Mini/small pontoon boat?

[Waorani]

I've got a small 3ac pond I'd like to have something like a mini/small pontoon boat to putter around on. Any experience/recommendations for something like this? Want something to stand up on, rake nuisance vegetation, carry a couple of kids, etc. Not a Jon boat/canoe. I've seen the Pond King/Hotwoods sites but there have to be other options. Or even a source for small pontoons to DIY.

 

[zeroz]

you could go inflatable and put a troller/ small outboard on it. There are some brands that hold air for months without being topped off. Check out AIRE cataraft tubes. Then you could frame up however you wanted, lots of options.

 

[Waorani]

Inflatable might be an option but would prefer rigid. Full-size pontoons seem easy to find but smaller/shorter not so much. Trolling motor for sure and forgot lawn chair beer drinking.

 

[zeroz]

Could find a cheap one and have it cut down and welded up. Be a fun project.

 

[MrSmith]

One 55 gal barrel will float 480 lbs. Make a frame, Just sayin'.

Thank you,
MrSmith

 

[BullGear]

A fishing kayak would work very well for that instance.

 

[Maggot]

Break Out Another Thousand

Some of these make me feel so uncomfortable to watch

www.snipershide.com

 

[assistancefromadistance]

Pond King Sport

The Pond King Sport all-aluminum small pontoon boat is virtually maintenance free. Just leave it down at the pond and it's ready to go whenever you are.

pondking.com

 

[Mike Casselton]

Plastic 8' bass buggy

 

[zeroz]

Looking at those pond kings, you won't be saving much by the time you trick out an inflatable with aluminum framing/ decks

 

[Waorani]

Something like the Pond King is what I'm looking for. I've seen their site as well as https://www.protatch.com/pontoon-boats but figure there might be others or an easy source for small pontoons. Cutting down a full size pontoon boat is an interesting option but I don't have the aluminum welding skills. Not looking to jury rig something out of 55 gal drums.

 

[kcbird]

Pond King Sport

The Pond King Sport all-aluminum small pontoon boat is virtually maintenance free. Just leave it down at the pond and it's ready to go whenever you are.

pondking.com

Ho lee chit I gave $7500 for my 21" pontoon. It was 10 years old but looked brand new.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

One of these or nothing!

Sirhr

 

[Waorani]

Ha! Never noticed 1919 barrel shroud for mount. Reminds me though. I need a deck strong enough for a MK16 tripod/associated things.

 

[zeroz]

The way he sprayed, I'm pretty sure he missed it completely. That said, fuck the raft. If he said 20 for the package, id have it whipped out so fast..

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Ha! Never noticed 1919 barrel shroud for mount. Reminds me though. I need a deck strong enough for a MK16 tripod/associated things.

This is how boating accidents happen.
Just sayin.

 

[TurboTrout]

Pontoon boat

 

[norcalAF]

One 55 gal barrel will float 480 lbs. Make a frame, Just sayin'.

Thank you,
MrSmith

I like this idea!

 

[TurboTrout]

I like this idea!

Or just buy one that’s not newish, they are just a floating bar, and they have a
depreciation path like a lead brick

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Just doing some research.
10- 10ft pieces of 4" foam core pvc will run you less than 200 bucks.
9 pieces will make 3 10' pontoons, in pyramid stack. You'll want some 45s and caps.
Lemme work the numbers later. Its late but I can figure your displacement and what you'll need.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Yeah....now I'm studying on it, I won't sleep.
4inch 10ft
135lbs per 100ft
.3333333333x10
3.33cu ft per pipe
9 pipes
3.33x9 29.97cuft
So 30cuft
30x7.48 gallons per cuft
224.4 gallons
X8.34
1871lbs of water
Now, thats the amount to "sink" the pipe. Still a hell of a lot of displacement.
Weight of pipe, deck, etc....
Hold 6 or 700 lbs easy.
Now I'm thinking about building one.

 

[TurboTrout]

Yeah....now I'm studying on it, I won't sleep.
4inch 10ft
135lbs per 100ft
.3333333333x10
3.33cu ft per pipe
9 pipes
3.33x9 29.97cuft
So 30cuft
30x7.48 gallons per cuft
224.4 gallons
X8.34
1871lbs of water
Now, thats the amount to "sink" the pipe. Still a hell of a lot of displacement.
Weight of pipe, deck, etc....
Hold 6 or 700 lbs easy.
Now I'm thinking about building one.

not sure it helps, in the seaplane world, the aircrafts floats must be able to support 180% of its weight. Good rule of thumb

 

[acudaowner]

 

[armorpl8chikn]

not sure it helps, in the seaplane world, the aircrafts floats must be able to support 180% of its weight. Good rule of thumb

I had a big long reply and lost it somehow.

No, it doesn't help. What does the plane weigh?
Support?
With how much displacement?
There are a lot more numbers attached to your statement....a lot.

The biggest factor being boats aren't sea planes and seaplane aren't boats.

 

[TurboTrout]

I had a big long reply and lost it somehow.

No, it doesn't help. What does the plane weigh?
Support?
With how much displacement?
There are a lot more numbers attached to your statement....a lot.

The biggest factor being boats aren't sea planes and seaplane aren't boats.

On the water they are.

 

[JimTN]

google pondtoon and see if that's what you're looking for. Several comments on them over on crappiedotcom

 

[Sean the Nailer]

I used to work with a guy who wanted to build a raft for his quad so that he could ford a river during his upcoming hunting trip. He asked me to assist. He'd made a wooden 'box' just big enough for the quad to sit on, and get strapped down.

It was 8" thick. I tried to explain to him about "floatation" and how that works. His opinion was "this is good enough, I know what I'm doing, and are you going to help me or what?"

I then tried to explain to him the theory (Law) of displacement. His reply to that was, "I'm going to fill the box with extruded polystyrene insulation, so it'll be 'more floaty'."

It was about that point where I gave up, bit my tongue, and simply lended a hand to a co-worker.

He took his "USS Minnow" to a nearby river that weekend, to try it out. After the quad became an instant keel, he and a few others were able to locate and retrieve it all, by seeing this 'un-natural corner' poking out of the water, sporadically. Mostly whenever the handlebars and/or other luggage rack equipment was hitting a rock down below.

Oh, was he mad.

 

[Waorani]

google pondtoon and see if that's what you're looking for. Several comments on them over on crappiedotcom

Great, thanks. Look a little more utilitarian than the other mini pontoon boats. And they're only ~ 150mi from me.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

then tried to explain to him the theory (Law) of displacement. His reply to that was, "I'm going to fill the box with extruded polystyrene insulation, so it'll be 'more floaty'."

Gotta love that.

 

[CMP70306]

Another option is you could build a floating dock and a fixed dock, hook the floating one up to the fixed one and if you want to tool around simply unhook it and motor it around. Could probably be made for cheaper than one of those small boats and it can be left out year round.

 

[Jgunner]

Bass pro shops has a decent little pontoon style plastic boat. If I had a smallnpond near me, I would absolutely get one. It's ideal .

 

[n2ishun]

Boaty McBoatface ?