Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hi, I'm new to the forum. Thanks for the add. I'm doing market research for boat manufacturer. Interested in getting your perspectives on the below questions. Hope to just engage you all in a conversation on the the kind of innovations/changes you'd like to see in pontoon boats. Feel free to answer one or all. Really just want to get a conversation going.

Questions:
What's a feature you'd really like to see in a pontoon boat that doesn't exist yet?
What kind of pontoon innovations interest you?
What are some of your favorite features that already exist?
Do you think so many layout options are really necessary?
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the number of feature, color, flooring, etc. option that manufacturers offer? Or do you choose manufacturer based on your ability to customize?

I'll give my $.02

Something I've not seen offered by a boat manufacturer is a partial enclosure (that easily connects to just the single bimini). There are after-market companies that you can get these from, but I have not seen them offered from a boat manufacturer. They do offer full enclosures already, so adding a partial enclosure to their lineup seems doable.

The type of innovations that interest me are more gauges to let me know the status of my motor --- number of total hours on the motor (this is helpful for resale), an hour meter that can be reset (so you can reset it after each oil change - sort of like a trip odometer in a vehicle), motor temp.

Things that exist today that I like are places for a built-in GPS with detail map. I've been looking between Bennington, Crest and Qwest (only because those are the only 3 carried by local dealers on our lake -- that are in my price range). Only the Quest has a place in the console, to mount a Humminbird Helix 5 (same GPS/Detail Map that I have currently). The other 2 manufactures would require a Ram mount to mount the unit to the console -- which is just something that sticks up and could get broken off, or makes it difficult to put a cover on over the boat.

Yes, I do think the various layout options are needed -- we all use boats in different ways, depending on what we plan to do on the boat and who our passengers will be.

The number of features, color, flooring etc are good -- again, we all don't want to be driving a blue boat with seagrass flooring and 4 fishing seats. I don't choose the manufacturer based on the ability to customize, but I do choose based on the options available to choose from. A manufacturer could have 50 different seat layout configurations, but if they don't offer the configuration I'm looking for, I won't even consider that manufacturer. We spend too much money on the purchase of a new boat to have to settle on something that we really don't want.

[quote="OK Toon"]I'll give my $.02

Something I've not seen offered by a boat manufacturer is a partial enclosure (that easily connects to just the single bimini). There are after-market companies that you can get these from, but I have not seen them offered from a boat manufacturer. They do offer full enclosures already, so adding a partial enclosure to their lineup seems doable.

Look for "day enclosures" ie https://goo.gl/images/VeDTfA . Premier has them. Not sure about others.

Thanks for all the insights! Appreciate the help. Do you guys have friends that don't own boats and don't want to? This might not be the right spot, but we are curious about why people are resistant or uninterested in boat ownership.

You mean there's boats being sold without the GPS installed right in the console?????
What kind of cheap, half assed boat is that?

[quote="boaterwa713"]Thanks for all the insights! Appreciate the help. Do you guys have friends that don't own boats and don't want to? This might not be the right spot, but we are curious about why people are resistant or uninterested in boat ownership.[/quote]

Just maybe ask or poll your employees... Would you feel confident taking on and paying an additional $500 a month +/- to own a nice pontoon boat that only can be practically utilized about five months out of the year?

[quote="boaterwa713"]Thanks for all the insights! Appreciate the help. Do you guys have friends that don't own boats and don't want to? This might not be the right spot, but we are curious about why people are resistant or uninterested in boat ownership.[/quote]
I know a bunch of people who use to own boats now don't. It is great fun, but it's also a money pit and can be a serious pain in the ass. with interest rates appearing to be on the rise I would anticipate low end boats to sell much less than they have over the last 5 years. If the rates go up substantially you can bet on a lot of companies disappearing as well. your questions sound like there coming from someone who has never owned a boat.

Boats are 'spensive but they do hold their value relative to a lot of other things.
Besides--my motto has always been---if you have to justify your fun--it ain't fun

Only innovation I'd love to see is toons that don't tarnish. Yes, I aware that some manufacturers put SharkHide on them, etc.... but I would hope for something more permanent to keep them from corroding and looking nasty.

I like the many choices of deck layouts, although I chose a fairly common style that most manufacturers offer. I also like having the choice of different flooring, and am VERY HAPPY with my fake teak, vinyl flooring.

By the way, we DID factory order our boat exactly as we wanted it.

Another thing I haven't seen offered by any manufacturer is that for those with "in floor" storage, the vinyl hatch that opens is just that...... solid vinyl that does NOT have any floor covering on it. It doesn't match the rest of the flooring. I got another piece of the fake teak gray vinyl flooring and epoxied it down to my floor hatch and trimmed it to size. Looks a thousand times better, BUT it should come from the manufacturer this way. Here's a pic:

Richard, that looks really good! I also have the fake teak flooring. Where did you get the vinyl for your hatch?

Thanks Steve,

I got it directly from Berkshire. I had my dealer contact them and ask if I could get a piece and they said no problem. So I knew it was an exact match !!!!

Richard

Thanks Richard. I’ll likely try that also.

Two main points of innovation that Id like to see ;

1. Flotation - new improved designs in the pontoons themselves. Engineering to improve performance of the average vessel that relies much more on the performance of the floats themselves. Better performance without the need for 200 plus horse motors to move them at decent speed .

3. Innovation in the use of material to reduce weight without loss of structural stability or safety.

3.. Innovation in coatings that eliminate the never ending battle with pontoons that look like hell from water stains etc.

I wonder why they don't put on slideouts on the sofas like a camper, not for when you are underway but for more space when you get to where you will party.

[quote="illinoid"]I wonder why they don't put on slideouts on the sofas like a camper, not for when you are underway but for more space when you get to where you will party.[/quote]

Bentley tried that a few years ago. I thought it was good idea.