Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats build vessels in Queensland. They are one of the top luxury and sports pontoon boat specialists in Australia. They are an ethical employer of local people, and sell vessels to customers across the globe. They are always looking for new ventures to help keep Australian people employed, and building pontoon boats suits their manufacturing business perfectly.
BUSTING MYTHS WITH UNIQUE FEATURES
Customers often assume pontoon boats are only suitable for dams, lakes, and rivers. But Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats prove that Southeast Queensland waterways are perfect for using pontoon boats. Their boats’ standard logs are larger than the normal diameter. When fitted with their exclusive full-length mounting system for the floor beams, the boats have a higher freeboard compared to other pontoon boats. This is important to help reduce the likelihood of wash coming over the front of the boat.
First-time boaters will experience first-hand how smooth, stable and safe the ride is, even in choppy, rough water and severe weather conditions. Even experienced boaters, who have owned larger single-hull cruisers but wanting to downsize, are sold on the handling of the pontoon boats, along with their practical capabilities.
Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats build vessels that stand out from the crowd. They use only marine-grade aluminium, and their logs are typically 25% thicker than imported pontoon boats. Each log, unlike most imported ones, and depending on the length, has several separate fully-sealed chambers and deep structural grade extruded keels. The centre log on tri-hulls has a heavy-duty fuel tank built in. The assembly of their boats is designed to ensure longevity in the Australian saltwater marine environment. Marine-grade wiring is used for the electrical system, as opposed to the standard wiring on imported pontoon boats built only for freshwater. The beams used to support the flooring are heavy-duty, structural marine-grade aluminium channels.
INTERESTING HISTORY
Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats is owned by Holmwood Highgate (Aust) Pty. Ltd., Australia’s longest-running aluminium road tanker manufacturer, founded in the mid-1950s. Holmwood Highgate was set up primarily to repair, service, and maintain fuel tankers of American origin used in the Korean war, then sold off for use in Australia. It introduced aluminium welding to Australia.
Highgate Engineers, a branch of Holmwood Highgate, specialise in the manufacture of high-quality fuel tanks, “Toy Haulers” (enclosed bike trailers) and high performance pontoon boats. They have been selling the boats under the brand name of Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats for 12 years now. The way that Highgate Engineers became involved in the boat manufacturing market is quite interesting. The story goes that a staff member had purchased an imported brand new pontoon boat. Within two years, the boat encountered several issues relating to log and structure corrosion, along with wiring issues. The original dealer was no longer operating, and the only recourse for repairs and warranty issues was to contact the American manufacturer. After several emails to the company and zero responses, the boat was sold. After that, Highgate decided to build its own range of pontoon boats designed for Australian saltwater conditions.
To learn more about all the products, packages, and services on offer from Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats, visit www.RunawayBayPontoonBoats.com or call Craig Winch on 0417 646 711.
Published in print January-March 2022
