Building A Pontoon Boat

[Black_Blade]

I found some basic plans online to make your own pontoons using 3/8" plywood and building them on a jig. It don't look all that difficult and wife has been wanting a 'toon. If I made one though it would be the type that is enclosed, so can spent the night on the water. A camper on pontoons kind of thing.

 

Has anyone ever tried their hand at a project like this? I was thinking to use metal stud framing for the cabin etc to lessen the weight. Can make them from scraps and off cuts from the sheets of metal at work.

[Woodsman]

I've thought of it but would never consider plywood built pontoons.

[SmokestackLightnin]

There is a guy just south of Elmvale that is now building his second pontoon boat using plastic barrels. The first one has been in operation for a few years. He has 2 Mercury motors on the back and a 3-cylinder diesel engine. The one Merc motor is in tact and is used only in high wind conditions. The other one is strictly used for the lower unit as the powerhead is removed. The diesel engine pumps hydraulic fluid through pressure hoses which will turn the prop. Depending on the fluid will determine whether he is travelling in forward or reverse. At top speed it burns 1 gallon of fuel per hour.

[Black_Blade]

I've thought of it but would never consider plywood built pontoons.

 

I got the pontoon plans from pontoon plans , don't see why plywood would be all that bad..many boats are made from it. I'd also be totally encasing it with fiberglass as well. Now as far as the technical stuff of figuring out how much weight a set of toons can support...not really clear on that.

[John Bacon]

The boat will need to displace its own weight. I.e. a 1,000 kg boat needs to displace 1,000 kg of water. One litre of water weights one kilogram. Calculate the volume of the pontoons in litres and that is how many kilograms that they can support. I would allow for a pretty generous safety factor. You also have to keep weight distribution in mind; otherwise you could submerge the back end without exceeding the total capacity of the boat.

[BillM]

For the $300 they cost, I'd just buy one (I did)

[blue pickeral]

Have a look at U Fab, Smith's Falls, Ontario

 

http://u-fabboats.com/

[lookinforwalleye]

Saw one on Dalrymple this past weekend, Jed Jethro and Granny looked quite comfortable!!!

Edited May 24, 2011 by lookinforwalleye

[smally21]

almost all homebuilts of that fashion will be nonplaning, aka slow and power will be irrelevant, ie a 30hp doesnt push the pontoon houseboats we built any faster than a 9.9.

 

an aluminum prefab system with rails is a good investment, deck it and build your camper top, it will plane and get you places!

 

if you were to buy a new motor to put on the homemade boat it is not worth it - a boat motor and trailer package is about the cost of the motor + materials.

 

the barges and houseboats we bilt are on an injection molded plastic pontoon system that we patented. each one floats 1400 lbs and is about 6feet long. 2 bow sections and a middle equal an 18 foot boat. they are quite large and non planing.

 

my 2 cents - someone has already figured out quality cost effective pontoon solutions. buy one and enjoy building the top to your specs and budget. or buy a wreck of a pontoon boat, strip it to the water and rebuild!

[John Bacon]

For the $300 they cost, I'd just buy one (I did)

 

Are you referring to the ones that you sit in and paddle with your feet? The OP is planning to build a boat that he can spend the night in... I don't think you'll find too many boats suitable for overnight accomodation for $300.

[BillM]

Are you referring to the ones that you sit in and paddle with your feet? The OP is planning to build a boat that he can spend the night in... I don't think you'll find too many boats suitable for overnight accomodation for $300.

 

My bad, I was thinking pontoon as a one man, float down the river type boat