I just recently purchased a pontoon boat and was wondering what all of you do to keep the boat secured at the take out when going back for your vehicle. i.e. chain and lock around a tree, etc...

Thanks in advance,
BEN

Well... what we have done is, if you are just locking up your pontoon boat (single), we have 15 ft cables (plastic coated) that we put through the oar lock holders (or any welded loop area) and then around a tree... if we are going to lock 3-4 boats up them we just use 2-3 cables and lock them all together...

Tight Line and Shoot Straight

I usually look for someone camped by the takeout spot I'm coming from (mainly Yakima R.) and ask them to watch the boat while I go to pickup my rig. 9 times out of 10 they'll also offer a ride to my rig, an added benefit. I understand that won't work all the time so I use a cable chain through the frame, pontoon loops, and around a tree also.

I try to employ all the methods mentioned above, plus hiding it.

Yes, the above mentioned is what I've always used. I go through the oar towers AND a couple D rings to get the tubes hooked in too. But, if you have more then one boat, make one guy sit and wait. But I use the same cable chain I use to lock up my scooter. I never stash my boats, since most are in the $2,000-3,000 range cataraft.