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Dave Lehnert
07-04-2010, 8:37 PM
Looking on Craigslist I see many pontoon boats selling for cheap.
I know I will regret it in the future but thinking about picking one up. Brother family and in-laws has campers and invite us to camp all the time. The boat would be my contribution to the camping weekends.

i know NOTHING about buying a USED pontoon.
Just asking some general questions to get me started.

What should I lookout for in buying one?

Any brand engine to stay away from?

How do you tell if the engine is any good if it's not in the water to test? Can it be test run out of water somehow?

What questions I should be asking but don't know about?

What about gas mileage. I know this will depend on the size engine and boat but how many gal. would it take to go out on a 4 hr trip? 1 gal\hr? or 20 gal\hr? I have no idea.

I know a guy who purchased a motor boat and the engine block turned out to be cracked:mad:

Charlie Reals
07-05-2010, 1:14 PM
Dave,
I own a 20ft crestliner pontoon rigged to fish and LOVE it.

I think the general condition and looks will tell you a lot. Just look close at the pontoons for major abuse. if there look closer for holes.

The only engine I would avoid is a two stroke. So many lakes are going to four stroke only.
I have a fifty Honda 4/s and can run 40 hrs trolling or for four hours wide open on 20 gals. It depends on a multitude of circumstances. Personally I would not buy an engine without hearing it run.
There are several devices made to run it with a garden hose.

Buying a used boat is a crap shoot at best and it can get worse from there:D Not to discourage but you know the saying " the best day in a boaters life is when he buys and sells the boat."
just my 2c's
Charlie

Pat Germain
07-05-2010, 5:00 PM
On small boats, the engine or engines are a significant percentage of the value. So, if a boat has worn or obsolete engines, it's going to be worth a lot less. As pointed out, the two stroke engines are becoming obsolete. No matter how well they run, if the law prevents you from putting the boat in the water, they're useless.

Dave Lehnert
07-05-2010, 9:59 PM
Thanks for the info abou two stroke engines. Did not know that.

How many hours is considered too many for a boat???

Pat Germain
07-05-2010, 10:35 PM
Good question. I admit I don't know. But I'm sure a lot depends on whether the engines were used for water skiing, trolling or racing. I would expect the engines on a pontoon boat would be treated pretty easy.

If it were me, I would insist on a compression check and seeing the engines run. It would be a good idea to find out the acceptable compression for the specific engine you're looking at.

A friend of mine bought a boat with an outboard several years ago. The seller insisted the engine needed only a tune up and carb cleaning and it would run great. It turned out the engine didn't have enough compression to even fire. The rings and cylinders were completely shot. So, be careful out there!

Bob Rufener
07-05-2010, 10:44 PM
I don't have any suggestions for the boat other than what has been given. You will need a trailer for transporting it. Many manufacturers make an economy model that is for short trips. Most of these are under deck models where you float the pontoon boat onto the trailer and it lifts under the deck rather than the pontoons. These are scissors type lifts. If you are hauling any distances, get a better one that is made for long hauls. There is nothing wrong with an underdeck trailer for long hauls if it is built well. The size of the boat determines the size of the trailer. Manufacturers also make glide on trailers where the trailer actually supports under both of the pontoons. Usually a little pricier.

Just something else to keep in mind when purchasing a pontoon boat. If I can help you with anything regarding trailers, give me a holler as I have access to information including approximate prices.

Chuck Saunders
07-05-2010, 10:59 PM
BOAT -- B-reak O-ut A-nother T-housand
You have been warned

Curt Harms
07-06-2010, 9:58 AM
if it flies, floats or fools around---rent it.

:eek:


:D

Pat Germain
07-06-2010, 10:52 AM
Curt brings up a very good point. I grew up around boats. Members of my family and many of my friends have owned or still own boats. But I've never owned a boat. I've learned too many boat lessons from my friends and family.

My take is, if your boat is docked in your back yard or very close to it, it's worth owning. If you have to trailer it, launch it and recover it every time you want to use it, you're better off just renting. Otherwise, the expense of maintaining, insuring and fueling a tow vehicle plus insuring maintaining an fueling the boat, plus waiting in line to launch and recover it just isn't worth it.

Again, that's just my take.

David Epperson
07-06-2010, 11:02 AM
Curt brings up a very good point. I grew up around boats. Members of my family and many of my friends have owned or still own boats. But I've never owned a boat. I've learned too many boat lessons from my friends and family.

My take is, if your boat is docked in your back yard or very close to it, it's worth owning. If you have to trailer it, launch it and recover it every time you want to use it, you're better off just renting. Otherwise, the expense of maintaining, insuring and fueling a tow vehicle plus insuring maintaining an fueling the boat, plus waiting in line to launch and recover it just isn't worth it.

Again, that's just my take.

All that is true enough even with a ski or fishing boat...Party Barges (pontoon boats) have their very own trailering issues. Most of the barge trailers I'm familiar with have the wheels inside the pontoons, which makes pulling one a bit top heavy. But we had one that stayed in the water at a lake resort house for several years, only had to trailer it a couple of times.

Charlie Reals
07-06-2010, 11:07 AM
+1 to Curt and Pats view. I am the proud owner of my 14th boat and can't wait to sell it. Yes, I love it, I have loved every one of them.
This will be my last. Life changes and as pat said, if it aint docked in your yard, forget it.
I am shelling out $335 a month to store and insure it. It is in a shed 30 miles from me and another 5 mile tow to the lake which is down so far it is a hike up the ramp and the fishing sucks. For as seldom as I use it it is not worth it.

I can rent a pontoon on the same lake for $180 a day.
:eek:;) do the math.
Charlie

Charlie Reals
07-06-2010, 11:12 AM
All that is true enough even with a ski or fishing boat...Party Barges (pontoon boats) have their very own trailering issues. Most of the barge trailers I'm familiar with have the wheels inside the pontoons, which makes pulling one a bit top heavy. But we had one that stayed in the water at a lake resort house for several years, only had to trailer it a couple of times.

David, those are the cheap trailers meant for short hauls. My trailer hauls on bunkers with the dual wheels outside and electric breaks. I am not afraid to haul it clear cross country. Most folks buying pontoons don't haul em too far so opt for the lower cost trailer (about half)

Ben Hatcher
07-06-2010, 11:37 AM
I tend to disagree with Charlie, Curt, and Pat but they bring up good points. If you don't have a place to store it, a vehicle to haul it, or a good place to use it, you'll probably regret having it. Having people to enjoy it makes the expense worth it, and from the sounds of it, you'll have plenty of boating partners.

As for gas, the faster you want to go, the more gas you'll use. If you're going fast enough to get the boat on plane (10-15+) you'll burn 3-6 mpg. If you're just trolling along (1-8), you'll probably get more like 10+. My 120 hp ski boat gets about 4 mpg with a top end of 32 mph. My parents' 20' pontoon with a 9.9hp outboard goes a whopping 6 mph but will run most of the summer on 5 gallons.

You'll need to go at about 18 mph if you want to pull a skier/wakeboarder/tuber. Unless your lake has a hp limit I wouldn't buy one with smaller than 60 hp. It is a huge risk to buy a boat without a test drive. You wouldn't buy a car without one, would you?

Other things to look out for are wooden seats. Better pontoons have composite or plastic decks and all of the seat bases and bottoms are going to be made of plastic. Wood rots very quickly, especially if the boat is stored outside. If you're handy, you can rebuild rotten seats, but it it'll cost 4x what you think. Foam is about as expensive per square foot as cherry.

Covers can be expensive. A custom cover is $300+ and an ill fitting cover means wet boat which mean mildew on your seats.

Like most things, boats require maintenance. Some may say a lot, but I don't find that to be the case with mine. Buy from someone who seems to be pretty mechanically inclined and you'll probably get a boat that has been taken care of. Buy from an idiot, and you'll get a better deal, but you'll pay in time and money fixing all the stuff that they neglected.

Happy boating.

Jeff Monson
07-06-2010, 12:37 PM
Pontoons are a lot of fun, motor size really depends on your desired use. If you want to use it for only tooling around the lake then a smaller motor will do just fine 40 to 50 hp. If you want to pull tubes then you will need something quite a bit more. I'd go with previuos suggestions on a 4 stroke only, it will be much harder to find a used pontoon with a larger motor as most I see have smaller motors installed. We have a couple on our lake with 125hp motors, they can really fly, pulling skiers or tubes is no problem.

I dont care for the trailers that have the wheels on the inside of the floats, they work fine for seasonal short trips....but if you plan on trailering it to the lake every weekend I'd look for one that supports on the floats and has wheels on the outsides, then you can go wherever and whenever you want.

Definately check for wood rot on the underside of seats and the deck, plastic is really the way to go, but many are made of plywood.

I'd also want to hear it run, or better yet test it out on the lake...if thats not possible, buy some water muffs and hook up a garden hose to it so you can run it for awhile. Check the oil in the lower unit also, should be clean and not milky. Make sure it shifts into the gears also, stripped lower units are a big expense.

Pontoons are really pretty simple. Just make sure sure to do your homework.

Lee Schierer
07-06-2010, 1:10 PM
The first thing to do when you decide to buy a boat is go to the local power squadron and get some boating lessons. Operating a boat is not the same as driving a car. There are very few lane markers out there and one person that doesn't know the rules of the road ( water) is a hazard to everyone including themselves.


Just because you have the money to buy a boat doesn't qualify you to operate it safely.


After you learn how and are buying your boat, make the owner take it to the water and show you how to launch, recover and operate the boat. If he can't get it off the trailer, start it, keep it running, or get it on the trailer straight what are your chances? It is worth it to pay a boat mechanic to look over the motor before the deal is done.

David Epperson
07-06-2010, 3:02 PM
Definately check for wood rot on the underside of seats and the deck, plastic is really the way to go, but many are made of plywood.
Pontoons are really pretty simple. Just make sure sure to do your homework.
Even should you find some - the decks are rather simple to rebuild and replace, (It is after all flat work with plywood - and this IS a woodworking site) so long as the frame is sound. Might be a thought to get the price down - find one with just a bit of rot. :D

Ben Hatcher
07-06-2010, 3:53 PM
Even should you find some - the decks are rather simple to rebuild and replace, (It is after all flat work with plywood - and this IS a woodworking site) so long as the frame is sound. Might be a thought to get the price down - find one with just a bit of rot. :D

My experience as a first time owner of a fixer upper boat is that everything cost twice as much and took twice as long as my highest estimate, even when I took that rule into account when making the estimate.

The best advice that I can give is to think of what you want to do with the boat, how many passengers you expect to have, and what level of plushness and comfort you require. Those are the major factors that will help you decide engine size, length, features, and age. Once you've figured that out, buy one 2' longer and with more hp:eek:

If you don't care what it looks like, the "what the heck, it floats" boat will always cost you less than the floating palace. If you don't have a fish finder, it'll never break. If you don't have a spedometer, it'll never clog....

Pat Germain
07-06-2010, 4:12 PM
There are very few lane markers out there and one person that doesn't know the rules of the road ( water) is a hazard to everyone including themselves.

This story from this past Sunday clearly illustrates Lee's points:

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/hampton-woman-dies-in-boating-accident

Tragically, letting a 7 year old drive the boat ended up costing the life of his mom. He could easily have hit another boat and inured or killed more people. (I used to live just down the street from where this accident happened.)

Attending boat safety courses is a great idea. As the TV spots used to say, "Safe boating is no accident".

Pat Germain
07-06-2010, 4:15 PM
My experience as a first time owner of a fixer upper boat is that everything cost twice as much and took twice as long as my highest estimate, even when I took that rule into account when making the estimate.

Boy, I learned that lesson when helping a friend with his Bayliner. It was powered by a 305 Chevrolet. For example, one day he needed a starter. No problem, I thought. A small block Chevy starter is about $40. But wait. The marine, Coast Guard approved starter is about three times as much. (And the only difference is a few brass washers.)

Dave Lehnert
07-06-2010, 4:31 PM
The first thing to do when you decide to buy a boat is go to the local power squadron and get some boating lessons. Operating a boat is not the same as driving a car. There are very few lane markers out there and one person that doesn't know the rules of the road ( water) is a hazard to everyone including themselves.


Just because you have the money to buy a boat doesn't qualify you to operate it safely.


After you learn how and are buying your boat, make the owner take it to the water and show you how to launch, recover and operate the boat. If he can't get it off the trailer, start it, keep it running, or get it on the trailer straight what are your chances? It is worth it to pay a boat mechanic to look over the motor before the deal is done.


Boating lessons are a great idea. In Ohio, I am exempt from having to take the course. But you can take a course on-line for free. Only have to pay the $30 fee only after you pass the test. I do not plan to take the test but am working on the lessons.
You do not have to sign up or anything to take the on-line course. Only to take the test.

http://www.boaterexam.com/usa/Ohio/overview.aspx

Paul Ryan
07-06-2010, 6:22 PM
I know some about pontoons. If you are just going to cruise with it not do any pulling of tubers and skiers than I would stick with a 4 stroke. But if you plan on doing some water sports I wouldn't even think of a 4 stroke. 4 strokes lack the torque needed to do water sports, they can do it, but struggle compared to direct injected 2 strokes. The best outboard motor for water sports is a direct injected 2 stroke. They are quieter than a large 4 stroke when wide open, and get better fuel economy when used hard. We have a 150hp mercury optimax on a 18' alumacraft trophy that is used for water sports and fishing. Our neighbor neighbor has a crestliner equivalent with a 150 honda 4 stroke. The mercury is hands down the better motor for pulling and hole shot. It gets better economy as well. But if you are buying a small motor 75hp or less I would go with the 4 stroke. They are quieter when trolling/ideling and get better economy than the smaller 2 stokes.