1st time - newbie to all things boating ...
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 2:50 pm
Hello all - new to forum & all things boating, including pontoons (thankfully we do have family that's quite experienced … & opinionated) - last week, bought a Harris SL230 with lots of extras; has a Mercury 250 verado pro & tower. Got all the life jackets, ropes, flags, towels, & cleaning stuff ...
Friday was filled with 1st's … storing everything, dragging 35' of trailer (up the mountain), figuring out how to put up bimini's, unloading from trailer, docking, no wake zones, rpm-trim-speed, avoiding crazy-assed over loaded boats & jet skis, drifting, finding the 'best' seats, docking again, taking down bimini's, loading on trailer (took 4 shots but got it finally), wiping things down, putting on travel cover (with poles …), dragging some more (down the mountain), backing into space.
WOW! that's all I can say after our 1st day … just plain f'ing WOW! Everything was smiles, laughter & general wooo-hooo!
Living in the intermountain west, we drag up & down the mountains to get to any lakes - I'm pulling with a 2015 Chevy 3500 SRW crew cab long bed gasser loaded with a slide in camper; Truck & camper w/people & stuff = 10150; haven't weighed the pontoon & trailer but figure GCWR is going to be about 16,500, well within weight & axel GW's.
First modification: better wheels & tires (2000 LBS load C or D); 2nd first mod: electric disc brakes on both axels - I do not like surge; also having a Mercury SmartCraft gauge installed this week; then a custom full enclosure.
So … thanks in advance for the welcomes & more to follow, including pictures!
Next week we're off the Flaming Gorge for both formal christening & several days of figuring things out. We'll be visiting Lake Mead & Lake Powell just after labor day & hope to get in a few more local lakes (Strawberry, Starvation, Fish Lake & such). Oh boy - here we go!
Friday was filled with 1st's … storing everything, dragging 35' of trailer (up the mountain), figuring out how to put up bimini's, unloading from trailer, docking, no wake zones, rpm-trim-speed, avoiding crazy-assed over loaded boats & jet skis, drifting, finding the 'best' seats, docking again, taking down bimini's, loading on trailer (took 4 shots but got it finally), wiping things down, putting on travel cover (with poles …), dragging some more (down the mountain), backing into space.
WOW! that's all I can say after our 1st day … just plain f'ing WOW! Everything was smiles, laughter & general wooo-hooo!
Living in the intermountain west, we drag up & down the mountains to get to any lakes - I'm pulling with a 2015 Chevy 3500 SRW crew cab long bed gasser loaded with a slide in camper; Truck & camper w/people & stuff = 10150; haven't weighed the pontoon & trailer but figure GCWR is going to be about 16,500, well within weight & axel GW's.
First modification: better wheels & tires (2000 LBS load C or D); 2nd first mod: electric disc brakes on both axels - I do not like surge; also having a Mercury SmartCraft gauge installed this week; then a custom full enclosure.
So … thanks in advance for the welcomes & more to follow, including pictures!
Next week we're off the Flaming Gorge for both formal christening & several days of figuring things out. We'll be visiting Lake Mead & Lake Powell just after labor day & hope to get in a few more local lakes (Strawberry, Starvation, Fish Lake & such). Oh boy - here we go!
