Pontoon Cruise Down the ICW

Last week Scott and I took a pontoon cruise down the ICW from Deerfield to Delray Beach. Overnight Boat Rentals gave us a deal on the boat for a few hours. Overnight boat rentals offer daily and weekly boat rentals, so it’s a great option for people who want to boat, but not own one. Scott had never driven a single screw or a pontoon boat, so this was a fun experience.

We picked the boat up at Sullivan Park in Deerfield Beach where they have a few public docks available. Brandon, the owner of Overnight Boat Rentals was waiting for us with the captain.

Godfrey Pontoon

Our pontoon was actually a “tri-toon” as it had three pontoons underneath it. It was 26′ in length and had plenty of room for entertaining. It had a side entrance door along with a stern and bow door for easy access.

The helm offered a very comfortable captain’s chair along with the control panel with all of the necessary electronics from Garmin. It also had a Bluetooth stereo by Fusion.

The pontoon was powered by a single Yamaha 150hp outboard. It also had a super sturdy swim ladder and a “Power-Pole” (see black pole to the right). When engaged it keeps the boat from rotating while on anchor.

There was plenty of storage throughout the boat, to help keep your accessories, like lines, fenders and the anchor tidy.

Heading up the ICW

Scott was back at the helm and happy as a clam as we headed up the ICW. Most of the route was a no wake zone, so we took our time enjoying the view. We had the boat for 3 hours, so we figured we’d head north for an hour and half and then turn around.

We did have to wait for a couple of bridges. The clearance on these was only about 7′ at high tide and with our bimini top, we knew we were too tall.

The sites along the ICW

As we arrived in Boca, we came across a large sandbar. At 12pm, it wasn’t that crowded but when we returned, it was packed!

The view never gets old, that is for sure!

Soon, we left the giant mansions and were surrounded by mangrove trees. We had hoped to see a manatee, but no luck. Perhaps the people below saw one?

I’m digging the names of these two yachts – I see a theme here! My style that’s for sure!

On our way back, it was much busier and far more crowded than when we left.

We had a great time spending the day on the water. Our only disappointment was the rude boaters who didn’t follow the “no wake zone” rules – below is a great example. It was a wash machine in the ICW!

A big thank you to Brandon at Overnight Boat Rentals! Just as the title says, they have overnight and weekly rentals available. I think Scott and I will definitely look at renting one over night and head north to explore more.

As always, thank you for following our blog and journey! Be sure to subscribe to our channel (see link below) and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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