Proactive pontoon maintenance is the key to keeping your vessel running well and lasting for many years of adventures! There are plenty of maintenance tasks that even beginners can handle, but they do require certain tools. Before you go spending a bunch of money to build your toolkit, check out the following guide on the essential tools for pontoon maintenance. If you have any questions or want to explore pontoon boats for sale, visit Norfolk Marine. Our dealership is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and we also serve those in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
1. A Battery Terminal Puller
At some point, you will likely need to remove and install new battery terminals. If you use the wrong tool to handle this task, you can end up stripping the terminals. That’s where a battery terminal puller enters the picture. This tool is made to give you optimized strength and precision, allowing you to adjust terminal bolts with ease and without risking damage. Plus, this tool is very affordable, making it an easy investment.
2. Jumper Cables
It’s the dread of pontoon boat owners everywhere. You are cruising around the waters enjoying a wonderful voyage when, all of a sudden, your battery dies. Thankfully, you have another option besides towing your pontoon boat to a dealership. You can instead use jumper cables attached to an alternate battery or another boat to restart your battery. Just make sure you get a quality set of jumper cables. The cheap options tend to rely on stiff wires that often fail to provide the power needed to revive a boat battery.
3. A Sharp Blade
A sharp blade can be used in many aspects of pontoon boat maintenance. Cut rope, trim a fishing net, cut through lines in an emergency situation, cut gaskets, undo a knot, and more! All you need is a folding knife, a rigging knife, or even scissors.
Essential Pontoon Maintenance Tools
Try to purchase a blade that is stainless steel or titanium since these materials will not corrode. You may also want to get a blade that can float. If the blade slips from your hands and drops in the water, it won’t sink away into the murky depths. Instead, it will float so you can easily grab it and get back to the task at hand.
4. A Moisture Meter
A key part of pontoon boat maintenance is staying on top of moisture build-up, which is the enemy of boat owners. Moisture build-up can result in expensive repairs, which no one enjoys paying. That’s why a moisture meter is a great investment. This handy tool gives a digital reading of the moisture levels throughout your pontoon boat. Use it to keep track of any leaks or areas where build-up is beginning to occur, so you can address the problem as soon as possible.
5. A Sailor’s Multitool
You only have so much space aboard your pontoon boat. A sailor’s multitool helps you get the versatility you need, but without taking up too much space. This compact tool can tackle many different projects. A typical one will offer a marlinspike, rope cutter, can opener, bottle opener, hex-nut wrench, zipper pull, small blade, and paint scraper. All of these features are designed to fold down so that it doesn’t take up too much space.
We hope you found this guide to essential pontoon maintenance tools helpful! Remember you can always visit the experts at Norfolk Marine if you want more information. We also operate a parts replacement department, as well as a service department if you ever need professional maintenance help. We are based in Norfolk, Virginia, and also serve those in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
