Island Boats Inc. is off to a great start after earning an NMMA innovation award at the 2014 Miami International Boat Show. The new Florida-based boat builder offers two pontoon models, the Island Boats 180 and 220, and won top honors in the Pontoon and Deck Boats category for its expanding design.

Width = 300px Height = 186px“Our new Island Boats definitely aren’t your grandfather’s traditional pontoons,” said Island Boats CEO Ralph Poppell. “These new boats represent cutting-edge pontoon engineering technology, coupled with all the comfort and luxury you’d expect in a higher-end product in this niche.”

Island Boats has a patent-pending R&E Slide, a marine engineering innovation that allows the company’s boats to retract or expand their beam on command. The company said the R&E Slide mechanism allows the boats to be stored in a standard garage when locked into retracted position. It also allows for easier hauling with the narrower size.

Once the boats are launched, the floor expands to create what the company said are the most expansive pontoon boats by total square footage in their size and category.

“The 180 offers virtually as much square footage as most 22-foot pontoon boats, while our 22-foot model delivers virtually as much square footage as most 26-foot pontoons. The room and sheer entertaining space is amazing,” added Island Boats President Tim Poppell. (www.islandboats.com)