Building a Small Pontoon, Need Input

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by mikestewart395, Apr 1, 2014.

  1. mikestewart395
    Joined: Apr 2014
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Holiday , Fl

    mikestewart395 New Member

    Hello everyone. Here is what's going on. I have an old Kayak, the climb inside type, that I have had and used for fishing for about 12 years. After being spilled by peoples wakes many times I built a stabilizer, an 8 foot PVC Sq. tube with boat bumpers on the ends. After a recent move I was placed close to Clearwater, Fl. Awesome beach but it has inlets that allow access to the ocean minus the waves crashing on the shore. The water is mostly choppy and always windy, making a Kayaker tired fast. So I added a trolling motor/battery, and fishfinder. The weight puts me even closer to the water line, and after a close encounter with a shark, I parked the Yak and started searching the web. I seen someone on this site was talking about building a small pontoon out of PVC Pontoons, etc When I got home from work last night, I noticed the house down the street was being renovated. In the trash pile was an 8" PVC Pipe, about 30' long. I grabbed it. Now I am planning on building a small pontoon, just to fish from, able to hold 2 people with a small walk around deck.
    My question is should I use 2 or 3 pontoons for this? Water will be slightly choppy sometimes but mostly only have problems with people's wakes running wide open up and down the inlet. Also if anyone has any links to some builds or plans of this nature I would appreciate it. Thanks.
     
  2. nimblemotors
    Joined: Jun 2009
    Posts: 244
    Likes: 3, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 4
    Location: Sacramento

    nimblemotors Senior Member

    You need to do the displacement calculations to determine how big the pontoons need to be to not sink with the weight. google it.
    Don't forget to add the weight of the boat itself. PVC tubes can be pretty heavy.

    I just posted a link to the 12 foot inflatable boat for $130 in another thread,
    damn hard to get any cheaper or easier than that! for a boat that holds 800lbs.
    see rubberboats.com
     
  3. mikestewart395
    Joined: Apr 2014
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Holiday , Fl

    mikestewart395 New Member

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    This is basically what I want to build
     
  4. Petros
    Joined: Oct 2007
    Posts: 2,934
    Likes: 148, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 1593
    Location: Arlington, WA-USA

    Petros Senior Member

    That is a lot of costly pipe you found in the dumpster. two pontoons would be better for what you want I would think. your desired weight carrying capacity will determine their length.

    With two pontoons you can point them into the direction of the chop and most of the wave energy will pass under the deck. two pontoons will also be easier to build.

    Make sure your deck is structurally stiff around the perimeter, the PVC pipe does not have a lot of strength so the edges of the deck will give you most of the strength of the assembled boat.

    good luck.
     
  5. nimblemotors
    Joined: Jun 2009
    Posts: 244
    Likes: 3, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 4
    Location: Sacramento

    nimblemotors Senior Member

    Did you figure out the displacement calculations? If you can show the formulas used, that would be good.
     
  6. minno
    Joined: Aug 2014
    Posts: 90
    Likes: 0, Points: 6, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Canada

    minno Junior Member

    I've been playing with the Idea of a PVC cat built from 8" pipe for the last couple days.

    8" pipe displaces ~ 22 pounds of seawater per foot so the whole 30' piece will support ~650 pounds, about enough for a 1 man boat as you want at least twice the weight of the boat when loaded.

    to buy that chunk of pipe here would cost just over $200 CAD if it's schedule 40, the lightest I could find, considerably more if it's heavier.

    minno
     
  7. myark
    Joined: Oct 2012
    Posts: 719
    Likes: 27, Points: 38, Legacy Rep: 57
    Location: Thailand

    myark Senior Member

    Trekkayak is an ultralight, durable and inflatable boat to be carried in your backpack to cross a lake or paddle down a river

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/671302399/trekkayak?ref=home_potd

    Trekkayak is not just a product but rather a concept. To trek one way and return kayaking. To cross a lake or a river once you stand on the shore looking at the other side. And the concept sets the standard. It must be ultra-light, safe, durable and designed to last. Small as a tent when deflated and made by the best materials available.

    Weight and size

    Weighing in below 3 kg or just over 6 lbs Trekkayak is truly light-weight. The length, once inflated, is 3 meters, and the width is just below 1 meter. When deflated it fits smartly in a bag the size of a tent or sleeping bed.
     

    Attached Files:


  8. Ae Jae
    Joined: Jan 2015
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Scotland

    Ae Jae Junior Member

    If you go the pipe route, I would stuff them with foam, the polysterene type. Good safeguard against leaks. No need for the sharks to get fat, at your expense.
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.