Pontoon boat plans?

[Rich Jones]

I've got eight boats lying around my house that I've built. Mostly canoes and skiffs. But the only one my wife will go out in is my 14' Devlin Cackler, a modified garvey. It's VERY stable and slow and that's what she most desires in a boat. What she really wants is a pontoon boat. One of those ugly aluminum things.
Does anyone know of any designs for a wooden pontoon boat? It seems that building my own would save money and I could make it a lot more attractive. I need something in the 16'-18' range. Would be used on small lakes.
Thanks for any input.

[Breakaway]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Hey Richard

How goes it up in Vermont?

There was a thread here about a "furniture quality" wooden pontoon built in CT. Google revealed this thread from Boat Design.net http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/mul...oon-29698.html

Kevin

[Rich Jones]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Kevin,
I was thinking of something like that, just not so ornate. Maybe two strip-built square sterned cargo canoes, decked over, with floatation.
Vermont is great!! Boats are put away for the winter. Okemo mountain is eight minutes away and I've been skiing a few times already. Wood stove is keeping us warm.

[jon m]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Richard - Here's the thread about the wooden pontoon boat mentioned above.

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?93360-Some-Pictures-of-my-Wooden-Pontoon

[Breakaway]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

I was thinking of something like that, just not so ornate. Maybe two strip-built square sterned cargo canoes, decked over, with floatation.
Vermont is great!! Boats are put away for the winter. Okemo mountain is eight minutes away and I've been skiing a few times already. Wood stove is keeping us warm.

Glad to hear it. Okemo: Stumjumper was one of my fave runs back when I was a skiier.

On the 'toon': I am certainly no expert at them, being a saltwater boater, butI've looked at those boats since they have become so popular in the last few years.I notice that many of the pontoons aren't round, they are elliptical. And two, that each pontoon seems to be submerged for half its diameter when floating unladen by crew at a dock.

Anyways, keep the stove stoked! Its been warm here; (50 F today) I haven't had to fire mine up much. Happy New Year.

kevin

[Jimmy W]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Free pontoon boat plans: http://www.jemwatercraft.com/pontoon.php They are shorter than you want, but should be easy to stretch.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Free pontoon boat plans: http://www.jemwatercraft.com/pontoon.php They are shorter than you want, but should be easy to stretch.

This is a Cheap Canoe;

http://www.bateau.com/freeplans.php

JEM has their own version of this and all they have done is deck two over and build a bridge to connect them. It may be OK at 12 feet with a small motor but I wouldn't use it as a basis for something 50% bigger driven by substantial horsepower. I've never seen the underside of a pontoon boat but I'll bet the bridging is substantial and well thought out.

[Lewisboater]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Huck Finn series by Glenn-L...just what you are looking for.

...Except for the 12' HUCK FINN, all units come with flaring bowed pontoons with sharp entry stems for least resistance. Stern sections are rockered to reduce power requirements and make handling easier. All units are stable as a rock. But don't try to play Kon-Tiki, they are meant for use only in protected waters such as rivers and lakes. These boats are not meant for high speeds; leisurely speeds with low power and economy is the name of the game with the HUCK FINN. Build your own trailer using our special HUCK FINN Trailer Plans. Deck units and the pontoons are detachable from each other so that storage need not be a problem. For larger loads, see our Super Huck design...

12 to 28 feet...they even have cabin plans and trailer plans to go with (extra cost of course)

https://www.boatdesigns.com/12-28-Huck-Finn-trailerable-pontoons/products/169/

http://www.glen-l.com/designs/house/huckfinn.html

[Rich Jones]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Steve,
The Glen-L looks like it would fit the bill. Simple, easy to build, inexpensive. Not the most graceful thing I've ever seen, but pontoon boats are for function, not looks. My wife just wants comfort.
First boat I ever built was a Glen-L kayak almost forty years ago!

[John Bell]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Nothing wrong with 'toons. We've had one since 2003 and really enjoyed it in that time. We're moving on now and it's got a for sale sign on it. But I don't think it will be the last one we own, either. The Huck Finn looks to be the ticket if you really want to build one. My advice would be not build any permanent furnture on the deck other than a control console, a stowage bin and a sun pad. Use movable furniture for the rest. We often found the built-in furniture was in the way.

[dredbob]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Do a google search on "Bolger Bantam". The design is not quite a pontoon boat, but is meant to serve many of the same uses. I think a couple have been built, and the layout can be geared for cruising or just messing about. It would probably be better than a pontoon boat for most uses.
I have to say that I have spent a fair amount of time on, around, and swimming under various pontoon boats, and most of them are of shockingly shoddy construction. And the tubular hulls are not that great from a hydrodynamic point of view. On the other hand, for low speed, laid back, casual boating with a crowd (on sheltered waters), the concept has a lot going for it.

It would not be hard to build a better one for yourself. A scow or garvey type hull could also be made to serve the same purpose.

Bob

[John Bell]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

One thing tubular hull pontoons have going for them is they really smooth out the ride on our busy wake-torn reservior. No pounding like in other boats. As others have noted, they don't do well when the waves get big, but for most powerboat wakes, you just ride right over them. You don't jar your teeth or spill your beverage. It's a good ride.

We spent most of the time on ours at anchor, however. This is where they really excel.

[Rich Jones]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Nothing wrong with 'toons. We've had one since 2003 and really enjoyed it in that time. We're moving on now and it's got a for sale sign on it. But I don't think it will be the last one we own, either. The Huck Finn looks to be the ticket if you really want to build one. My advice would be not build any permanent furnture on the deck other than a control console, a stowage bin and a sun pad. Use movable furniture for the rest. We often found the built-in furniture was in the way.

Too bad you live so far away, I might buy it.
I'm going to price out the cost of building, motor and trailer and see if it makes better sense to buy a used one. It wouldn't be wood, but maybe I'll tow a wood canoe behind it!

[MN Dave]

Re: Pontoon boat plans?

Fix up a garvey the same size as the 'toon with 'toon accommodations and you will have a better boat. Shallower draft, more load capacity and better performance for a start.

The Bolger Bantam idea looks interesting too, as it might be a bit smoother crossing wakes, but the topsides need some modification to get the 'toon look.