shortening pontoon boat?

[blackberg]

So, I have been looking for a while, and all the awesome deals or on pontoons that are too long. like 28-30ft. A 20ft would be ideal for me.

Would it be crazy to buy say a 28 footer and cut it down to 20ft?

I know the deck would have to cutdown too and may have to reconfigure the furniture.

If its cut from the front then all the controls would stay the same I guess.


Just thinking out loud
-bb

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

Yes.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

20 - 24 footers are almost standard in my neck of the woods. Don't know where you are located but you need to expand your search a little. And yes, shortening a 28 - 32 foot pontoon to 20 feet is a crazy idea. You would also need to shorten the pontoons. That alone and the expense involved makes it highly impractical and the resale value goes out the window.

 

[blackberg]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

I have the Pac Ocean closer than the nearest lake, and I have my searches out to about 500 miles.
Of course I am assuming having the pontoons themselves shortened, and the deck.
And on resale value, a 28+ foot one can be much cheaper than a 20footer. Thats the only reason I have even been thinking of this.

-bb

 

[mjc3834merc]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

This is a joke........Right?

 

[5150abf]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

In theory you could do that but it would be really hard, I build pontoons all day and have actually cut down tubes BUT, I have years of experience(23) and all the equipment right there.

For a guy that has never doen it it get right the first time I don't think is going to happen.

Do you know a good welder and can you get end caps and baffles for the boat you want to cut down because you will need them and will need someone to install them, done that to and it takes me about an hour to change an end cap and that is having done it 100-200 times.

And no you can't do the front, then you would need a nose cone, I have done that also, once and will never do it again, it is just to hard and not worth the effort.

So you could do this but you don't want to, you are more than likely going to end up with a pile of pontoon, just get a 20 and be done with it, by the time you get parts and pay a welder you will probably be in to his for $800-$1000.

 

[Insteada]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

Why do you need a 20' specifically? Especially if you are going to be on the Pac ocean instead of a lake. I would think (maybe stupidly) that the bigger the better for the ocean. Especially if it's cheaper (which is another thing that boggles my mind). Good luck.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

I think we are getting our chain pulled. I've spent a lots of time on the west coast and would never take a 30 foot pontoon in the ocean, much less a 20 footer.

 

[BatDaddy1887]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

Hmmm....maybe he's got something there.....he could cut a 30 footer in half then he'll have two 15 foot boats!

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

LOL!!!! LOL!!!!! BatDaddy!!!!!!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

Here is just one in California. 2 minute search on Craigs List.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/boa/2207054589.html

I also did a search here on iBoats Boats Classified and when the number listings for 20 footers went past 200 I quit counting. So much for no 20 footers for sale.

I guess when if you can't find what you want locally, rather than spend thousands of bucks butchering a perfectly good boat, why not travel a bit if required to get exactly what you want and not have to put up with the potential problems that would certainly crop up with a shortening job.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

+1 for Silvertip's efforts....

 

[ONERCBOATER]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

if he isnt yanking our chains... I would trade him a 20ft in a heartbeat for a 30ft....
but i am having a hard time believing someone would cut down a 30fter.....hmmm

Sean

 

[lmuss53]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

If you were doing a frame up resto the shortening would not be terribly hard. Dropping the tube off and cutting 10 feet out of the middle is not a really tough job for a competent welder. I had it done to my center log along with some repairs and modifications for around $260 last year. I would think you could get the tubes shortened for around $500. The guy who did mine was not a boat builder, but worked on big trucks repairing and building aluminum and stainless tanks. He did mine at his house for a straight $20 per hour.

Pulling a few crossmembers out and shortening the deck would be pretty simple too. I would never even consider doing this on any boat that I wasn't tearing all the way down for the rebuild, where you are essentially starting from scratch anyway.

It is doable but I can't imagine doing it to a decent boat just to make it shorter.

 

[Cubbyblue22]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

Well maybe it's for fuel sake?? I mean pushing a 30 foot vs. a 20 foot is a huge difference gas wise and he'll be allowed to put on a smaller motor.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

Well maybe it's for fuel sake?? I mean pushing a 30 foot vs. a 20 foot is a huge difference gas wise and he'll be allowed to put on a smaller motor.

All the more reason to buy a 20 footer in the first place. Just how much fuel/money can be saved by spending (conservatively) $2000 plus the cost of the smaller motor (because the original is now to big on the smaller boat). This scheme makes no practical or economic sense - especially since there are plenty of 20 footers available. This post is going nowhere so someone please lock it.

 

[blackberg]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

If you were doing a frame up resto the shortening would not be terribly hard. Dropping the tube off and cutting 10 feet out of the middle is not a really tough job for a competent welder. I had it done to my center log along with some repairs and modifications for around $260 last year. I would think you could get the tubes shortened for around $500. The guy who did mine was not a boat builder, but worked on big trucks repairing and building aluminum and stainless tanks. He did mine at his house for a straight $20 per hour.

Pulling a few crossmembers out and shortening the deck would be pretty simple too. I would never even consider doing this on any boat that I wasn't tearing all the way down for the rebuild, where you are essentially starting from scratch anyway.

It is doable but I can't imagine doing it to a decent boat just to make it shorter.

thats what I was thinking,
I had seen several "long ones" for about half the cost of a 20 footer. paying a grand or two would have made sense. A frame up resto would have been in the plans. Not everyone has $20k laying around to buy a new boat, especially since its a depreciating asset.

But alas, the the one I was really considering to do this with has been sold ,*the search continues.

PS I never said I was going to take it in the ocean...
-bb

 

[lncoop]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

I'm at a loss. Geography is always a factor of course, but it's been my experience that 18'-20' barges are very common and trade cheap. One certainly doesn't need $20k to acquire one; or even $7k for that matter, at least not anywhere within 500 miles of me. I don't blame you for not wanting a 30' party hut, but I must confess I don't understand your obsession with the 20' length, nor can I wrap my head around your desire to spend thousands of dollars on modifications that would make no financial or logistical sense. I'm still not convinced you're not messing with us.

 

[blackberg]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

I'm at a loss. Geography is always a factor of course, but it's been my experience that 18'-20' barges are very common and trade cheap. One certainly doesn't need $20k to acquire one; or even $7k for that matter, at least not anywhere within 500 miles of me. I don't blame you for not wanting a 30' party hut, but I must confess I don't understand your obsession with the 20' length, nor can I wrap my head around your desire to spend thousands of dollars on modifications that would make no financial or logistical sense. I'm still not convinced you're not messing with us.

Well I dont have the luxury of living where things are cheap. Houses, boats, cars, they are all more money here. Ive seen them dirt cheap than south or in the midwest, but dont like the idea of buying one sight unseen then paying almost 2k to ship out here.

I know a guy selling a 1993 honda accord for 4k, and guess what he is going to get it
-bb

 

[Silvertip]

Re: shortening pontoon boat?

Since you figure it will cost $2000 to ship from where you are not, why not line up four or five boats ahead of time -- take a road trip, and look at those boats. Find one you like, pay the man and go home. You can ask for current pictures, pictures of receipts for service or even videos of the boat running with a newspaper held up so you can see the video is current. You accomplish two things -- vacation out of the apparent high rent district you live in to see how the rest of country lives and you end up with a boat you actually want. Bye!