Big Boat Pontoon

I am planning a build using pontoon style floats however I am uncertain as to the size requirement for them. The estimated max weight needed to be held would be around 11-12 thousand pounds and have a max length for the floats be an estimated 23ft in length the build is going to be front heavy by an undetermined amount, but given that it will be front heavy would i have to counterbalance the back of it or would the floats compensate for that?

 

The floats will counteract the front heavy problem if you design the floats to compensate for the problem. That means that they will be fatter in the front. If the floats are to have parallel sides like the usual cylindrical tubes, then they will not compensate and you will have a problem.

To support 12,000 pounds with reasonable safety, the round tubes will need a pair to be somewhere near 40 inch diameter x 23 feet long or a pair of square boxes of about 36 x 36 inches. That size will support the weight at about a half diameter waterline. It will not fix your bow heavy problem. a barge of about 10 feet wide by 23 feet long will need less than a foot of water to float the weight. It will not fix the bow heavy problem either.

Post more details about your project and you will probably get more useful assistance.

 

I am essentially planning on making pontoon attachments for my 2001 f350 dually flatbed so that I can take it in the water considering a lift and bigger tires. I also have to work on a design for the paddles so that I am able to attach them once in the water. All in all make it so it is still drivable whilst being able to go into the water so that I don't have to make it a 12in lift with 60s in order to float

 

You mean something like this. They solved it by adding shaped bow float, which is a good idea.

 

Go to the Stability section of the forum. Maybe get some ideas from the thread that examines the practicality of using a barge to carry a pickup truck