My New Pontoon (with pics) - Some questions

[Chambuzz]

Please forgive me as I am new to the world of recreational boating. Just purchased a 1999 Sun Tracker Party Barge 25 footer with a 75hp Mercury a few weeks ago with my in-laws. $5,000 with a trailer, so we feel like we got a pretty good deal. The boat's in pretty good shape save for a few seat backs and the rear bimini top.

Never having owned a boat before, I am not sure what's the best way to store the boat when it's not in use. We'll be using it pretty frequently this summer, so I'm not sure whether it's worth putting the mooring cover on it between uses. It's currently sitting in the lake at a private dock with both the front and rear bimini tops erected. Is it better to let the tops down when not in use to keep them from getting sun damaged? I thought leaving them up may be better for the vinyl seats though.

Speaking of bimini tops, the rear top was not maintained very well by the previous owner(s) and had some tears and unraveling. My father-in-law had a local upholstery shop patch in a piece of fabric as a temporary fix, but the rest of the top will eventually need replacing. The pontoon came with side enclosures, so the tops have zippers on all four sides. I'm having a hard time finding a replacement top that will match the front top (which is still in decent shape) and isn't a fortune. Tracker wants $847 for a replacement. Any tips?

The pontoon has an all aluminum deck, which we like, but there seems to be a few places where water splashes up from beneath and soaks through the carpet. I swam under the boat on Saturday to see if I could see anything easily, but didn't spot any obvious open seams or holes. Assuming I can locate the cause of the seepage, would some silicone be a good fix?

Also, the carpet will likely need to be replaced in the next year or so. I've read on this forum and elsewhere online about people replacing their carpet with a textured bedliner paint instead. I'm intrigued with this idea, but not sure what the application would be like on an aluminum deck. Any insight on this would be appreciated.

Looking forward to many more enjoyable years of Pontooning!

-Brian

[texaspontoon]

Nice to meet you and welcome to the group. VERY NICE BOAT for 10 years old! I am impressed!

To your questions, the best place to store your boat without a doubt is at an indoor/barn type storage yard where I keep mine for $120 per month. It gives you a place to hang up life jackets, skis, fishing poles etc.

If you can't find one or dont want to pay the next best option is with your cover (if you have one). If not a good solid tarp and some poles to keep the rain from puddling will work well. (Or you could buy a cover for about $500 from pontoon stuff.net)

As for your new carpet. Man unless you want it to be "cherry" I would just let the carpet be. It also depends how much mud and kids you have around you. If my kids had new carpet, they would have soda pop and cookies ground into it within a month. My boat has the vinyl floor that looks like carpet (a $500 upgrade for me) and it is the best money I have ever spent. Usually I can just wash it with a brush on a stick and dish soap, but if it is really bad I have to get the pressure washer out with some soft scrub and go to town. So if you have a place that could do that bed liner type stuff or "safe floor" that would be ideal (but that will cost you about $1000 probably.

Good luck with the boat!

Matt.

[busatom]

Nice boat ! I'm newer to toons myself and love em! You could underskin ur toon to keep the water out. I just got my aluminium and took all my measurements and am ready to istall if my fastenal rivets show up tomorrow!

Tom

[dockholiday]

Welcome

Where on the lake are you located. I am on richland creek side. 847 for a replacement seem a little steep. Is that for the frame an canvas or just canvas. Think I would leave the tops down. My neighbor has lost two tops on his boat lift in about 5 years. The wind can get pretty strong, at times even in the coves.
doc

[ezmuny13]

that is a very nice toon

[dodger]

Nice boat!

I'm a bit confused on the drivers seat though, no backrest? Hope it works for you, hahaha

Have a ton of fun this summer yet, toon on!!!!

[Chambuzz]

Welcome

Where on the lake are you located. I am on richland creek side. 847 for a replacement seem a little steep. Is that for the frame an canvas or just canvas. Think I would leave the tops down. My neighbor has lost two tops on his boat lift in about 5 years. The wind can get pretty strong, at times even in the coves.
doc

I'm new to the lake, so I'm not sure what area you would call it, but our dock is here: http://maps.google.com/?source=friendli ... andy+Rd%29

$847 was for canvas only.

[Chambuzz]

Nice boat!

I'm a bit confused on the drivers seat though, no backrest? Hope it works for you, hahaha

Have a ton of fun this summer yet, toon on!!!!

Ha ha, about that... The father-in-law took off the back because the wood was rotted and the screws weren't setting fully. He said "Ah, we don't need that thing anyway!" I've actually got it and am in the process of replacing the plywood. Driving around for 6 hours on Saturday without it was doing a number on my back!

[dockholiday]

Welcome

Where on the lake are you located. I am on richland creek side. 847 for a replacement seem a little steep. Is that for the frame an canvas or just canvas. Think I would leave the tops down. My neighbor has lost two tops on his boat lift in about 5 years. The wind can get pretty strong, at times even in the coves.
doc

I'm new to the lake, so I'm not sure what area you would call it, but our dock is here: http://maps.google.com/?source=friendli ... andy+Rd%29

$847 was for canvas only.

Was at a few sites looking an the double bimini are running about 900 new but that was frame and sunbrella fabric. We are across from Reynolds an the Ritz. We are a good ways apart by water. Lot's of standing timber from the dam back to my place. Thought I was clear of it all when I tore up one of the toons last year. Need to keep a close watch on that. Most is now at or just below water level. It use to be no problem when it was visible but now it is pretty dangerous. Hoping to get a depth finder/gps next year. Did not really feel the need for one until I struck that tree/stump. Hope to get one that shows exactly where all that stuff is. Wish Ga Power would just come in an clean all that out now, or have it better marked.
Oh this is where my cover was made, if the frames are good on your bimini get a quote from them. The cover fits like a glove an is sunbrella fabric. http://www.gmitopdesign.com/f-english.html (think they have the specs on most common boats so fit should not be a problem.
doc

[sammyinafrica]

Chambuzz,

i would be interested to know what your used pontoon search was like. i would like to heard about your experiences, what you found that you liked, what you avoided, ect...

If you want you can send me a PM, but I'd like to hear since my search will start in the future.

it looks like you and i are looking for about the same type of pontoon.

[GXPWeasel]

Looks to be a very nice boat. I'm sure you and your family will enjoy it.

[Chambuzz]

Was at a few sites looking an the double bimini are running about 900 new but that was frame and sunbrella fabric. We are across from Reynolds an the Ritz. We are a good ways apart by water. Lot's of standing timber from the dam back to my place. Thought I was clear of it all when I tore up one of the toons last year. Need to keep a close watch on that. Most is now at or just below water level. It use to be no problem when it was visible but now it is pretty dangerous. Hoping to get a depth finder/gps next year. Did not really feel the need for one until I struck that tree/stump. Hope to get one that shows exactly where all that stuff is. Wish Ga Power would just come in an clean all that out now, or have it better marked.
Oh this is where my cover was made, if the frames are good on your bimini get a quote from them. The cover fits like a glove an is sunbrella fabric. http://www.gmitopdesign.com/f-english.html (think they have the specs on most common boats so fit should not be a problem.
doc

Thanks for the link. I think I may talk to a couple of local places first before I attempt to purchase online. I've seen some bimini tops (fabric only) for around $120 online, but they didn't have the zippers. I wonder how hard it would be to take the zippers off my current one and sew them onto the new one? Or how expensive it would be to have a local place sew some new ones on?

We haven't tried installing the side enclosures yet, but I'm wondering how much we'd ever use them, if ever. The double bimini provides way more protection than I would have ever imagined!

[dockholiday]

When I added the 2nd bimini last year. I had to order two new tops an one frame since the existing one didn't have a zipper. Still ended up having to get an upholstery guy to make some alterations, because using the cutout for my boat cover left a lot of slack in the top. Glad I thought to tell him to match the cover cutouts rather than mount the new frame with the cover taunt, which would have placed the bow frame to far forward of the cutouts on the cover.
doc

[chill'nthemost]

Nice boat Chambuzz. It's almost identical to ours except we have a 3.0 Chevy. When you tow it, make sure the door under the sink it latched. The first time I towed the boat home the door was not latched, flew open and broke (hinges are are the stern so it's easy for the door to catch wind while towing). Waited months for a replacement from Tracker. When it finally arrived it had broke in shipping. Never could get another on from them. I ended up going to a plastic shop and making my own. I replaced the factory latch with a stainless positive lock. Although our toon has been stored inside since new, the counter top around the sink has started to crack. Yours too? Trying to think of an easy way to put a top over the original top.

[Chambuzz]

Nice boat Chambuzz. It's almost identical to ours except we have a 3.0 Chevy. When you tow it, make sure the door under the sink it latched. The first time I towed the boat home the door was not latched, flew open and broke (hinges are are the stern so it's easy for the door to catch wind while towing). Waited months for a replacement from Tracker. When it finally arrived it had broke in shipping. Never could get another on from them. I ended up going to a plastic shop and making my own. I replaced the factory latch with a stainless positive lock. Although our toon has been stored inside since new, the counter top around the sink has started to crack. Yours too? Trying to think of an easy way to put a top over the original top.

Thanks for the tip. The door latches pretty good, so much so that I thought it was locked when I first tried to open it. Fortunately, our counter top is in good shape.

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the specs on your 3.0 Chevy? I'm used to hearing outboard motors referred to in HP, not displacement. I know we have a 75hp "Tracker by Mercury Marine" (is it really a Mercury?), but I couldn't tell you the displacement. The father-in-law has the manual that came with the boat.