A friend of mine asked me to look at a few used pontoon boats. He
lives about five hours from here by car so I don't want to have him
drive all this way only to find something wrong with these boats.

I have an 18' power boat and a 21' sailboat. I have never owned a
pontoon boat and have only been on them a few times. Outside of normal
cosmetic wear and tear from use, are there things I should be looking
for that may be unique to pontoon boats? Should there be removable
inspection plates on the pontoons? I would imagine that if there are
leaks in the pontoons there would be some evidence inside.

These pontoon boats are somewhat smaller than most around here.
(freshwater only) One is 16' with a 30 hp four stroke Merc, the other
is a 20 ' with a 50 hp Merc 2 stroke.

My friend wants a smaller pontoon boat. Most around here and where he
lives are a lot bigger. That's why he is interested in these two.

LdB

On 8/5/2011 2:42 PM, LdB wrote:
A friend of mine asked me to look at a few used pontoon boats. He lives
about five hours from here by car so I don't want to have him drive all
this way only to find something wrong with these boats.

I have an 18' power boat and a 21' sailboat. I have never owned a
pontoon boat and have only been on them a few times. Outside of normal
cosmetic wear and tear from use, are there things I should be looking
for that may be unique to pontoon boats? Should there be removable
inspection plates on the pontoons? I would imagine that if there are
leaks in the pontoons there would be some evidence inside.

These pontoon boats are somewhat smaller than most around here.
(freshwater only) One is 16' with a 30 hp four stroke Merc, the other is
a 20 ' with a 50 hp Merc 2 stroke.

My friend wants a smaller pontoon boat. Most around here and where he
lives are a lot bigger. That's why he is interested in these two.

LdB
The decking material is frequently marine plywood. I had one and it had
white fugal growth arond a few knot holes etc.
They make them with other than wood decks. I would look for one of them
A little gently tapping with soft wood will reveal water in the
pontoons.Some come with drains and plugs already in them.
The engine mounts may be plywood too. Might need replacing right off the
bat.
Cosmetics well..... I know the vinyl they use, or the woven covers for
that matter is a never ending quest to keep mold etc out of the material
as well as the carpets.
The electronics and everything else...
If they have kept it stored inside would be the best. That's about the
only way to keep one in tip top shape over a long time.

On 8/5/2011 5:14 PM, LilAbner wrote:
On 8/5/2011 2:42 PM, LdB wrote:
A friend of mine asked me to look at a few used pontoon boats. He lives
about five hours from here by car so I don't want to have him drive all
this way only to find something wrong with these boats.

I have an 18' power boat and a 21' sailboat. I have never owned a
pontoon boat and have only been on them a few times. Outside of normal
cosmetic wear and tear from use, are there things I should be looking
for that may be unique to pontoon boats? Should there be removable
inspection plates on the pontoons? I would imagine that if there are
leaks in the pontoons there would be some evidence inside.

These pontoon boats are somewhat smaller than most around here.
(freshwater only) One is 16' with a 30 hp four stroke Merc, the other is
a 20 ' with a 50 hp Merc 2 stroke.

My friend wants a smaller pontoon boat. Most around here and where he
lives are a lot bigger. That's why he is interested in these two.

LdB
The decking material is frequently marine plywood. I had one and it had
white fugal growth arond a few knot holes etc.
They make them with other than wood decks. I would look for one of them
A little gently tapping with soft wood will reveal water in the
pontoons.Some come with drains and plugs already in them.
The engine mounts may be plywood too. Might need replacing right off the
bat.
Cosmetics well..... I know the vinyl they use, or the woven covers for
that matter is a never ending quest to keep mold etc out of the material
as well as the carpets.
The electronics and everything else...
If they have kept it stored inside would be the best. That's about the
only way to keep one in tip top shape over a long time.

The buyer needs to understand that the friend isn't a professional
inspector and can't be held hostage for a defect he doesn't find. That
said, "friend" should be able to do a decent evaluation of the condition
of the boat.
If it had visible knots it wasn't marine plywood. Carpeted decks lead to
wood rot. Upholstered seating will quickly dry up and crack if not
covered. Cosmetic or structural defects should be easy to spot since
everything not covered in carpet or upholstery is visible for
inspection. Pontoons and engines seem to be the items that might need
professional inspection.