Before, I owned a 16' Crestliner. If possible, working with the bow into the wind is the safest position for the boat in windy conditions. Now, storm-engineered floating dock systems survive Category 4 hurricanes, but that doesn't necessarily make them safe. A rule-of-thumb for estimating wind speed is to look for white caps, which generally begin to appear at wind speeds approaching 20 miles per hour over calm water. The How to Increase Pontoon Boat Speeds. 1. This does not make them ideal for any activity that involves a high level of speed. However the personal watercraft regulations and boating safety … After leaving the boat launch, maintain slow-no-wake speed for a safe and legal distance from the launch. Joined Apr 26, 2002 Messages 19,070. Boating activities must be planned and approval given prior to any boat trip taking place. Throttle a little forward as you head towards the open water, with a gentle hand on the speed of the boat. And follow all boat … Plenty of pontoon boats are made to react to the wind and be light so that they can attain higher speeds. Pontoon boats generally have a top speed of about 30 miles per hour. 2. A pontoon can not serve your purpose if all you want is speed. Keep in mind that this only applies to bad weather or wind conditions. Not long ago, floating docks weren't safe to use in hurricanes. Never allow passengers to ride on gunwales or seatbacks or outside of protective railings, including the front of a pontoon boat. One common issue with a pontoon boat is speed. Feb 11, 2011 #4 ... Ponteen Boats and Wind Re: Ponteen Boats and Wind ... Never been out in a real bad storm, but most inland lakes you should be pretty safe. A sudden turn, stop or start could cause a fall overboard. The wind speed and direction is a major factor in ensuring you have a safe and comfortable experience. Boat length Wave height Boating conditions; 3.5 metres: 1.0 metres: heavy going, limit of safety for this sized vessel: 3.5 metres: 0.8 metres: speed reduced, water comes aboard, care required S. steelespike Supreme Mariner. Docking a Pontoon boat in the wind can prove a challenging task, particularly if you consider the size and weight of the average Pontoon. There is no minimum age to operate a boat. For the last one, you might need quite a bit of acceleration going on. I was laying flooring, so was on my knees most of the time, but got caught out a few times when standing, when it hit the pontoon. Please call the FWC's Boating Safety Section at 850-488-5600 for annual updates to this information or questions regarding boating safety course requirements. code of practice. Okay, I've owned my pontoon boat for a year now. Pontoon boats are not for racing, and most of them are not capable of accelerating much. The Safe Boat Operation for Vessels under 6 meters policy further defines the responsibilities within the University for safe boat operation, and should be read in conjunction with this code of practice. Speed. Pontoon boats can get more expensive engines or even more than one to increase their speed but this can get highly expensive. Larger boats may obviously be able to go out in rougher conditions due to their sheer size. Pontoon boats are not designed for high speed – they’re made for relaxing cruising down the lake or river, a slow and satisfying fishing session or a nice towing tube ride. Speed. "Protected" waters just a quarter-mile wide by a half-mile long have churned into 8 … Even in the shelter of other boats, I would guess the wind speed was 40-50 mph. The information below relates to smaller boats around the 15-30 foot mark. This can hinder movement in the dock if winds are strong, so be mindful of that. 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