Considering buying first pontoon

[ZeroG]

I've had a 87 50' Gibson houseboat (it was 18 years old when I bought it) and run go fast boats like Baja and Sunsation and had a Four Winns open bow for a bit. Been boating for 30+ years mostly on the Ohio River. I know a little about boats but nothing pontoon specific.

Looking for advice on what to be sure to check on any used pontoon. In Baja's and V bottom boats you had to watch out for the bolsters that could rot. Do you have to check where the pontoon attaches to the deck? Is that a vunerable spot?

What are the most or common vunerable things one should be sure to check before buying?

How does one know what size motor is the max for any pontoon your are considering?

For what it's worth I am only considering tritoons

All tips appreciated.

[steve1313]

Pontoons are really simple, almost primitive construction. Metal logs, welded to metal brackets, welded or bolted to metal cross braces. Wood (usually marine grade plywood), screwed or bolted to the metal cross braces. Everything else just screwed down to the wood deck. Since there's no wood inside the "hull" that can become waterlogged or covered in standing water, you don't have the issues with rotting stringers, etc. Most marine plywood has a 10 year+ warranty and most lasts much longer than that. Older boats that were carpeted instead of having vinyl floors would sometimes have a deck that rotted if the carpet stayed wet.

As far as max engine size. Every boat will have a capacity plate similar to this one that will show weight limits and max engine size.

plate.JPG (46.01 KiB) Viewed 3843 times

[bansil]

Welcome

If it floats the tritoon is good. Now we have the next 2 items.

1) furniture good/bad? Redo could be $2500 to $8000
2) engine good/bad? Redo could be $9000 to $20,000+

So simple they are....thanks Yoda.....it is a barge/deck that moves

So wood decks last 10 years typical with carpet holding moisture.

UV can hurt plastics

[ZeroG]

Awesome info. I thought / wondered if each boat would have a tag with the max engine size like they do for max weight and occupancy ...but I had already posted my questions. LOL Glad to see that info is right there and easy to see. No doubt about max HP for safe operation.

Do new pontoons mostly use treated plywood for the deck? I see some say all aluminum and some say fiberglass decks. Either of these would be impossible to replace if needed but I suppose they are built to last many many years.

The floor in my v bottom boats have got HOT enough to burn feet. Most of the time that is carpet but sometimes bare fiberglass. I would think the floors of the pontoons would also get very hot unless in the shade ...is one type of flooring better than others to be easy on the feet?

[TWB]

The floor in my v bottom boats have got HOT enough to burn feet. Most of the time that is carpet but sometimes bare fiberglass. I would think the floors of the pontoons would also get very hot unless in the shade ...is one type of flooring better than others to be easy on the feet?

We just rebuilt our pontoon, and I was a little concerned about floor heat, too. While considering vinyl flooring, someone on this forum once said, "If it gets hot, just pour a bucket of water over it." We went from carpet to woven vinyl flooring - I've noticed no increase in heat, but I HAVE noticed the ease with cleaning vinyl over carpet. Just hose it down and walk away. I was always concerned with carpet fully drying out/ rotting (NW Florida - high humidity).



-Paul

[Horsepen]

Other things to consider, in my opinion, would be the following “whether-or-nots”. Should you specify oversized logs. Some brands go up to 27” diameter. Would it be wise to have the factory install under skinning? Or leave it off? Would it help to have lifting strakes? Flooring can be solid vinyl or woven. Just do yourself a giant favor and don’t get carpeting....no matter what the dealer tells you. There is the option of hydraulic steering, manual push-pull cable steering and even power steering.
You might take a look at the builder’s website, they all have them. See if they have a build-a-boat feature. This will help you with the many features and options the manufacturers offer.
Best of luck with your quest.

[ZeroG]

Good info guys. THANKS.
Looks like I have a buyer for my boat so ....I'll get to serious shopping later this week once the check is in the bank.

No carpet sounds like great advice. Carpet on the boat gets so HOT.
Not sure I'll be able to afford new ..hope to find a nice nearly new tri toon that had 150 or bigger power in my price range. Might be wishful thinking. LOL

What brands go up to 27" diameter? Are they more stable but slower with the bigger tubes?

[robburns76]

Good info guys. THANKS.
Looks like I have a buyer for my boat so ....I'll get to serious shopping later this week once the check is in the bank.

No carpet sounds like great advice. Carpet on the boat gets so HOT.
Not sure I'll be able to afford new ..hope to find a nice nearly new tri toon that had 150 or bigger power in my price range. Might be wishful thinking. LOL

What brands go up to 27" diameter? Are they more stable but slower with the bigger tubes?

I'm still getting into this so take it with a grain of salt, but from what I understand is that the larger toons create more lift, which gets you more out of the water, which then equals faster speeds as well as more weight capacity.

[steve1313]

I'm still getting into this so take it with a grain of salt, but from what I understand is that the larger toons create more lift, which gets you more out of the water, which then equals faster speeds as well as more weight capacity.

Generally true. The biggest thing you can do to have a pontoon that goes reasonably fast (30+ MPH) is to get a tritoon. Tritoons "plane" more, are more stable at rest and underway, and also have higher weight capacities when compared to twin toon boats.

[Flanker]

I boat on the Ohio you and are on track, 150 or larger and tri-toon. I have the big logs, love the way the boat planes and handles.
Good luck

[ZeroG]

Thanks guys!!!!!

[ZeroG]

Thanks again. I felt I was more informed for the buy process thanks to info gained here on this forum.

I bought a Manitou 25 SES ..yep, it has the big tubes. Went for test ride and was shocked at how well it turned and how it handled the waves. So impressive. Having the stereo upgraded and a trickle charger put in for the batteries so I'll picked it up next week sometime. Had to drive 7 hours to try out this boat but I'll live with it for years, well worth the drive. One more drive down next week and I'll bring her home.

The Ohio Manitou dealer I spoke to only offered Evinrude motors, thanks to you guys tipping me off about them no longer making outboards I did not want to chance getting one of those. They didn't have a boat in this same set up anyway, they had one with dual 150 Evinrudes. Not for me thanks.