Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

Post your restoration and rebuild projects here.

Moderators: Redneck_Randy, badmoonrising, lakerunner

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
stevem54
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:22 am
Location: St. Louis, MO.

Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#1 Post by stevem54 » Wed Nov 04, 2015 4:57 am

Greetings to one & all in "toon" land.

From everything I've read over the last month or so on this site - it looks like I've landed in the right place to seek out the answers to my never ending list of questions that have triggered more that a few sleepless night in "lala land".
So I think it's time to get this party started...............

About 10 years ago I started scuba diving and got hooked on spearfishing. I've never owned my own boat & always had to wait for a slot to open up on someone else's. I always made sure I arrived early to help load, stayed late to help clean up & threw cash into the pot for gas money - so I pretty much was able to catch a ride most times. Sometimes not. I needed to change this.

I am now in possession of a 1996 Fisher 220 with a 75 Mercury that I would like convert for diving & spearfishing. It's pretty trashed (parked on a pond for 3 years unused) but seems to be pretty solid (it floats). We have it stripped down to the decking already & will remove that this weekend to start from scratch.

These questions are really just random so please bear with me:

I've noticed on all the "rebuild pontoon sites" that no one has seems to be making dive boat's out of these old relics. Is this a bad idea?

Do I have to add a third pontoon in the center to make it more stable?

The ideal set up is to have the driver with 3 shooters & you rotate "round robin" style. Point is I only need seating for four.
I am not going to replace the "couch's" like when it was new - but just with seats or ?

I was going to place 2 "four tank" racks over the pontoons up front (one on each side) to balance the boat front to back.

I could go on & on with the ideas that I have but this is already a long enough rant so let me stop here for a moment.
I have a "cad program" on this computer to draw out the plans that I want to do & will post pictures this weekend.
My plan for this project is to start now & hopefully be completed by the first of May.

Comments, advice or ideas are more than welcome.

"tanks",
Steve
1996 Fisher 220 (totally trashed)
75 Horse Mercury 2 stroke (not sure it runs)
Six months until April 2016 for the rebuild:

Full tank of gas, half pack of smokes,
it's night & we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it..................

RcgTexas
Posts: 2656
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 6:37 am
Location: Texas

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#2 Post by RcgTexas » Wed Nov 04, 2015 8:40 am

Welcome!

That third log is not necessary for stability but it will help with weight carrying ability and speed if you do it right.

pontoon is not a bad idea for diving but make sure it can handle the water you will be diving in.

Make sure all your fasteners are in good shape and "Stainless steel"

Get some pics in here so we can sink out teeth into it for you! :wink:
1995 beachcomber conversion to tritoon with Honda 135 ,

Link to rebuild [url=http://www.pontoonforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=19016][Knot Normal][/url]

God Bless America

User avatar
moregooder
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:20 pm
Location: Lincoln NE

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#3 Post by moregooder » Wed Jan 13, 2016 5:37 pm

I have a 24' alumacraft that I have refit for my dive boat and must tell you that a pontoon is just the best dam thing there is for a dive platform. I used it for 3 years constantly making mods to it before I settled on the final configuration and completely rebuilt it.. now I have a tryhal with full top. from my experience 4 people and 8 tanks is going to load down a 21 footer..

User avatar
PlaynDoc
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:32 am
Location: Milner, Georgia

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#4 Post by PlaynDoc » Wed Jan 13, 2016 6:15 pm

you'll need easy access to return to boat, while carrying tanks/gear...

http://www.pontoonstuff.com/collections ... y-boarding

under deck pontoon boat ladder should work well for that
2011 SunChaser DS22
Mercury 115 EFI
13.75 x 15p

User avatar
tenNesseeCat
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:04 am
Location: East TN

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#5 Post by tenNesseeCat » Wed Jan 13, 2016 9:44 pm

I don't know anything about diving, but I could see a pontoon working well. Good luck!
What exactly are you spear fishing for in MO? I've known people to dive in fresh water, but not spear fishing.
^ boating newbie with a project ^
1970 20' mystery pontoon
1977 Johnson 85 HP
Positive Attitude

User avatar
moregooder
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:20 pm
Location: Lincoln NE

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#6 Post by moregooder » Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:20 pm

Yes a good ladder is a must I also went with a under deck model. one of my mods this winter is to add a removable post that I can drop into a pocket in the front deck along side the ladder to give a guy something else to grab on to to pull your self out.

User avatar
stevem54
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:22 am
Location: St. Louis, MO.

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#7 Post by stevem54 » Sat May 28, 2016 5:39 am

OK ladies & gents, after a long hiatus of :drink4 we're back on track.
Let's get this party started.
Attachments
old deck rs.jpg
Lucky to have a place to figure all of this out. I want to repaint the walls (black) but need to either heat un or sand off old decales
old deck rs.jpg (135.71 KiB) Viewed 5236 times
concel RS.jpg
I'm going to reuse the console but want to paint it first. Still trying to figure out how to remove the steering assembly. It has tilt so not sure how to go about it. Any ideas?
concel RS.jpg (113.5 KiB) Viewed 5235 times
1st rs.jpg
Left on pond for 3 years unused. (Hey, it floats)
1st rs.jpg (121.46 KiB) Viewed 5236 times
1996 Fisher 220 (totally trashed)
75 Horse Mercury 2 stroke (not sure it runs)
Six months until April 2016 for the rebuild:

Full tank of gas, half pack of smokes,
it's night & we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it..................

User avatar
stevem54
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:22 am
Location: St. Louis, MO.

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#8 Post by stevem54 » Sat May 28, 2016 5:42 am

Any advise on repainting railing & walls?
Attachments
old walls rs.jpg
old walls rs.jpg (137.92 KiB) Viewed 5233 times
1996 Fisher 220 (totally trashed)
75 Horse Mercury 2 stroke (not sure it runs)
Six months until April 2016 for the rebuild:

Full tank of gas, half pack of smokes,
it's night & we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it..................

User avatar
stevem54
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:22 am
Location: St. Louis, MO.

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#9 Post by stevem54 » Sat May 28, 2016 5:54 am

I have all of today, tomorrow & Memorial Day off to work on "Das Boot" with a list as long as a country mile. I was able to get the new marine plywood bolted in place this past week.(forgot pic but will get it today) Carpet is here & ready to install if I can find someone to give me a hand. I still need to order new nav lights, wiring harness, horn, gauges, rocker panel, & all the rest. :scared

I'd like to post pics with updates when ever I get something done so if you have any ideas to make something a bit easier for myself PLEASE post your input. I'm pretty much flying blind here so no worries about insulting me..............
Attachments
8th rs.jpg
8th rs.jpg (66.24 KiB) Viewed 5229 times
1996 Fisher 220 (totally trashed)
75 Horse Mercury 2 stroke (not sure it runs)
Six months until April 2016 for the rebuild:

Full tank of gas, half pack of smokes,
it's night & we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it..................

User avatar
stevem54
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:22 am
Location: St. Louis, MO.

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#10 Post by stevem54 » Sat May 28, 2016 5:55 am

2nd rs.jpg
2nd rs.jpg (116.72 KiB) Viewed 5225 times
1996 Fisher 220 (totally trashed)
75 Horse Mercury 2 stroke (not sure it runs)
Six months until April 2016 for the rebuild:

Full tank of gas, half pack of smokes,
it's night & we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it..................

User avatar
stevem54
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:22 am
Location: St. Louis, MO.

Re: Rebuilding a Pontoon for Spearfishing

#11 Post by stevem54 » Sat May 28, 2016 7:09 am

tenNesseeCat wrote:I don't know anything about diving, but I could see a pontoon working well. Good luck!
What exactly are you spear fishing for in MO? I've known people to dive in fresh water, but not spear fishing.

In Missouri it's rough fish & catfish but in Arkansas in Bull Shoals & Beaver you can also take walleye. At Greer's Ferry Area last time I was there it was everything but white bass. Downside is poor vis but laying on the bottom it's not bad. Upside I've never run across any Tiger sharks :box :scared :scared :scared

All in all it's a blast. The Fresh Water Spearfishing Nationals are at Beaver Lake June 20th - 24th four weeks from now.
1996 Fisher 220 (totally trashed)
75 Horse Mercury 2 stroke (not sure it runs)
Six months until April 2016 for the rebuild:

Full tank of gas, half pack of smokes,
it's night & we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it..................

Post Reply