Picking a name for anything is an important task because it establishes the initial identity. When it comes to naming your boat, you want it to depict your lifestyle. Pontoon manufacturers put the same thought into naming their brands. They want it to be inviting and something you can picture yourself spending hours on. With some manufacturers, it doesn't take much to decipher the name on the side of the boat. On the other hand, there are a handful of companies that leave you wondering where their names originated from.
Avalon/Tahoe
The original brand name was “Playbuoy.” In 1994, the company added Tahoe Pontoons to offer an alternative brand to dealers who found Playbuoy didn’t fit their company image. As we all know, Tahoe Pontoons became a very successful brand and still enjoys an excellent reputation and image in the industry today. But in 2001, after the current ownership took over, it was decided the Playbuoy brand no longer offered an image that appealed to consumers, so they took to the drawing board to come up with a new name that encompassed the pontoon lifestyle. After considering many options, the name Avalon was chosen. A small perk is it begins with the letter A, which allows for better placement in alphabetical listings. Here at PDB we know Avalon is going to kick off our Buyer’s Guide each year. But the word Avalon has some ties to historical stories and geography. Avalon is part of the King Arthur story; it’s the mythical island where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged. Avalon is also the name of the city on Catalina Island, just off the coast of Southern California.
JC Manufacturing
JC Manufacturing is a solid name from a company who knows how to build a pontoon. The JC in JC Manufacturing stands for John Cripe, who started the company in July of 1976 along with his partner Jerry Amsden. A few years later, John's son, Kim Cripe, joined the team. Today, Kim continues to independently own and operate J.C. Manufacturing, Inc.
Manitou
The origin of the name Manitou has ties to the Algonquian groups of Native Americans. They understand manitou to be the spiritual and fundamental life force that is omnipresent and manifests everywhere. Their belief system attributed a Manitou, or Great Spirit, to all things. After evaluating the Algonquin origins that referenced bodies of water, the company leadership decided the name fit well. Another perk is it’s unique and has a nice resonance. The word is also attributed to various geographic locations around the state of Michigan like Manitou Island and various Manitou lakes, etc.
Premier
The people behind Premier know boating is about family. When naming the company, they wanted to come up with a name that let’s their customers know they were proud to be a family-owned company. Not just a great company, but the Premier company to buy a boat from. Premier Marine is an independent business owned and operated by the Menne family since its founding in 1992. A Premier pontoon is a blend of the best in classic design, distinctive styling and superb engineering. They have refined the art of pontoon building and employ some of the best designers, architects, engineers and assemblers in the industry to ensure that its product is always premier.
Sanpan
Sanpan is a unique word and an interesting company name.
“Sanpan is a derivative of the Chinese boat name Sampan,” says NGG marketing rep Judi Lykowski.
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats. It is unusual for a sampan to sail far from land as they do not have the means to survive rough weather. The word “sampan” comes from the original Hokkien term for the boats, literally meaning “three planks” although this term is no longer used in modern Chinese. The name referred to the hull design, which consists of a flat bottom (made from one plank) joined to two sides (the other two planks).
Individual Boat Names
If a car’s vanity license plate can tell you a lot about the person behind the wheel, what can a boat name tell you about the person behind the helm? Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) just released the national boating organization’s 24th annual top ten boat names and may have the answer.
Top Boat Names
Serenity
Second Wind
Island Girl
Freedom
Pura-Vida
Andiamo
Island Time
Irish Wake
Happy Hours
Seas the Day
As you can tell, the name of your boat does say a lot about you. We’ve seen some pretty witty names over the years. Here’s some of our favorite boat names we’ve seen on our Facebook page. If you have a great boat name, head over to www.facebook.com/PDBmagazine and post a picture!
Name: AKA Addiction
Boat: Sun Tracker
Owner: Adam Tarver
Where you will see this boat: All over Oklahoma
Name: Boss Said Yes
Boat: Sun Tracker
Owner: Mike and Jessica (the boss) Douglass
Where you will see this boat: Chesapeake Bay
Name: Jus Kiddin’
Boat: Crest
Owner: Brian and Amy Kidd
Where you will see this boat: Lake Cumberland, Ky.
Name: Lab Tested
Boat: Bentley
Owner: Will Probst
Where you will see this boat: Lake Hartwell, S.C.
Name: Sir Rowsis of the River
Boat: Hurricane
Owner: Nathan Chick
Where you will see this boat: Lake Wylie, S.C.
Name: Hampton Sweet
Boat: Hampton
Owner: Michael Wilmoth
Where you will see this boat: Lewisville Lake, Texas
Name: Toonin’ Out
Boat: Lowe Boats
Owner: Craig and Mary Chase
Where you will see this boat: Oologah Lake, Okla.
Name: Breakin Wind
Boat: Bennington
Owners’: Billy and Tammy Brewer with Taylin Grace
Where you will see this boat: Biloxi River, Miss.
Name: Nauti Time
Boat: Lowe Boats
Owner: Beverly Ramsey
Where you will see this boat: Table Rock Lake, Mo.
Name: Sick Leave
Boat: Sun Tracker
Owner: John Tullier
Where you will see this boat: Amite River / Diversion Canal, La.
Name: Sioux Army
Boat: Sun Tracker
Owner: Thomas Nelson
Where you will see this boat: Old Hickory Lake, Tenn.
Name: Tooned Out
Boat: Xcursion
Owner: Larry Budnick with son Drew and dog Daisy
Where you will see this boat: Mullett Lake, Mich.
