Inboard Boat Driving Tips
You may open it by sliding or pulling back a small clip attached to it. Like how you drive a car, a truck, or any motor vehicle for that matter, you must be mindful of controlling your speed to prevent any accidents. Boat lines are ropes that secure your motorboat to the slip, pier, or dock. These are the mooring lines, dock lines, and spring lines, among others.
I always let everyone on board know before we ever leave and again when we return that hands and feet should stay in the boat around the dock. If you take in the 3 driving tips shown above on how to drive a pontoon boat, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t be up and running in minutes. Here are some of the best videos that I have found on YouTube for first time pontoon boat driving tips. Your speed should be slow, even, and steady giving you just enough power to get the pontoon boat driven into the slip space.
If it’s windy, I would recommend positioning the front of the boat downwind, in the opposite direction of the wind. Pontoon boats don’t have small turning circles, so you should think in advance before turning in the water. Place the throttle into forward shift and start off slowly with little bursts of power. Next you will need to start turning using the steering wheel. If you have a clear path in which to drive back into, make small and controlled fishing bursts on the throttle to back the boat out of the slip. Using the pontoon’s throttle should be something done with a very gentle motion.
Warm, sunny days are ideal for boating, but you can’t always predict when a storm will roll in. Varying gusts of wind and choppy water are signs of an approaching storm. And even if it’s a warm spring day, the water could instead reflect winter temperatures. In the event that your boat capsizes or you and your passengers get wet, make sure you have a plan to seek help and get dry. So the one thing my first instructor beat into my skull is the fact that coming off plane without checking behind my boat first is dangerous.
Keeping the crew aware can make the difference between an enjoyable time on the water and one of discomfort or, worse, injury. Let the rider swim up to the boat, do not drive all the way to them. It’s a good idea for the whole family to enroll in a boater education course.
This is huge because it means the back of the boat will swing when you use reverse to slow down to pick up a skier, park the boat at a dock, or put the boat on the trailer. Find a position where you can secure your elbow, it may be by your side squished between your side and the boat. When your elbow is free, it will move when you change speeds, which will reduce your finesse and smoothness with the throttle. This is based on my personal experience with a variety of tournament ski boats, other boats and brands may vary.