I cant be the only one...

[MillRtim24/7]

i'm putting together my idea. I'm picking up a 24' pontoon boat tomorow. I'm ripping everything off but the 50h motor and the deck. puting center console and tunatower (not a huge one. one youd see on a bayskiff or something) right in the middle. the theory is this will make a perfect boat for flats fishing and booze cruising (just a term. i'd never get wasted and drive anything.)
We can't be the only guys to strip a pontoon boat down in this manner. has anybody got any pics, advise or stories on similar projects?

[marshmat]

Seen a few done, and it can work out pretty well for very little $$. The trick with the tower is to keep the weight low. A pontoon is quite stable, but usually has a high CG to start with and so you want to keep weight low down. With a flat deck to work from, custimizing your layout is a heck of a lot easier than in most boats. You can do pretty much anything you want on the deck as long as you keep the fore-and-aft balance about the same, and keep the CG as low as you can.

[MillRtim24/7]

Thanks Mat,
Makes sense to me. one more question for general knowledge.
How wide is too wide for a 24" pontoon boat?
Is there a common length to width ratio or something?

[MillRtim24/7]

oops! i meant 24' not "

[Thunderhead19]

Another issue is that the pontoon boat will ride on the surface of any wave that it encounters. Imagine being in the tower when a little ripple lifts one side of the boat 1' and you move 3'!.

[marshmat]

Originally Posted by MillRtim24/7

Thanks Mat,
How wide is too wide for a 24" pontoon boat?
Is there a common length to width ratio or something?

Max beam 8 ft 6 in.
Anything wider is not trailerable. 24ft pontoons, by the very nature of the waters they are suitable for, must be trailerable.