Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hi guys, I’m excited to be here, and hope to eventually give back as I learn. Until then I need some thoughts, and advice as I’m new to boats and cabins, etc.

So we have recently bought the “family cabin” off mum after dad passed. It’s time that us “youngins” carry the torch. My contribution to the cabin was always grunt work, and general handyman/carpentry stuff.

Dad looked after anything boat and fishing related, and that’s why I’m here, to learn about pontoons, as I believe the pontoon platform makes the most sense for us. Let me explain the “cabin” and its uniqueness, and challenges.

The lake is located right smack in the middle of Canada, and is essentially ‘“boat access”. Everything goes to and from by boat. People, food, 100# propane bottles, building supplies, wood stoves, etc. everything.

We’ve gotten by forever with a 14’ tin boat, but as I get older it’s becoming a hassle to load up into, and out of the tinner. There are now 5 pontoon boats, and 1 pontoon “barge” on our lake. It makes sense. You walk onto the boat, not into.

My options are 1, buy a new “barge” (princecraft voyager, is the only retail “barge” I can find), 2, buy a used pontoon boat, and strip it down/rebuild, 3. Buy a new “kit” and build my own.

There are special considerations to our lake regarding boats, as we can drive out and dump our stuff about 150 from the “launch” (dock in lake that we load up). To get to the launch requires a 150 walk down a path that is maybe 6 feet wide.

Unless you can carry the boat by hand down the path there are two choices:

1. Helicopter
2. Down a hill with an 80 degree drop via manpower/winches. Not for the faint of heart.

This is why a pontoon “kit” is appealing. I can carry it down in pieces and assemble it near the water.

There are 2 choices of kits, aluminum, and hdpe floats, both with aluminum frames.

I don’t know which way to go? Aluminum is cheaper, but I’m having a hard time getting information from the companies. They either don’t respond or they respond weeks later, or the web sites look like some Nigerian prince scam.

The hdpe guy in the US is expensive for what you get (IMO) and his boats are 15’ max. I’d like at least 20’. But his website is comprehensive, he answers all emails, we even chatted on the phone for an hour and he not only “knows his stuff” but he’s eager to educate and explain everything to me.

Not sure how to proceed? Aluminum, or hdpe?

Other information that may help:

- I’m a handy guy and not afraid of work, and learning new things
- I can afford the helicopter service to move boat but am also frugal
- boat will be left in the water all year round even winter (water freezes but no current)
- function over looks... always. Don’t care about the Jones’s.
- prefer remote over tiller but if tiller makes sense than tiller it is.


Ideally I’m looking at a pontoon boat/barge about 20 feet long, preferable remote, but tiller acceptable if need be. Fencing would only be along the back, and up the sides about 10,feet or less, leaving the front half open barge style. I’m ok with a bare plywood deck, (Barge on our lake is 15 years old with plywood. Looks like crap but still functional ) but if something else makes sense then I’m onboard.

I’m gonna try and figure out how to post a picture of the “barge” that’s currently on our lake. Anyone can borrow it but I hate borrowing. Time to man up and get my own.

Also wondering if I’m allowed to post a link to the hdpe pontoon kit guy?

I’d appreciate any tips, thoughts, etc.

Thanks guys.

wow, you have some deciding to do don't you? So here are my thoughts, just thinking out loud, probably just gonna be some ramblin'
1) i would check into the cost of helicopter and used pontoon first. I too am frugal however I have learned that sometimes you have to spend a little more money to avoid a lot of headaches.
2) I like the build a pontoon thing, I like building things myself, however there might not be as many choices and you might end up just settling on one instead of getting what would be better for you and your family.
3) Back to the helicopter thing, if you bring in a boat can you rent it out for others to use to offset some of the costs? I'm not sure how you feel about that, personally if it was my neighbors (who I like) I would let them use the boat for free.
4) will HDPE be able to hold up to the freezes, not become brittle? Since I'm in Florida I don't really know about things freezing....hot, yes, I understand hot.

so as you can tell I probably wasn't very helpful but hopefully I gave you another perspective.

Very helpful, thank you.

Helicopter is 3600 cdn to transport boat.

The hdpe barge at our lake has been there for 15 years. No damage at all, even the pressure plywood is original, untreated and looks crappy, but is still fine.

No interest in renting. Only 30 cottages on the lake so it’s a community with roots that go back 80+ years.

If you go the self build way, here's a good Ontario company: http://u-fabboats.com/

You did not say how large of a lake you're on, or how far you needed to go to get to the cabin. Most think 20' aluminum hull is the bottom line for a seaworthy boat. And most think the largest engine a boat's rated for is warranted. But there again, your lake's size is what matters.

At least with the kit, you can make it as nice or utilitarian as you want. You do want for sure to use marine plywood, and many owners today prefer vinyl flooring. And you will want a console to drive the boat from.

I’ve emailed U fab boats twice. No response

Lake is just under 1 km across. Time from loading dock to cabin, 45 seconds. Time from one,of lake to the other, 2 minutes?

It’s a very small lake.

https://www.tinypontoonboats.com/framekits/

I’d be looking at the 8 x 15 kit, and possibly adding a smaller 16’ kit to,it to make a,21’ boat.

It’s super expensive but 100% modular (and subtract 3600 helicopter cost not needed now)

Did you happen to build a pontoon boat from tinypontoonboats.com? I found them the other day and their setup looks intriguing.

The original post was from October of last year and the OP hasn't been back on the forum since then.

Oh boy, what an almost year it’s been.

Sorry to say no pontoon boat. Actually no cabin.

“Jeff” is my 40 year old, unemployed, alcoholic, drug addict, lazy, entitled pain in my side. He still lives at home with mommy. He has even stooped as low as stealing 500,from my daughter.

Turns out he was very upset we were “getting the fucken cabin” (we weren’t getting anything. We were gonna buy it off mom.

Baby Jeff wanted an eventual 10% ownership cause it’s “his fucken cabin”

I hate the guy, but he’d still be allowed to come out with a new set of rules and expectations.

We weren’t buying a cabin so that a 40 year man can come out to drink beer, smoke pot, eat, shit, piss, and sleep 17 hours a day. Yes 17. One/seven. Seventeen. Not a mistype.

Anyway baby Jeff told mommy if he didn’t get his 10 % (“get” not buy into with us) that he’d rather her sell to an outsider, and no one gets the cabin.

Mom renegotiated with us and wanted to sell 90% of the cabin with baby Jeff getting the 10%. In the mean time he can come out when ever he wanted. She threatened to sell if we refused.

We did.

Mom then said I was a bully, and a manipulator. Thanks mom.

Cabins suck. Family sucks even more.

Looks like baby Jeff will get the cabin. Makes me question why I work hard, and do all the right things. Bad behavior rewarded!

Nan_wpg wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 06, 2021 2:47 pm

Oh boy, what an almost year it’s been.

Sorry to say no pontoon boat. Actually no cabin.

“Jeff” is my 40 year old, unemployed, alcoholic, drug addict, lazy, entitled pain in my side. He still lives at home with mommy. He has even stooped as low as stealing 500,from my daughter.

Turns out he was very upset we were “getting the fucken cabin” (we weren’t getting anything. We were gonna buy it off mom.

Baby Jeff wanted an eventual 10% ownership cause it’s “his fucken cabin”

I hate the guy, but he’d still be allowed to come out with a new set of rules and expectations.

We weren’t buying a cabin so that a 40 year man can come out to drink beer, smoke pot, eat, shit, piss, and sleep 17 hours a day. Yes 17. One/seven. Seventeen. Not a mistype.

Anyway baby Jeff told mommy if he didn’t get his 10 % (“get” not buy into with us) that he’d rather her sell to an outsider, and no one gets the cabin.

Mom renegotiated with us and wanted to sell 90% of the cabin with baby Jeff getting the 10%. In the mean time he can come out when ever he wanted. She threatened to sell if we refused.

We did.

Mom then said I was a bully, and a manipulator. Thanks mom.

Cabins suck. Family sucks even more.

Looks like baby Jeff will get the cabin. Makes me question why I work hard, and do all the right things. Bad behavior rewarded!

That really sucks!

Scroom!

Sorry to hear, family can definitely suck

The guy is an absolute loser. Mom keeps enabling him.

I’m just done. It’s pathetic. Everyone at the lake hates the guy. He gets into fights , discharges firearms, runs a generator till 3am (it’s very remote cabin) flyers driones, and feeds the wildlife too.


He’s also verbally and emotionally abusing Mil. (By her own admission Tj us) yet she refuses to do anything about it.

It’s just a mess.

You need a Schwimmwagen and floating trailer not sure why I didn't think of this solution earlier

Sounds more like a boating accident is needed.

2 Covid to the back of the head -- Hilary-style.