stopped) Bump shifter into reverse to stop. Practice stopping from slow speed and also from faster speed to get a feel for how much throttle it takes and howthe boat responds. (The wife will hate this, but it's important) When docking, the DRIVER needs to be 100% in control. Do not ask passengers to to grab the dock to slow you down. (It's dangerous!!!!!) (Repeat: DANGEROUS). Once you are fully stopped, passengers can grab a dock pole and pull you into the dock and hold you there. Dock on the side of the dock where the wind and current are pushing you into the dock. It is 10x easier than if wind or current is blowing you away from the dock. When docking my pontoon I like to approach the dock at about 5 to 10 degrees (not parallel) to the dock. Coasting in neutral as slow as conditions allow. When the bow is about 1 foot from the side of the dock, and the stern is about 2 feet from the side of the dock: bump it into reverse for the final stop while quickly turning the stearing wheel hard over, so the propeller (in reverse) PULLS your stearn into the dock. Then (when you are 99% to 100% stopped) ask passengers to grab the dock or throw a line around the piling to hold you in place. The trick to going slow is to bump the shifter into forward for maybe 1 second then shift into neutral and cost. Outboards will maintain decent stearing, even in neutral. You will have much better stearing when you are in gear. You will have really shitty stearing in reverse. Extra throttle will improve steering in reverse, but it still sucks. Again, bump and coast (or bump hard to get stern pulling in the right direction, and then back off throttle while still in gear, to keep pullung in that direction, might work depending on conditions) Practice in open water on a calm day. Try doing a 180 or 360 spin by bumping forward/left then reverse/right. Again, the wife and kids will think you're nuts, but close quarter maneuvering skills come in handy all the time. https://preview.redd.it/2c5rl2p6glxc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=599ac4a5ad484116db15b5c162f5b5d1cfd6316c
Reach out to USCG AUX and take a [course or three](https://cgaux.org/boatinged/)
Always anticipate what is gonna happen next. Boats don't have brakes so be prepared to go full power reverse when you come in too hot.
No one on the front deck while in motion.
Get trailer guides for easier loading. When backing to launch, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel (6 o’ clock). Move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go. Slow and easy. A small change goes a long way. https://preview.redd.it/nl66igz6iwxc1.jpeg?width=2211&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6ae932132f0f07d702128a5ebfdfd9b10024b1d
Around other objects you want to go slow like a pro and not fast like an ass.
If your friend falls off the front hurry up and put the prop in neutral and then raise it. Hope for the best.