I am reading two free boats-shopper magazines that have many many ads
for various styles of boats. But they only have a very small number of
ads for pontoon boats. What does this means?

- Does this mean that pontoon boats are not popular? If this is so, I
need to think twice before buying a pontoon boat (I enjoy riding on
one though).

- Does this mean that pontoon boat owners love their boats so much
that they will not part with their pontoon boats? I doubt this but I
ask anyway.

- Does this have something to do with the possible naturnal
progression of owning a boat: When someone buys a boat, he may start
with a small one first. After a while, he sells it and buy a bigger
one. Gradually, he keeps spending money in trading up to bigger and
bigger boat. He finds that he is low in fund, and has to sell his big
boat. That may explain the reason why there are so many ads for
non-pontoon boats. On the other hand, pontoon boats have very limited
choices in sizes. Regardless how big it is, we still cannot use it
off-shore. A 18-ft pontoon boat probably is just as good as a 24-ft
one. Therefore, people don't tend to trade it up. This is just a
guess.

- Am I reading the wrong boats-shopper magazines?

- Any other possible reason?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
om...
I am reading two free boats-shopper magazines that have many many ads
for various styles of boats. But they only have a very small number of
ads for pontoon boats. What does this means?


Perhaps their owners place ads locally and they end up selling quickly, so
they have no need to branch out to other selling resources.

Althought it is true will any boat, a pontoon boat can easily become solid
waste/scrap aluminum if you don't take care of them. Perhaps a large
percentage end up in recycling yards when the furniture goes to hell
or the hulls start pitting. If you are using a pontoon in salt water
you need bottom (or whole pontoon) paint.

I see. This probably explains the reason why there are very few ads
for used pontoon boats (most of the small number of ads for pontoon
boats are for new boats). Thanks.

Then I have one question:
Does this also mean that rusty pontoons are very difficult to fix?
Therefore, people don't even bother to fix them. I am under the
impression that fiberglass boats have other sets of problem too, and
probably also be difficult to fix. I don't know. I am just very
puzzled.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
om...
Althought it is true will any boat, a pontoon boat can easily become
solid
waste/scrap aluminum if you don't take care of them. Perhaps a large
percentage end up in recycling yards when the furniture goes to hell
or the hulls start pitting. If you are using a pontoon in salt water
you need bottom (or whole pontoon) paint.

I see. This probably explains the reason why there are very few ads
for used pontoon boats (most of the small number of ads for pontoon
boats are for new boats). Thanks.

Then I have one question:
Does this also mean that rusty pontoons are very difficult to fix?
Therefore, people don't even bother to fix them. I am under the
impression that fiberglass boats have other sets of problem too, and
probably also be difficult to fix. I don't know. I am just very
puzzled.

Jay Chan

All boats need maintenance. I know people in the Adirondacks (fresh water)
who've had pontoon boats for many years, and I hear no unusual complaints
from them. The "problems" you mention are nothing more than normal wear and
tear (assuming you don't run the pontoons into a rock).

Personally, I would never have a pontoon boat if I were going to spend any
time on the ocean. I know people who won't use theirs even on inland lakes
when the water gets rowdy at certain times of the day. I suppose it all
depends on your purpose in owning a boat. If you're a hard core fisherman
who'll go out fishing even when the weather is making most people hurl their
lunch, you'll want a real boat, not a floating playroom.

Personally, I would never have a pontoon boat if I were going to spend any
time on the ocean. I know people who won't use theirs even on inland lakes
when the water gets rowdy

I am not on the ocean, I'm on the Gulf but I still stay in the back bay most of
the time. Pontoons are different than a regular boat. They get "wet" a long
time before they will pound you. Things get exciting about the time that the
deck starts going under in a swell and you see blue water over the deck. Prior
to that they are pretty smooth but a lot of water is coming over the top as you
clip the tops of the waves. In a small chop it is a lot better ride than you
get out of a monohull, just wet.
One thing about them, a capsized pontoon boat is still a pontoon boat!
With 6 to 10 separate chambers on the logs, they are pretty hard to sink.
All that said they are still an "inshore" boat, in spite of the fact that you
see plenty of them 8-10 miles offshore here in the gulf. YMMV in the "ocean" or
even places like the Chesapeake bay.

Actually, the aluminum in the pontoons holds up pretty well to sal****er
although I would never advocate permanently mooring one in sal****er, MUCH
better to trailer them.

Also, you can not use "normal" bottom paint on a pontoon boat (or any other
metal boat for that matter. Galvanic corrosion occurs between the aluminum
and the copper in the anti-fouling bottom paint unless there is an epoxy
barrier put between them. There are problems with epoxy barrier coats too,
but I won't go into that here.

Pontoon boats are some of the lowest maintenance boats I've ever used. I
helped a friend re-furbish his 'toon boat last year. It's 23 years old. All
of the leaks in the pontoons were a result of poor design, not corrosion
(pitting). The welder did have problems trying to weld the old aluminum and
there were a few pinholes in the welds. I did some research for my friend
and found a product called "Aluminox", it's a 2 part epoxy putty made just
for old aluminum. My friend used this epoxy to plug the pinholes in the
welds and the weak parts of the pontoons were re-enforced. We put a new
marine plywood deck on and modified a few things to customize it for his
needs/wants. He now has a very solid 'toon boat that should be good for
another 20 years.

As to your original question about why there aren't more ads for used ones.
Personally, I attribute it to this, seldom do I talk to a pontoon boat owner
where the pontoon boat was his first boat. The stories I hear are much like
my own. I started out at 16 with a 16' jon boat, moved to a 18' center
console, then to a 25' cuddy, now I have a 31' flybridge sportfishing boat.
This is not mentioning that I've owned up to 5 boats at a time. Now I'm to
the point where I'm getting to old to keep the sportfishing boat up. I just
want something for the wife and I to putter around the intercoastal in and
occasional drowned a few shrimp trying to catch fish. Pontoon boat are low
maintenance (certainly not maintenance free though), low cost to buy (most
are $20,000) and their cheap to operate. I can run my friends boat all day
on 6 gallons of fuel . . . a day out on my sportfishing boat uses ~90
gallons, that's why it pretty only leaves the slip when someone else is
paying for the fuel. BTW, if you haven't noticed, my charter boat is for
sale . . . willing to take pontoon boat in trade or partial trade. :-)

Later . . .
Capt. Dave Fortner


"Jay Chan" wrote in message
om...
Althought it is true will any boat, a pontoon boat can easily become
solid
waste/scrap aluminum if you don't take care of them. Perhaps a large
percentage end up in recycling yards when the furniture goes to hell
or the hulls start pitting. If you are using a pontoon in salt water
you need bottom (or whole pontoon) paint.

I see. This probably explains the reason why there are very few ads
for used pontoon boats (most of the small number of ads for pontoon
boats are for new boats). Thanks.

Then I have one question:
Does this also mean that rusty pontoons are very difficult to fix?
Therefore, people don't even bother to fix them. I am under the
impression that fiberglass boats have other sets of problem too, and
probably also be difficult to fix. I don't know. I am just very
puzzled.

Jay Chan

Jay,
Here is my guess...
Pontoon boats are typically not trailer boats. (I know this is changing,
but it has been the case until recently.) Therfore they are much more
limited to people with waterfront property or access. Anyone can buy a
trailer boat and keep it in the driveway, etc. As a result, there are far
more trailer boats than pontoon boats.

My first pontoon boat was 30+ years old (~1968 vintage). It did not have
any leak problems when I bought it. It did not have any furniture, etc. I
finally replaced it beause of the deck going bad, some welds starting to
break, and cable and pully steering. Still not unrepaired leaks. (I have a
concrete sea wall that it got up against.)

The next boat was about 10 years newer. Still no furniture, but newer
steering. (BTW, for my purposes no furniture was ideal. Cheaper, need not
be covered, and never in the way for fishing.) Also, I got a better motor
at the same time.

Theron

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
om...
I am reading two free boats-shopper magazines that have many many ads
for various styles of boats. But they only have a very small number of
ads for pontoon boats. What does this means?

- Does this mean that pontoon boats are not popular? If this is so, I
need to think twice before buying a pontoon boat (I enjoy riding on
one though).

- Does this mean that pontoon boat owners love their boats so much
that they will not part with their pontoon boats? I doubt this but I
ask anyway.

- Does this have something to do with the possible naturnal
progression of owning a boat: When someone buys a boat, he may start
with a small one first. After a while, he sells it and buy a bigger
one. Gradually, he keeps spending money in trading up to bigger and
bigger boat. He finds that he is low in fund, and has to sell his big
boat. That may explain the reason why there are so many ads for
non-pontoon boats. On the other hand, pontoon boats have very limited
choices in sizes. Regardless how big it is, we still cannot use it
off-shore. A 18-ft pontoon boat probably is just as good as a 24-ft
one. Therefore, people don't tend to trade it up. This is just a
guess.

- Am I reading the wrong boats-shopper magazines?

- Any other possible reason?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

Why pontoon boats are typically not being trailered?

Lack of a decent trailer. (also if you have flimsy furniture it won't make the
trip)
Pontoon boats usually don't have a decent bow hook to pull them up on the
trailer with. A common type of trailer fits between the pontoons and only
provides about 4 feet between the wheels. These are unsafe at any speed. You
can get a regular boat trailer with ~7' axle and rollers or bunks under the
pontoons that will do well on the highway. You can also rig a bow hook but it
has to be connected to a stringer that runs down the deck far enough to be
pulling on several cross ties. Mine is 2 pieces of 2x2x1/4" angle 8' long under
the deck, an inch apart with a 1/2"stainless bolt between them for the hook.
I take my boat to the Keys and other places but I did have a learning curve to
find a good trailer and learn how to load it.
Tie this thing down well !
I use 3 load binders like you see on flatbed trucks.
One tip, be sure the bow trails lower than the stern, it keeps the boat from
flying. Mine is about 15 degrees from level and it trails true at Florida
"interstate speeds" (80 or so) although I don't recomend trailering anything
that fast.

Here in North Calif lots of trailered pontoon boats. Only thing is they
trailer them a mile ot 2 at the most to local storage yard. Pontoons seem
to be used on the lake they live at as opposed to boats that are trailered a
lot. Do see a few "Bass Buggy" boats trailer on the highway.
Bill

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
om...
Pontoon boats are typically not trailer boats. (I know this is
changing,
but it has been the case until recently.) Therfore they are much more
limited to people with waterfront property or access. Anyone can buy a
trailer boat and keep it in the driveway, etc. As a result, there are
far
more trailer boats than pontoon boats.

This brings up two questions:

- Why pontoon boats are typically not being trailered? Are they too
wide to be trailered safely or easily? I doubt this. But I ask anyway.
I must admit that I rarely see a pontoon boat being trailered on
highway (grand total: one); on the other hand, I see quite a number of
regular boats being trailered. After saying this, this may have to do
with not enough number of pontoon boats being used. I don't know.

- Why pontoon boats are mainly used by people who have water front
property? Are they being used as a floating patio? Kind of like an
extension of the backyard. Therefore, this may have something to do
with the intended purpose of people who buy pontoon boats.

Jay Chan

Around here (upstate NY), pontoon boats tend to be owned by the same people
who think a K-car is just a bit too wild. Or, they're rental boats on the
Finger Lakes and some of the Adirondack waters.