If you own a pontoon boat or are planning to rent one for a day to go out on the water with friends, there are a number of different food-related considerations to ponder. You can easily stop at a waterside restaurant for a meal, or perhaps even pack a picnic. If you really want to make the outing special — perhaps because you're celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, or a retirement — you might want to think about having the outing catered. Many catering services can handle small catering jobs, so even if there are only half a dozen people who will be riding on the boat, you can still choose a menu. Here are some tips for coming up with the catering menu for your boat outing.

Choose Things That Are Easy To Eat

A pontoon boat rides on the water in a relatively smooth manner, and you'll obviously want to reduce your speed or stop altogether at mealtime. Still, it's a good idea to choose a menu that is made of things that are easy to eat. This is especially true because a lot of your guests will be standing to eat. Finger foods are optimal, which is something at which many catering services excel. Whether you're looking for small sandwiches, one-bite quiches, or other similar fare, these easy-to-eat items will be perfect.

Provide Non-Alcoholic Beverages

While some of your outing attendees might enjoy some beer or wine while on your boat, you don't want to create an environment in which excessive drinking is tempting. You don't want people to act inappropriately or dangerous, or to get heat stroke if the weather is hot. This isn't a time to arrange for your catering service to drop off a keg. Instead, talk about non-alcoholic beverages that people will enjoy. Homemade fruit punches, flavored sparkling waters, and other similar drinks will keep people happy without the alcohol.

Select Items That Don't Require Refrigeration

Your pontoon boat might be equipped with a small fridge or you might choose to take a cooler with you. Overall, though, your ability to refrigerate food will be fairly limited. As you work on the menu with your caterer, look for items that don't require refrigeration. They're ideal because you can store them in a shady spot of the boat without them spoiling. Depending on your refrigeration capabilities, you may also want to have people consume perishable items promptly upon leaving the marina.