The top saltwater pontoon boat manufacturers make boats that are saltwater friendly, making them immune to the effects of using a regular boat on saltwater. A saltwater pontoon boat helps save costs on boat maintenance because it’s Aluminum/zinc anode protected or fiberglass base can’t react with saltwater, thus, having the upper hand when reviewed by other boat owners and pontoon boat manufacturers. A normal pontoon boat needs high cost maintenance (mostly every 3-6 months) making the customer clean more and spend more money when as for a saltwater pontoon boat has lower costs and expenditure.
Saltwater pontoon boats don’t only beat the odds of rusting when on bothersome saltwater but even on dry land when near the ocean, making it easy for an owner to clean it with only water and also paint it with saltwater antifouling paint (if the boat has no Aluminum base).
Some manufacturers decided to specialize specifically in saltwater pontoon boats or have chosen to put a saltwater “package” together for some of their boat models that can withstand the damage caused by saltwater a lot better than the average pontoon boat. The following list of pontoon boat manufacturers have gone the extra mile to to create these saltwater pontoon boats. It does not make these boats “immune” from saltwater – we still recommend that you cover the boat when it’s not being used to prevent saltwater reacting with the sun and give it a freshwater rinse after every outing, but choosing boat from one of the following top saltwater pontoon boat manufacturers will give you the best chance to enjoy your pontoon boat for years to come.
Bennington Saltwater Pontoon Boats
Bennington is one of the best brands in manufacturing saltwater pontoon boats. They have managed to stay in the pontoon business for over 20 years. Not only are their saltwater pontoon boats affordable but their boat interiors are created for comfort and have a long life span. Most of their saltwater pontoon boats have a fuel load range of 16 gallons+ and can hold the minimum weight of 370 pounds with an excellent width and length.
Bennington carries a “saltwater series” – that are made specifically to go into saltwater and withstand saltwater over time. Their standard series saltwater boats can come in the the 20 SLX, 21 SLX, 22 SLX, and SX23 as well as nearly any of their upper end “Q” series. The modifications made to the boat include including a zinc-anode at the pontoon and aluminum ladder
Berkshire Saltwater Pontoon Boats
Berkshire is an another saltwater pontoon boat manufacturer that has managed to stay in the competitive industry by making their pontoon boats more affordable and more family friendly with enough room to accommodate many at once. Berkshire sells “saltwater edition” pontoon boats for all of their models that includes cathodic protection for the boat and allows you to enjoy the saltwater for years in your pontoon!
Fiesta Marine Products Pontoons
Fiesta Marine Products is a saltwater pontoon boat manufacturer that specifically focuses on manufacturing saltwater pontoons or Saltwater friendly boats. They’re not as big as most of the other pontoon boat manufacturers but they’re known to satisfy their customers needs and services, making them an already excellent growing manufacturer.
BeachCat Pontoons
BeachCat bring both luxury and great performance with their saltwater pontoon boats, they have a different range of saltwater pontoon boats, starting from size and ending on performance. They are on the higher end of the price range but you pay for what you get – they are a very high quality boat and they are made to be on the ocean.
Cypress Cay Saltwater Pontoon Boats
Cypress Cay is not known as a saltwater pontoon boat manufacturer but their driver and family friendly features and designs have help them stay on the market for a longer time than most pontoon boat manufacturers. They have saltwater packages for their boat series and it helps them keep up against anything that saltwater can throw at it.
How Does Saltwater Affect Pontoon Boats?
The marine materials which are used in the construction of pontoon boats are aluminum, stainless steel, etc. Now, it is common scientific knowledge how a metal in an electrically conductive solution (salt water in our case) when coming in contact with a dissimilar metal in that same solution, will tend to lose atoms. This losing of atoms means in scientific terms that the metal is corroding. The marine metals when not in contact with other metals will corrode away at a reasonably slow rate and there is not much of a danger. However in the presence of other metals in the saltwater, galvanic corrosion can happen when you take out your pontoon boat into the ocean.
What Makes a Pontoon Boat Good for Saltwater?
“Saltwater pontoon boats” were introduced with the thought of overcoming the phenomenon of galvanic corrosion. Let us see what all makes these saltwater pontoon boats work well in saltwater.
The tubes will be coated with anti-fouling bottom paint.
Aluminum and other marine materials can work well when not in contact with other metals. However, with due consideration to safety, the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) recommends the aluminum vessels to have a protective paint coating which can act as a barrier between the aluminum and the water.
Also, sacrificial zinc anodes can be used to save aluminum products. Let us see how the procedure goes. The zinc anode is electrically connected to the part (either by direct contact or by wire) and so now the aluminum gets stuffed with excess electrons. As a result, when it gets hit by galvanic corrosion, it actually loses those electrons rather than the aluminum giving up its own electrons. That is, zinc erodes in the process, thereby saving the aluminum. Hence the name sacrificial zinc anodes.
Solid keel and lifting strakes are used along with sacrificial anodes which can prevent saltwater and marine life from settling into the boat structures and thereby corrosive buildup. Additionally, hull protection products like metal jackets will act as an extra barrier between the active metal and saltwater. If you are somebody interested in taking your pontoon boat to the ocean, you can make the choice before you buy a pontoon boat so that you could look for brands which offer salt water safe exposed metal components and invest in the same.
The outboard engines of such saltwater pontoon boats will also be capable of withstanding the rigors of saltwater use.
Pontoon Boat Manufacturers Offering Saltwater Packages
Some manufacturers even include saltwater packages for customization so as to provide the added protection. The packages may include sacrificial anodes capable of protecting the hull against corrosion, sealing the keel and hull openings against interference from saltwater. Upgraded stainless steel and other materials, which act well in saltwater can also be part of the package. This ensures that extra protection is offered to your pontoon boat if you intend to take it into the ocean.
Almost all the top pontoon boat manufacturers offer saltwater packages. There is Bennington, Manitou, Godfrey, Barletta, Premier, etc. The Bennington Saltwater package includes saltwater anodes and performance foils or sealed lifting strakes. The Manitou saltwater package also comes with water separating fuel filter regulating the fuel quality in regions with high temperature and high humidity. The Barletta saltwater package is known as the Coastal Edition. They also coat metal jackets (engineered using nanotechnology) to the pontoon.
Saltwater pontoon boats are excellent all season round and have helped customers save money, time and have more fun at engaging in all water sports. With the listed best saltwater pontoon boat manufacturers, one won’t go wrong with their choices.
