Has anyone tried non pontoon like furniture and made it look classy?

[JV74]

Newbie to the forum.....just purchased an old 24 footer and have it stripped down to deck only......will re deck this Spring. Not trying to break the bank on the 1984 toon but I like my stuff to look nice and not embarrass the wife. I will have new vinyl flooring new deck new fence and for sure a new steering console. Sure I love all of the great pontoon furniture available but it is massively expensive and to just watch it mold away will break my heart. So I have been thinking of many strategies......

Just furnish rear half with changing room...curved couch and captains chair and leave the front to good quality folding chairs...loungers....been bags...folding table?????

I would love to see some pics of creative furniture ideas......personally I love the idea of grabbing my own swivel chair and moving it to where I want to sit on the boat. If I got real creative I wouldnt even have to cover the boat at the end of the day....just park it in the lot and go home.

Thanks

[steve1313]

The potential problem with non-boating specific furniture is it's not meant to get wet, or really be out in the sun 24/7, unless you get "patio" furniture. And boat furniture is treated to help avoid or slow down mold and mildew issues. The other issue with moveable or folding chairs is safety. I don't know what size motor you'll have, but if you have any speed at all, it's really easy for a swivel chair to move as you accelerate, etc.

I'm also not sure how "nice" it would look no matter what you put onboard, simply because it will look out of place since it's not boat furniture/seating.

On a similar thought, my buddy and I have often joked about getting a really cheap pontoon, stripping it down to the floor and then just buying cheap yard sale (or worse) couches, chairs, recliners, etc. If the furniture starts to look bad, we'd just dump it over the side and create a "fish structure". LOL. We wouldn't seriously do this, but the thought of creating the ultimate budget redneck pontoon boat is good for a laugh.

[JV74]

Ya thats the thing....when I bought my boat it was a steering console and a captains chair period. They just used folding chairs which is kinda cool in a way. My boat only has a 40hp on it and I will just be cruisin anyway. Its gunna hurt to drop thousands on fancy new vinyl furniture that molds in its first year.

[steve1313]

Unless you just plan to not pay any attention to your boat, mold really isn't a problem if you maintain the furniture properly.

[JV74]

Hey Steve
Maybe the newer style furniture is better at keeping away mold but I havent had much luck in the past. I am OCD clean and take awesome care of my toys....BUT!!!! I live 100 miles from the water where my boat is stored so there are times that three or four weeks will go by without taking the boat out. If in that period of time it was rainy and gloomy then maybe the mold will have started taking root.

What products do you use to keep mold away and do you cover your boat with a custom cover snapped down tight or a tarp?

[steve1313]

My boat is about 60 miles away and it's stored in a covered slip on a lift. I simply use the snap down "playpen" cover that came with the boat. The cover has four poles to hold it up, but I never use those during boating season. I only put them in during the off season (usually December - April).

[JV74]

I will have to assume your pontoon furniture is fairly new if your not having any mold issues having her sit over water and covered up. Might have something to do with where u live but either way mold can be a bugger. One of the biggest mistakes people make out of desperation is using a very harsh chemical to remove the mold because nothing else seemed to work.....then after using that harsh chemical not conditioning the vinyl thus leaving it with a dull somewhat porous surface...then mold moves in for the kill.
My situation will be interesting this Spring.....I will be doing a full resto...new deck....then new vinyl flooring...new wiring......and new furniture. As most people on this forum know that resto can get a little expensive. I cant see myself throwing another $1000 into the kiddy for a custom cover so my toon will be going redneck style with a big brown tarp and some bungies. I keep my boat in a field at a marina so its not like it will piss of my neighbors or anything.

So far we have decided to do at least the rear of the 24 footer with brand new pontoon boat style furniture. We might leave the front open for the first year to see what works best.

[steve1313]

………... so my toon will be going redneck style with a big brown tarp and some bungies. …...

Remember, that tarp is not going to breathe and will trap moisture so it might not be the best solution. Most of the OEM covers have vents in them to help circulate some air. You might consider adding some Boat Vents to your tarp. Not expensive and easy to install.

https://www.vicomarine.com/boat-vents

[JV74]

Thanks Steve.....
Ya its really not my style to use a tarp as a cover but again the custom cover is a real budget buster. On my last boat with a fitted cover I left the back open for a breeze to flow through which worked pretty well. On this 24ft pontoon boat I will use a massive brown tarp but it will be literally tented on or around the boat since I store in a field over at Sturgeon Creek Marina.....same lake as you....small world huh. I will allow for air to flow through the tent from front to back....I am hoping that works well. We just scored a bunch of used pontoon furniture for only $200........it cleaned up easily and looks new again so hopefully I can fend off the mold this season.