Ever since I was very young my family spent our free time in the summer enjoying our 16’ Glastron Tri-hull open bow boat.
No . . . I’m not telling you to go out and buy a boat, though . . . 😊
The thought of it does bring back many fond memories.
I remember water skiing, fishing, and the best part of all . . . driving the boat across Lake Erie to the shores of Crystal Beach Amusement Park, which is in Canada, and just floating on the water while we listened to the screams of the park’s patrons who chose to ride the big roller coaster that day. It was called the Cyclone and boy oh boy . . . did it ever live up to its name!
But I digress, as I so often do.
I also remember my dad driving the boat down the Niagara River to Strawberry Island . . . it was shaped like a strawberry. We never found strawberries growing there. ☹
My brother, always the brave one . . . and a little crazy, too . . . would water ski on the river even though the current was strong enough to carry a person all the way to the end where the river flowed over Niagara Falls. Thankfully, we were always far enough away to avoid such a tragedy and . . . since we both knew how to swim quite well . . . even if my brother happened to fall, he could get himself to the shore or to the boat and be picked up.
Me? As much as I love to ski, I only skied once on the river and that was because my brother was calling me a baby . . . or some such nonsense. I don’t fully remember why I did it, but I know I only did it once.
But through the years, as we got older . . . and went into our separate, adult lives . . . the boats got bigger, and the experiences multiplied – along with the memories.
Boats have always been a large part of our lives because of the comfort, the relaxation, and the ability to do so much more than we could if we were simply stuck on land all the time.
Mainly, our time on the water today is spent fishing and relaxing. Being somewhere where no one can find us . . . except the boaters around us . . . and no one can call us. It’s peaceful, serene. Listening to the wildlife around us and catching fish . . . and releasing them . . . is one of the most pleasant experiences I’ve found over the years.
Through the years, while my brother’s boats got bigger, ours got smaller. That’s because we only needed a 14’ fishing boat to meet our needs, but my brother needed a larger fishing boat so he could take the guys out with him.
Today, all of our main waterway is on the French River that runs through Ontario, Canada from Georgian Bay to Lake Nipissing. That’s because my parents built a family cottage up there decades ago, and it’s become a place of wonder every time we’re there.
Along the way my family started talking about pontoons so we can relax even more.
Actually, it was my mother who originally wanted the pontoon because she suffered from multiple sclerosis for most of her life and wasn’t as mobile as she used to be. We all started looking, but still don’t have one. Then . . . my mother passed away in 2014 and the idea ended up on the back burner until recently.
The cottage is rented to others throughout the warmer months and many people on the river are using pontoons. It would be nice to have one up there for the renters and for us, too.
Some of the newer pontoons, like the Barletta Series, are fabulous, but cost more than we can afford. Still, there are many who are looking for pontoons and are blessed to be able to enjoy this fabulous innovation in pontoon boats.
The rest of us tend to look on places like Amazon for used pontoon boats, but the truth is that Amazon carries all the accessories for fixing up or sprucing up a pontoon you might already own but no “luxury” pontoons.
So . . . the next best thing is to simply check online for used pontoon boats that are closest to you and choose whatever most appeals to you. I have to be honest, once again, and let you know that I was able to find some nice pontoons on eBay.
I like the idea of pontoons because they’re very stable when you use the better ones . . . because they have a floor that’s built on top of the two metal tubes called pontoons. With this type of construction, you can walk around and enjoy yourself no matter what you’re doing on the water, be it fishing or enjoying friends. It’s just a much more pleasant experience.
Again . . . I’m not trying to get you to buy a pontoon boat. Not many of us can afford it, myself included, but if you ARE so inclined, I’m simply sharing my own thoughts with you about another way to live comfortable while enjoying the outdoors.