Posted: 03/28/2008 at 6:56pm | IP Logged

I was talking to Jim Myers, President/Owner of www.pontoonstuff.com today and during the course of the conversation I told him how I eventually came to the forums. He found it interesting and thought it would be fun to see how everyone else came about viisting/joining here - so how about it folks - tell us what brought you here. I'll go first with my history.

I started by looking specifically for armrests that I could attach to the seats, as some of you know, my wife is handicapped and can't get up without assistance if she isn't high enough to push up and something to hold onto. So the search was on and since I do a lot of shopping on ebay, I found the armrests I was looking for. Made the purchase and while I was looking at the sellers info, noticed that he had an ebay store, so I visited it, and discovered he had a web site. Naturally being the techie dude I am, checked out the web store and found he also had a real store - web site also showed he had a forum. Well I've been to other boating forums and just didn't find the 'feeling' I had with this site. I've been to www.iboats.com and even bought stuff from them too (hard to find items) but I kept coming back here even after some folks talked about Deck & Pontoon Mag forums. But yet, I kept coming back here and I finally joined the forums. Haven't looked back since and the folks here on the forums were just great. So was pontoonstuff.com as the product I bought on ebay arrived within 3 days - very very quick for an ebay purchase. I've learned since then, that's a pretty much standard practice for www.pontoonstuff.com and good prices too. I can't express how much I really appreciated the folks here on the forum and especially the staff at PontoonStuff during the last 3 weeks I've come to know since they made me one of the forum admins. I want to make this the best forum site you guys could ever enjoy and with your help I will.

Thanks so much - Charles

Now tell us how you made your way here if you don't mind - Jim and the staff would really like to know (so would I).

Posted: 03/29/2008 at 2:59pm | IP Logged

I'm first , I'm First. O Happy Day to Me

I had to rebuild my old Tooner or buy a new one so I like many others hit the internet air ways.

Best I can remember I went to my search engine and typed in something like 'pontoon parts & forum'. that lead me to two sites. I put both on my front page so I could check them out better.

Sorry, but I joined the other site first , but later found out that Pontoonstuff was the BETTER site.

I have received alot of great info from this site and yes bought a few items for my rebuild that is on hold at the moment. Mybe in 1 or 2 more weeks I will hear something and get back at it if things go south, but I'm still in the running.

Still doing alittle on the toon, work-no. Calling and finding things ,yes.

Found a guy that will rebuild my 75hp evinrude for around $500, complete. That is if the foot is ok. But I have found a foot for $50.

Just want to say that this is the BEST PONTOON SITE on the WEB.

Posted: 04/21/2008 at 9:07am | IP Logged

I am on several other forums including, Snowmobileforum.com & Iboats.com, also a few others.

When I decided to buy a pontoon I was looking for a pontoon specific forum to ask some questions before buying. So I asked a question on iboats.com and there were two different sites that people recommended and I chose this one based on the layout of the site and how it was geared directly towards pontoons only.

There was another site that I was told about that was for pontoons and deckboats(I am not going to say the name) but I felt this one would better suit my needs.

Posted: 05/21/2008 at 4:35pm | IP Logged

Ahoy Robert, Welcome Aboard,

 This is a Pontoon family friendly forum and a great place for people like yourself to extend your own idea's and experiences, Hope to see you here often

Happy Pontooning......................Mike

Posted: 06/02/2008 at 1:01pm | IP Logged

WooHoo! I'm in!  

   My wife and I had met someone that was selling a 1980 Lowe 20' toon with a 70hp Johnson for $1k. I wasn't really thinking about getting a toon, but my wife said she had wanted one. We never really even talked about getting a boat at all! They put it up for sale, during their yard sale, on the Friday before Mother's day. I figured, if they hadn't sold it by Sunday, we'll take it. Sunday evening came and my wife wanted to know where the boat was! We went over there and baught it just as someone else was showing up with MORE than what he was asking for it...WHEW!

   Anyway... not knowing a thing about pontoons, I hit the web, trying to gather as much info as I could. While looking for seats, decking, etc... I came across Pontoonstuff.com. WOW! Great prices and a nice assortment of STUFF for pontoons...  and LOOK! A forum!

Posted: 07/09/2008 at 5:39pm | IP Logged

I just bought a 21' 1995 Party barge that was sitting under a tarp at our local marina. We asked to look at it for the heck of it and it looked in great shape and the marina wanted it off the lot. So anyway a few days later I owned it and was looking for info on pontoon boats and parts. I searched the internet and found this site and was amazed by all the info I could find. I am sure I will be reading and posting questions often.

Posted: 07/30/2008 at 5:25am | IP Logged

I bought a pontoon boat and was mounting a depth finder transducer and  wanted to research installation tips. I went online looking for pontoon boat forum and up pops PontoonStuff. It appears to be 'the place to go' for anything pontoon.

Posted: 08/05/2008 at 1:24pm | IP Logged

Dyess was my last duty station (1976-77). I was in the air on my way to Thailand and was diverted. I was known as a trouble shooter/fixer, take troubled units and make them effective again, boost morale, etc. First assignment at Dyess was being a law enforcement flight chief, then was a police k9 kennel master, then finished up being a KC135/B52 security flight line supervisor. Three different AFSC's (Air Force Speciality Codes for you non-AF guys) in one year of assignment. Wasn't bad duty but heck on a marriage (my first one), very little personal time. I think now they call it something else don't they (AFSC's)? I know they changed it from Air Police to Security Police (while I was in) to Security Forces.

Posted: 08/21/2008 at 7:54am | IP Logged

Ahoy Trooper 180

        Welcome Aboard  Your in trouble now....No ones an expert  We are no different than you....Just a Good group of people coming together to form a family of Pontooners with one goal in mind.....A Pontoon Family friendly forum to exchange Idea's and experiences. I am happy to see that you are so active and  I know that you will be just as active being there for other pontooners....Again Welcome Aboard....

Happy Pontooning...........................Mike

Posted: 09/07/2008 at 3:23pm | IP Logged

  Found this site while researching pontoon boats to buy one.After movig here from Idaho,we'd decided to get another RV,but decided a 'toon would be more fun since we can spend so much more time on the water here. Found what we wanted on craig's list: '98 Landau Bandit Cruise 24' w/ '98 - 90 HP force outboard. We took it out for the 2nd time today fishing. Really love it because we can stand up and walk around. Sorry I didn't get any pics because I planned to just before I took it out of the water. However a stiff breeze had built up by that time and I had my mind on getting it on the trailer w/ a crosswind more than pics.I'll add this was the second time I've loaded it,so I'm still learning this. Loaded lots of hull boats,but 'toons are a little different,especially in a crosswind!!!

  It's in good shape overall,except the front seats are weathered badly. Still usable but just look bad. Deck and carpet are A-1, motor has a rebuilt lower unit,new fishfinder and new stereo w/ CD player. We're debating whether to get the front seats recovered,replce them or take them out and install 4 swivel fishing seats. I already have 4 nice fishing seats w/ swivels and I like the price of the seat pedestals at the Pontoonstuff store,so will probably go that route. We also plan to buy a small dome tent so we can sleep on the boat.

  Anyway, I like this forum most of all the ones I've been to,so I'll be a regular visitor and try to post pics of any changes we make on it. My first project will be finishing cleaning the pontoons. The previous owner cleaned all but the back third insides. Still has a lot of calcium build up which I'm sure translates into a lot of drag and reduced gas mileage. I'm going to buy some of the Nubrite(?).If that doesn't do it, back to the wetordry paper like I've been using.

              Later,

                      Mike

Posted: 09/14/2008 at 10:44am | IP Logged

Hello Mike. I found out about pontoonstuff.com through an online boat forum at iboats.com. There is a link there about pontoon boats & that's how I found this great site. Needless to say I have not been back on that forum since I bought my used Riveria Crusier & found this great place to learn all I need to know.

I am semi retired as I just can't commpletly stop working. My wife says I am a workaholic & I guess maybe she is right.  I can't sit still very long without something to do. I live in Petersburg, VA & am close to a lot of fine lakes & rivers.

I came across my pontoon boat actually by accident. I was looking for a bigger engine for my 15ft bass boat & found one on craigstlist that interested me. The pontoon boat was sold but the buyer didn't want the engine. I meet the seller & it was still mounted on the boat & we tested it & it ran fine. During the testing the seller got a call from the buyer who stated he was backing out on the boat. So, the seller made me a deal I couldn't refuse AND my wife really liked so we bought it on the spot. She liked the way the pontoon rode in the water verses the bass boat.  I met a complete stranger at the local marina while trying to find a trailer to bring the boat home & he offered to lend me his & I took him up on his offer. He didn't ask for any money or anything. He was just another kind person who owned a pontoon & was willing to help out. I am trying to get the boat off his trailer so I can return it to him as I feel I am taking advantage of him even though he told me to keep it as long as I needed it.  So now it's home & I can kiss my retiring goodbye for a while longer.    But I am going to enjoy doing it & I feel so lucky finding this great site that is comprised of people with lots of expert knowledge who are more then willing to pass that knowledge along to people like me who really know nothing about pontoons but more then willing to learn & pass on my experiences to others as well. I have been reading for over 3 weeks & learned more then I ever dreamed possible & am amazed at the rebuilds that have been undertaken & completed. I make sure my wife sees them too. I am just in the removal stage right now of everything on the boat as I plan on a complete restoration. If I am going to do it at all I might as well do it right the first time.

Thanks for accepting me on the forum & I will keep everyone psoted as I go along to show the progress I am making. And thanks too to everyone who have been kind enough to answer my questions & pass on their advice & suggestions. I will be ordering the materials I need from pontoonstuff.com as soon as I determine just how I am going to do the restore.