Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

A good friend is looking at buying a used pontoon or deck boat from a rental boat/dealer in FL and asked me how many hours would be too many to consider. The boats he is considering are only 2-3 years old but reportedly got heavy rental use these last couple of years due to COVID lockdowns. All are outboard models. Also, what are the concerns about galvanic corrosion on pontoons used exclusively in salt water and what should he look at or consider relative to salt water treatment or models made specifically for salt water? Whatever he buys will be kept on a boathouse lift but would be used in salt water.

I told him that I don’t know the answers but I know who to ask…the forum members!

"heavy rental usage" will most likely mean pontoons with dents, maybe, maybe not, but probably.
Most rentals boats are slightly underpowered, so engines are most likely used at the max rpms for MANY hours.
2-3 year old boat will probably not have too many hours, maybe 5-6 hundred which is not much, unless at max rpm most of the time.
Salt water should not be an issue unless unpainted and left constantly in salt.
I would not buy unless I visually inspected the boat, and water trialed it.

FYI, was on a rental toon a few weeks ago with friends and there was a fair amount of welding repair done on the splash guards on the toons.
Definitely not a top tier boat but worked fine for 13 of us. And yes, full throttle the entire time to move 13 people. If I needed a new toon I might have considered this thing but would need more HP.

I will NEVER own another deck boat, sold mine after just 8 months of taking a beating.

Who did the service? Factory technician or lowest paid employee? Show me the service records. Oil, filter every hundred hours of heavy use, and impeller at a minimum once a year while in the salt would mean it was kept in good shape. Anything less and I doubt I'd touch it. Check all the electrical connections for corrosion, especially in a closed space like under the helm station and under the seats battery connection. Dielectric grease would be desirable. Check the welds to insure none were cracked of broken from being slammed by a wave or against the dock. Front gate hinge in order? Each toon should have it's own sacrificial anode as well as one or more on the engine. (my twin Yamahas had 3 eacb)