Question about slipping my pontoon year round

[HawkTX]

I will be taking delivery on my new Pontoon week after next. I have a dockominium and slip at Lake Texoma in North Texas. The water never freezes, but the temperatures do get below freezing in January and February. I've always had my jet boat, which I traded for this pontoon on a lift and the lift will not work for the pontoon so it has been sold. I noticed most of my slip neighbors just leave them in the water with the outboard engine down in the water except for a couple of them which have seemed to trimmed the outboard motor up for the winter season, which is confusing me. Since the water never freezes up at Lake Texoma is this ok? If so, besides adding fuel stabilizer what else do I need to do when I put her in the water in the next few weeks?

Another option is there is storage up the road I could pull her out if she really needs to be out of the water for those two months, but since nobody else seems to do that it sounds like a bit of a hassle. I also plan on using her for some fishing the rest of this month and maybe some in Jan and Feb if it's not too cold. Sorry if this is a newb question, but this is my first tritoon and my second boat I've ever owned.

Thanks.

[r&s20]

Hi Hawk,
first let me say welcome.

as for leaving your toon in the water i don't see a problem,i do. i would recommend leaving your motor down for two reasons up it's easier for someone to relocate your prop or lower unit (i don't know your area). but more importantly because your temps. do fall below freezing you don't want the water that stays in lower unit to freeze and crack your lower unit casing (seen this happen,mostly from rain water)

i do pull mine several times a year for cleaning and general maint. i find this easier(for the most part) out of the water. maybe something to think about.

[Bamaman]

My old Starcraft pontoon stayed in a boathouse slung out of the water for its 28 year lifespan. Because it was kept completely dry and out of the weather, it lasted so long. I'd still be running it today if the lower unit wasn't toast--due to lack of maintenance which was my mistake.

You could leave a Texas boat in the water over the winter, however I wouldn't suggest it. If you're used to having a boat on a lift, you'll find keeping the boat in the water all year to be a drag--literally. You'll get tired of cleaning the bottom to keep up the speeds.

For the time being, I'd suggest you store the boat down the road. Boat lifts are really an investment in taking care of your boat, as they'll just last so much longer. I now know how important it is to take care of that lower unit because a replacement is serious $$$$.

[RcgTexas]

You could leave a Texas boat in the water over the winter, however I wouldn't suggest it. If you're used to having a boat on a lift, you'll find keeping the boat in the water all year to be a drag--literally. You'll get tired of cleaning the bottom to keep up the speeds.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Especially on a new boat! with emphasis on "You'll get tired of cleaning the bottom to keep up the speeds."

Other than that all I can add is I would never leave any boat I owned in the water for two or three months.

[Bryden24shp]

When we had our place at Lake of the Ozarks, I would always see used lifts for sale, some very reasonably priced. My neighbor bought a 6000 pound lift for $2500 and had it pulled up to and installed in his slip for $400. I have seen several people drive to Osage Beach to buy them and bring them back to Iowa. check out http://loz.craigslist.org/search/boo?query=boat+lift It could be worth a weekend drive. Lots of nice places to stay, too.

[HawkTX]

I actually have a Hydrohoist UL2-4400 that my jet boat sat on in my slip right now (I was going to sell it). I wonder if I can convert it to hold my tritoon? I will call the Hydrohoist dealer I purchased it from tomorrow/Monday and see. So this leads me to my next question if I do purchase a lift. Sorry if this is a NEWB question, but I've never had a outboard motor on a boat before (always had a jet boat). Once on the lift do I just leave the OB motor trimmed down and all is good? Since it won't be in the water and it does get below freezing in North Texas is there anything else I should do even though I will still be taking it out every so often to fish?

[HawkTX]

It does look like my HydroHoist UL2-4400 can be converted (this is my exact boat lift I had for my jet boat). I found this picture on google. It appears I just have to change the bunks. I will know for sure when I speak to the hydrohoist dealer tomorrow.

[Bryden24shp]

Yep, just leave it trimmed down so it drains. I'd throw a battery maintainer on the battery so it stays charged and doesn't freeze. should be easy to convert the lift over. Its done all the time at the lake.

[HawkTX]

Yep, just leave it trimmed down so it drains. I'd throw a battery maintainer on the battery so it stays charged and doesn't freeze. should be easy to convert the lift over. Its done all the time at the lake.

That's good news. I was thinking about just selling the boat lift and letting the pontoon sit in the water, but after talking with one of the guys that's next to me at the marina it's probably not a good idea because Lake Texoma has zebra mussels.

[BobL]

Rule of thumb in the South if your boat is staying in the water.......

Trimmed down in the winter and trimmed up in the summer. If you leave it trimmed down in the summer, your intakes will clog with algae growth.

Prior to my lift, I kept it in the water 8 months a year (pulled it our around October and put it on the trailer) and I usually had to clean my toons 2-3 times per summer due to algae growth.

[BobG]

I slip mine from May 1 to September 30th in Blue Mesa Reservoir, near Gunnison, CO - elevation approximately 7,500 feet.

It gets below freezing, it snows, whatever. I leave it trimmed down and never have any problems with that. Yeah, you need to clean it. Actually, Colorado Department of Game and Fish will pressure wash it, every time I pull it out. That's standard operating procedure at all the lakes in Colorado, because of Zebra Mussels. So if I wanted to, I could pull it out, let them pressure wash it, and just put it back in. In practice, I just leave it in, and hit it with the brush periodically.

[HawkTX]

I slip mine from May 1 to September 30th in Blue Mesa Reservoir, near Gunnison, CO - elevation approximately 7,500 feet.

It gets below freezing, it snows, whatever. I leave it trimmed down and never have any problems with that. Yeah, you need to clean it. Actually, Colorado Department of Game and Fish will pressure wash it, every time I pull it out. That's standard operating procedure at all the lakes in Colorado, because of Zebra Mussels. So if I wanted to, I could pull it out, let them pressure wash it, and just put it back in. In practice, I just leave it in, and hit it with the brush periodically.

Thanks for the info. WOW on having them pressure wash it for you! FREE WASH! lol

[OK Toon]

You can get the brackets from HydroHoist -- I think they were about $100 for 4 brackets. You'll just need 2 additional brackets to add the bunks for the 3rd toon. I converted our really old Model "A" HydroHoist over for our pontoon boat (dad used to have an open-bow runabout on the lift). Then get the longest non-treated 2x4s you can get and then add some carpet. Just make sure to countersink the carriage bolts into the bunks so the bolt heads don't scratch the bottom of the toons.

But as others have said, store the motor trimmed down and the water will run out of the lower unit when it's on the lift.

[HawkTX]

You can get the brackets from HydroHoist -- I think they were about $100 for 4 brackets. You'll just need 2 additional brackets to add the bunks for the 3rd toon. I converted our really old Model "A" HydroHoist over for our pontoon boat (dad used to have an open-bow runabout on the lift). Then get the longest non-treated 2x4s you can get and then add some carpet. Just make sure to countersink the carriage bolts into the bunks so the bolt heads don't scratch the bottom of the toons.

But as others have said, store the motor trimmed down and the water will run out of the lower unit when it's on the lift.

Awesome! Thanks for the info. The hydrohoist guy on Lake Texoma is going to my slip tomorrow to get everything lined up. I wish I had time to do it myself because I'm sure I could save some $$$, but my mom is having some surgery this week and I have to be there.

[OK Toon]

Awesome! Thanks for the info. The hydrohoist guy on Lake Texoma is going to my slip tomorrow to get everything lined up. I wish I had time to do it myself because I'm sure I could save some $$$, but my mom is having some surgery this week and I have to be there.

Hoping for a speedy recovery for your mom. Yes, family takes priority over anything else.

I would love to change out our control box for our HydroHoist. The new ones now have a remote control to operate them. That way you can raise the lift after you have launched. It's really hard on the units to hang below the water especially if you are in a rough water area of the lake. Best of luck on getting yours converted over. Makes it really easy to drop the boat to go for a quick cruise.