8 foot pontoon boat
- Thread starter jdupre'
- Start date
Specs: 8 feet x 30" wide ...................Pontoons are 8 feet x 7.75 " x 7.75"........... Weight -- 42 lbs............... 400 lbs of buoyancy .......1 sheet of 1/4" ply (plus a few scraps) and most of an 8 foot 2x4.
Jack, I planned to use it for fishing small ponds and for fishing around docks close to a local boat landing. It is collapsible to fit in the trunk of my Camaro with the seat down. It did stick out a couple of feet, but I just tied the trunk lid down. Don't imagine there are many Camaro's tooling around with a pontoon boat in the trunk. 
To be useful as built, I would have had to fill the hulls with expanded foam. That, along with the 4" of freeboard, would have made it adequate for really calm waters.
I had seen the plans for a similar boat in Popular Mechanics magazine maybe 50 years ago and had always had it in the back of my mind to build one.
Looking at all the pros and cons, I decided to sell it on Craigslist. I sold it to a guy older and kookier than me.
To be useful as built, I would have had to fill the hulls with expanded foam. That, along with the 4" of freeboard, would have made it adequate for really calm waters.
I had seen the plans for a similar boat in Popular Mechanics magazine maybe 50 years ago and had always had it in the back of my mind to build one.
Looking at all the pros and cons, I decided to sell it on Craigslist. I sold it to a guy older and kookier than me.
Interesting, Joey, interesting. If I were to sit on that little, central platform, with my feet in those pontoons, I think that a foot or so of more beam would be comforting. And, the pontoons being boxed in would be comforting too.
It sort of reminded me of Matt's pontoons. Interesting.
By the way WHERE did you find someone who is kookier than you? sigh
It sort of reminded me of Matt's pontoons. Interesting.
By the way WHERE did you find someone who is kookier than you? sigh
Well, 30" of beam is more than a lot of kayaks have out there. It was pretty stable. I was able to stand up without doing doing any gymnastics. The beauty of the design is that the deck can be widened for more stability. I'm thinking a 4 foot beam, maybe 10" square pontoons and you would still have a very stable and fairly light boat. More wood means more weight, sadly.
The guy that bought it wants to one day build a boat of wine corks. Fun getting the corks, but kookie, indeed.
The guy that bought it wants to one day build a boat of wine corks. Fun getting the corks, but kookie, indeed.
Did he ask for any help gsthering those corks?
I met a fellow in the bar once. He would order a martini, drink it, and put the olive in a gallon jar. After he'd saved the fifth one, I asked what he was going.
"Well", he said, "My wife sent me out for jar of olives!"
I met a fellow in the bar once. He would order a martini, drink it, and put the olive in a gallon jar. After he'd saved the fifth one, I asked what he was going.
"Well", he said, "My wife sent me out for jar of olives!"