Evinrude Edge Demo Tour
iDock Makes Parking Pontoons a Breeze
By Tom Luba
It’s been years since I spent time in a pontoon boat. So it was no surprise that I did a double take on the comfort level of the Manitou Encore RF pontoon when I stepped on board.
I discovered it certainly wasn’t my daddy’s pontoon, as we maneuvered through the sailboats and runabouts to open water at Milwaukee’s South Shore Yacht Club, the site of the August 24-26 Evinrude Edge Demo Tour. When the hammer went down, even just a little bit, on the twin Evinrude E-TEC G2 150 hp engines, the power gave me an inkling of how 300 horsepower would react if really turned loose.
iDock system in action, showing how the pontoon boat moves laterally to make it easy to dock in tight spaces.
The ride was smooth and enjoyable. And the seating accommodations were comfortable enough to expect a big screen TV up near the bow and a few small refrigerators to contain the normal party boat food and drink secured along the railings. After a few minutes it didn’t really matter that it was overcast with a few drops of light rain, not the best summer boating temperatures, or bucking a 20 mph wind trying its best to put a crimp in the day’s activities. Heck, I’d a been good for a few hours.
Sprinkle conversation in amongst the three of us on board, and I forgot there were twin 150s scooting us along. The fact that the G2’s exhaust noise is quieted through specially tuned silencers is something that passengers, and owners, will definitely appreciate.
I wasn’t ready to go in, but other riders awaited. That was when the big surprise revealed itself. Shades of cars parallel parking themselves, the Evinrude iDock System makes it much easier to get your pontoon into areas along the dock, especially when the parking space is fairly tight. It’s geared to moving the boat laterally to fit rather than jockeying it from forward to reverse to get it docked. It’s a major feature, built right into the engine. And it’s available on twin engine set ups.
Another plus, according to the company, is that the iDock System retails for around $6,000, while others on the market can run as much as $15,000.
The Evinrude G2 engines also feature what has been referred to as one minute winterization, making it ultra easy. So much so that if you get a stretch of late fall warmth and want to get out for that last ride or two, redoing the engine for final storage isn’t an ordeal.
I’ve lived through my share of the “good old days” of boating and fishing. But as we keep improving equipment and stride forward, it should make us appreciate our technological advances whenever and wherever we can.