We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

Chris Lamb wrote:
We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

I'd vote for a small pontoon boat with a canoe. Take the canoe along if
you want to explore narrow passages and such.

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:23:34 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:10:45 GMT, (Chris Lamb)
wrote:

We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

A small pontoon boat is probably your best bet - in particular as you
get older than mid-60's.

Look around for something like this. They make privacy curtains for
boats like this for things like changing and porta-potties.

http://www.avalonpontoons.com/2007/Eagle.htm

You forgot to mention that he should put an Etec 2-stroke on it. I think
you gave him a great suggestion, and picked a nice pontoon boat to show
him.
--
John H

*Have a great Christmas and a spectacular New Year!*

Chris Lamb wrote:
We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.


The smaller ones might be just what you need.
http://www.princecraft.com/Content/e...?ProductID=394

JohnH wrote:
On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:23:34 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:


On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:10:45 GMT, (Chris Lamb)
wrote:


We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

A small pontoon boat is probably your best bet - in particular as you
get older than mid-60's.

Look around for something like this. They make privacy curtains for
boats like this for things like changing and porta-potties.

http://www.avalonpontoons.com/2007/Eagle.htm


You forgot to mention that he should put an Etec 2-stroke on it. I think
you gave him a great suggestion, and picked a nice pontoon boat to show
him.
--
John H

*Have a great Christmas and a spectacular New Year!*


Bad advice. A nice quiet, clean four stroke would be better for
cruising around on a pontoon boat.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:26:59 GMT, Don White
wrote:


JohnH wrote:

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:23:34 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:



On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:10:45 GMT, (Chris Lamb)
wrote:



We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

A small pontoon boat is probably your best bet - in particular as you
get older than mid-60's.

Look around for something like this. They make privacy curtains for
boats like this for things like changing and porta-potties.

http://www.avalonpontoons.com/2007/Eagle.htm

You forgot to mention that he should put an Etec 2-stroke on it. I think
you gave him a great suggestion, and picked a nice pontoon boat to show
him.

*Have a great Christmas and a spectacular New Year!*

Bad advice. A nice quiet, clean four stroke would be better for
cruising around on a pontoon boat.


Hate to tell you this Don, but an E-TEC burns cleaner than a four
stroke. Quieter too.

But...can you get a E-tech in the smaller sizes you'd want for a 9'
cruising pontoon boat?
http://www.boaterslife.com/evinrude-...1532.278.6.htm

"Chris Lamb" wrote in message
...
We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

The suggestion of a small pontoon boat is excellent. Being 65 and stiff and
clumsy, myself, I can definitely not suggest the canoe. Just sold one after
trying it out once. My 24 ft pontoon is great but I wouldn't suggest it for
trailering. Have to enlist my son and grandson to help me put it in, in the
Spring and out in the Fall. I would definitely look at a "drive on" trailer
for that small pontoon boat. My trailer with the wheels between the floats
is hard to load and wanders all over the road when pulling. Neighbor has a
big pontoon boat with drive on trailer and he pulls it behind his motor home
all over the country without problems. Luckily I only have about 300 yds to
go from the house to the local park ramp. The rest of the Summer it parks
in front of the house at the dock. As for rowboats, I find that when the
boat tips as I get in or out, I tend to lose my balance and likely as not,
end up lying on the floor of the boat...luckily haven't gone over the side
yet.

Tom G.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 03:14:22 GMT, "Tom G"
wrote:


"Chris Lamb" wrote in message
...
We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

The suggestion of a small pontoon boat is excellent. Being 65 and stiff
and
clumsy, myself, I can definitely not suggest the canoe. Just sold one
after
trying it out once. My 24 ft pontoon is great but I wouldn't suggest it
for
trailering. Have to enlist my son and grandson to help me put it in, in
the
Spring and out in the Fall. I would definitely look at a "drive on"
trailer
for that small pontoon boat. My trailer with the wheels between the
floats
is hard to load and wanders all over the road when pulling. Neighbor has
a
big pontoon boat with drive on trailer and he pulls it behind his motor
home
all over the country without problems. Luckily I only have about 300 yds
to
go from the house to the local park ramp. The rest of the Summer it parks
in front of the house at the dock. As for rowboats, I find that when the
boat tips as I get in or out, I tend to lose my balance and likely as not,
end up lying on the floor of the boat...luckily haven't gone over the side
yet.

I gave up worrying about this stuff years ago.

Wear a good inflatable PFD, buy the biggest boat you can afford and
tow and just go and have fun. :)

So you get wet once in a while - who cares. :-)/

Good suggestion on the PFD...I wear one whenever I'm close enough to water
that I can't pick myself up and walk out of if I fall in. No stamina left
to be trying to swim back to the boat or to shore. And especially in the
Spring and Fall when the water is cold.

Tom G

I like the 14' Jon boats that are 48" at the rear bottom. They will usually
have a 70" beam and a flat bottom.

You can stand up in these boats without tipping over like in a canoe. Plus
you can carry lots of gear and an ice chest.

You can put an electric motor on the rear. A 12 volt and 55# thrust tiller
will work on small lakes.

Put some good 8 foot oars on it too.

Then a 15 to 30 hp tiller outboard will push it around on larger water.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA

Web site: www.kiene.com


"Chris Lamb" wrote in message
...
We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes. Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing. But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

how bout a nice deck boat??...has the speed and amenities for a nice
cruiser and the open space of a bow rider....can carry the canoe
kayak....some even have a nice head..kinda cramped but it’s
avail.....something to think about.... :P

"Chris Lamb" wrote:
We are a couple in our mid 60's trying to decide which boat to
get to
enjoy the many lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. Seems to
be pros
and cons to either a pontoon, canoe or rowboat. Benefit for
us of a
pontoon is being able to get up and walk around sometimes.
Arthritic
bones get stiff. Also the idea of a porta potti is appealing.
But we
have a vehicle that can only tow 1800#. Wonder if there is
any
collective wisdom out there about what the best way to go
might be.
We don't want to water ski, just be ON the water, enjoy the
sights, do
some fishing. Taking others along is very low on the list.

--
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