Sold the ski boat, looking for a pontoon to cruise around on. What
are some good questions to ask the seller? Things to look for?


Check the underside of the deck. The deck will either be screwed (ok) or
bolted (better) to the cross members. See what kind of shape the fasteners are
in. Everything should be tight with no evidence that the fasteners are
loosening.

Check the rails for the same issue. Should be firmly attached to the deck,
without significant play.

Check the furnture. Obviously for tears and stitching that is coming undone,
but also for water penetration if the furniture has wooden structures. You can
usually tell a lot about the furniture by opening the storage areas underneath
and sticking your head in there with a flashlight. Inspect the carpet for rot
and mildew while you are looking in there.

Also, layout is important. I have a hybrid sport/fish/cruise model, (fishing
seats and trolling motor up front, lounging area in the rear, ski tow bar. I
sometimes find myself wishing I had gone for a four point fishing model, since
thats what I don most often.

Also, recognize that for most pontoon boats with two logs, top speed will be
between 15 and 25 mph, weather it has 25 horsepower or 115 horsepower. If you
think you might need more performance for water sports, get a triple toon.


-- Rich Stern
www.nitroowners.com - The Nitro and Tracker Owners Web Site
www.mypontoon.com - The Pontoon Boat Web Site
www.fishingreportdatabase.com - The Fishing Report Database
www.mysporttrac.com - The Sport Trac Web Site