Underblog
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2011
- Messages
- 47
Wife and I recently purchased an island with a 1/2 built cabin on it in Northern Minnesota. Naturally, we were advised to purchase a pontoon!
We paid $1800 for a 1985 16 foot pontoon with a 25 HP Johnson on it. Seemed a fair price, given the comparables on CL in Duluth and the Twin Cities. The pontoon is stripped bare but for a railing and a console. This suits our needs because (a) we will be hauling stuff back and forth to the island until the place is finished and furnished, and (b) we have only a couple of weeks vacation per year until I stop working (another 9 years or so). One nice thing is that the boat was purchased through the local marine mechanic, so I feel confident that the motor works and the hull is sound. The previous owner moved out of state and had to sell.
From what I gather here and elsewhere, the bigger the motor the better. That being said, it seems that everyone knows someone with a 9.9 pushing a pontoon along just fine.
Are there any short-term upgrades and long-term things to watch out for? As a new pontoon owner, I look forward to exploring the forums and taking advantage of the collective experiences of folks here.
Attached is a not-very-attractive picture of the boat, and a much more attractive picture of the island.
We paid $1800 for a 1985 16 foot pontoon with a 25 HP Johnson on it. Seemed a fair price, given the comparables on CL in Duluth and the Twin Cities. The pontoon is stripped bare but for a railing and a console. This suits our needs because (a) we will be hauling stuff back and forth to the island until the place is finished and furnished, and (b) we have only a couple of weeks vacation per year until I stop working (another 9 years or so). One nice thing is that the boat was purchased through the local marine mechanic, so I feel confident that the motor works and the hull is sound. The previous owner moved out of state and had to sell.
From what I gather here and elsewhere, the bigger the motor the better. That being said, it seems that everyone knows someone with a 9.9 pushing a pontoon along just fine.
Are there any short-term upgrades and long-term things to watch out for? As a new pontoon owner, I look forward to exploring the forums and taking advantage of the collective experiences of folks here.
Attached is a not-very-attractive picture of the boat, and a much more attractive picture of the island.
