Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

A picture before the restoration;


The new Yamaha Outboard that replaces the old 40 hp Evinrude. I ended up installing the motor before stripping everything else off the boat;


Here I am pulling off the water logged foam top. It is 2" foam with fiberglass on the top and bottom to make it structural. It was starting to sag and probably added 100lbs to the weight of the boat.



I welded up a totally new aluminum top. It is made from 1/8" thick 2" x 1.5" aluminum tubing. The tubing is spaced at 12" off center. I will be riveting .062 aluminum sheet on top and then adding carpet. I am tempted to go with .040 aluminum sheet to save weight, but that may be too thin. Thoughts?


Everything is removed from the deck so I can add the new carpet. I plan on not gluing the carpet because it looks like the plywood will need replacing in 5 years. Yes, I know I should do it now, but its not in the budget...


I am curious, I do not see many of these hard top pontoon boats. Are the manufactures still making these?

Any guesses on a prop size? The marina that I bought the outboard from is getting me a prop and talking to there "expert", but I figured I would ask you guys.

Also, if you have this outboard, what WOT RPM did you shoot for. I think Yamaha recommends 5000 to 6000.

Thanks for looking!
William

willy13 wrote:Any guesses on a prop size? The marina that I bought the outboard from is getting me a prop and talking to there "expert", but I figured I would ask you guys.

My guess: 13.75 inch diameter X 15 inch pitch.
That's what I run on my 24' with my merc 115, at "lower" elevations.

Thanks for the prop guess. I will take all guesses into account when I talk to the "expert" at the marina.

My 115 Johnson came off of a 24' toon with a walk-on top similar to yours. The prop on that one is 13x19. I have no idea if it was optimal for that boat, but the guy my dad bought it from said it did well.

Overboard! wrote:My 115 Johnson came off of a 24' toon with a walk-on top similar to yours. The prop on that one is 13x19. I have no idea if it was optimal for that boat, but the guy my dad bought it from said it did well.

that sounds a little off for a heavy toon??? do you know what your wide open throttle (wot) rpm's are?

To be honest I have no idea to its performance. The guy my dad bought the boat from said it did well, but you know how that goes. I personally wouldn't even know where to begin to determine the proper prop for my boat. What would you say that unit is better suited for?

JC, South Bay, and Premier I know still make hard top pontoons.

Good to hear there are manufactures that still make the hard tops. I feel like a kid jumping off the top!

Well they finally got me a recommendation of 13"5/8 x 14 pitch prop. We'll see...

New Carpet! I did not bother gluing it, all the stuff/trim should keep it in place.

The boat is on the water!

The 13 5/8 x 14 prop that the dealer recommended seems on the small side. I am not at WOT and I can get to 5800 rpm no problem. I was thinking about spending the $$$ on a Yamaha Pontoon Performance Series prop but the size only goes up to 14 x 13. I was going to try a 14 x 15 this time. Do these props that are designed for pontoon boats really help?

Below is what Yamaha claims;

Pontoon Performance Series
These propellers feature a significantly larger blade area, for outstanding thrust and control, added grip and reduced ventilation in turns and high trim angles. Ideal for pontoons, work boats and other displacement or semi-planing craft.

Improving ventilation in turns is what interest me...