pontoon size and length

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by james wolfrey, Sep 13, 2014.

  1. james wolfrey
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    james wolfrey Junior Member

    I wanting to build a towable pontoon trailer /mini camper for my Harley Davidson bagger .yes that's right my hog.it all started when a friend told me my ride looks like a bass boat. it got under my skin. I love camping riding, and the water.so way not put them all together. I'm needing help with the size and shape . it needs to be light ,not to long and hold around 2000lbs im thinking, id like to power it with the rear wheel of the bike and steer it with the bars. The camping portion will be removable by pins left on shore .the wheels will be easily removed as well once I've got Jamie sue (my bike not the wife ) all loaded and secured launched unpin the wheels as well maybe pontoon type trailer tires. I hope they float...lol maybe I will use them for outriggers hummm... a little more stable the steering will be simple transferring the power from the bike to the prop/paddlewheel/propeller is going to be tricky im not looking to pull a skier or hall but just put the lure/worm on the hook and do some BASS fishing...L.O.L and give my friend the finger having been born in the desert im not to savvy on boats and pontoons all though I have built a plywood boat from my kids sand box on a camping trip some years ago using a trolling motor and car batteries. the kids loved it we took it out every time the dry lake beds got some water in them Im sand box's are useless in the desert and it fit in the truck bed perfect.so im asking the boating community for some advise on just how long and fat pontoons need to be to safely put Jamie sue in the drink the bike weighs 985lbs new I've added some chrome and $$$$$$to her so plenty of power already got the "BASS BOAT SPARKLEY BLUE PANT JOB" all I need now is more $$$$ and you folks to hopefully help keep my crazy desert/swamp rat@ss above water.so laugh your but off make jokes on me but please help a not so old man give that youngen some words to think about ill not mention them words hear.......thanks Big daddy ;)
     

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  2. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

  3. rwatson
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    rwatson Senior Member

    5.75 ft long x
    1.15 ft deep x
    4.025 ft wide

    would support 4812 pounds
     
  4. myark
    Joined: Oct 2012
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    myark Senior Member


    Thanks for the mention rwatson
    The link below is some of my old proto types which the last trailer I made towed behind my 100cc Honda with very light removable titanium torsions suspension.
    I have a almighty new design that would suit your needs 100% that is a pontoon that folds very narrow but unfolds very wide and is super light and can float your bike and if really wanted he bike could power the pontoon with a Tom Kane pivotal drive system.
    Of course its a pop out camper as well.
    Sadly I am busy right now but at later time when organised I would make one just for fun.


    http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/al...opportunity-custom-boat-builders-48314-5.html
     
  5. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Calculation error ?
     
  6. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    It could be - I tried to convert it pounds - lets try that again in civilised language.

    metres
    length 2.5
    Width 1.22
    Depth 0.35
    1.0675 Cubic Metres
    x 1000 1067.5 Kilos
    x 2.2 = 2348.5 Pounds


    Oops - yes, that's a better answer.
     
  7. SukiSolo
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    SukiSolo Senior Member

    That's a 'ton' better.....;)
     
  8. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    I hate imperial :mad:
     
  9. messabout
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    messabout Senior Member

    I also dislike imperial measure RW. Laid alongside the metric system it is found wanting..... Alas, we are stuck with it here in the US, at least for the foreseeable future. The metric system is gaining some traction here, thank goodness.

    Base ten math makes sense while our base 12, 16, 36, 5280, (43,560 square feet equals an acre ?) is a bit of a mess.
     
  10. upchurchmr
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    Just don't change anything half-assed.
    Half Imperial, Half metric.

    I have way too many wrenches in my tool box due to that stupidity.

    Actually I seem to have come across a fastener which metric threads and an Imperial head. Try that one.
     
  11. SukiSolo
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    SukiSolo Senior Member

    There are a few 'hybrid' weird cross overs like 7mm threads being so close to 1/4" UNF they run down the same thread. So it may have an imperial head that also fits a 7mm socket but will tighten into an M7 nut or thread. Doubtless a few others sizes have something similar......

    In the UK 7 and 9mm are non preferred but that does not stop Peugeot bolting their engines together with majority of M7 bolts..... or some Japanese manufacturers using M9s'......
     
  12. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    I must say that after watching some machining videos on Youtube, I realise that the US has their own 'metric' system.

    All the measurements were done in 'thou', decimal fractions of an inch.

    I looked up and found a 'thou' was about .0254 mm. As a mental exercise, I think its easier mentally to deal in thou's than .05 of a millimeter..

    Since the next size down is a micrometre, 1000 th of a mm, I suspsect that the 'thou is a more useful measure for the average machining job
     
  13. upchurchmr
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    Watson that certainly is true.
    So I have a vernier caliper and a micrometer in thousanths of an inch.
    Then my table saw is in 1/32nds.

    Never thought about the difference except I have struggled to convert occasionally.
     
  14. myark
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    myark Senior Member

    I designed a small titanium alligator multi-function ratcheting wrench, 3/8”- 3/16” and 10mm- 4mm on opposite end, Philips and flat screw driver, bottle opener that I am going to place on a web site called www.kickstarter.com in the next week or so.
    This tool can be a key ring for the boat, also I have designed an 8mm – 4mm ratcheting open end wrench to fit in tight spaces which also can be used for a bottle opener as well as an extra leverage for the alligator wrench when placed into its throat as well as a torque bar for when using the screw driver part.
    I EDM wire cut from 6.3mm gr5 titanium plate, and with the alligator wrench I used CNC to make the philips screw driver, then I drilled the hole and carefully ground the edges.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV40x7ZY5Rw
     

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  15. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    Thinking about it, I would recommend two hulls . The reasons are both for building ease, but also stability. I think it would perform on the water better than say a trimaran with external pontoons, and a gap to fall into the water with.

    Having two hulls means you can put more weight on the side when docking, or tying or untying straps than if you used a centre hull, and two side hulls..

    I did suggest one hull initially, and that would work ok as well, but with two hulls, you could have a bigger boat, and pack it for road travel easier, like Myark did.

    The other trick is to build to to suit plywood sheets. They are quite expensive, and you dont need to have useless off-cuts lying around after. 7' 8" would be a minimum length looking at this scale sketch, but I think a bit longer would solve some splash issues, and make it a bit faster on the water.

    Ignoring the lack of hull shaping, this is about the minimum size i would feel comfortable with $20 grand of bike on board.
     

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