Any Pontoon owners here?

Weldor

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
68
Hi I just purchased a used Pontoon thats been sitting on the ground for about a year. There is no real damage to the pontoons but they look like crap from the water and mud stains. Do any of you folks have a good way of cleaning them? This is not the only problems with the ole gal she needs seats some trim work and a few other things. I'm sure there's more and as they pop up I'll be asking more and more questions.
 

Weldor

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
68
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Thanks 1730V, I never thought of oven cleaner and will probly pass on it. I don't really want to polish it to a high luster I just want those nasty stains gone. A dull aluminum finish would be great.
 

EJ3

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 15, 2007
Messages
171
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Mabey try some of that "CLR" you see on TV. "Calcium Lime Rust" cleaner.
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

pressure washer, comet and elbow grease.
 

PondTunes

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
387
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Muratic Acid works wonders, it will literally burn off anything stuck to the pontoons & bring the aluminum back to a nice even finish. It can be purchased at lowes and applied using a garden sprayer. Muratic Acid & Aluminum do put off a nasty noxious gas when applied so do it outside and stay upwind from it.

The end result is a nice satin aluminum finish that should last a good while esp if you remember to wash the toons down when you pull the boat out. I think it took about 3-4 gallons to do my 28' toons.

As a finishing touch there is a product called sharkhide that is said to repel growth & stains on the pontoons for up to a year on boats that stay in the water and over three years on trailered boats. I plan on trying some out this spring when I de-winterize.
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Congratulations on your "new" pontoon.Pontoons have their draw backs
Generally speed challenged.Somewhat limited in very rough conditions.
You need to be careful with large passenger loads.
They do have their up side.Lots of room unlimited possibilities for setup.
make a floating patio,an over nighter,great fishing platform.
I did a little research On gas use with a pontoon.If driven within there best design speed they will actually out perform a much smaller lighter planing boat.A 2,455lb. 50 hp 23 ft pontoon gets 8mpg @ 2000 rpm,6.8 at 2,500,5.6 @3,000 and 6.5@3,500 with a max speed of 9.7 mph.A 20ft 50 hp pontoon gets 12.7 mpg at 2,000,9.3@2,500,6.7@3,000 and 6.2@ 3,500.max speed 12.
A 50hp 16 ft. Carolina Skiff gets 9.4mpg @ 2,000,5.1@2,500,4.2@3,000 and 6.6 @3,500.max speed 15.2
Of course once it planes mpg and speed shoots up compoared to a toon.Some will say the toon is just plain too slow but if you are in a hurry you probably don't want a toon
unless you have deep pockets needed to push one at planing hull speeds.
 

Weldor

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
68
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Thanks PondTunes,the Muratic Acid sounds like it's the ticket I'm looking for I'll check Lowes this weekend. I've got a couple of other boats and have had a few in the past. But this is my first pontoon so I'm a newbie sorta.



Thanks steelespike, the old gal is a 92 but it's new to me lol. BTW those figures on fuel consumption sure sound good thanks for posting them.


tashasdaddy wrote "pressure washer, comet and elbow grease."


tashasdaddy, that sounds like it will work also but being a little on the lazy side I think I'll try the acid first sounds a lot easier and faster as well.



EJ3 wrote "Mabey try some of that "CLR" you see on TV. "Calcium Lime Rust" cleaner."


EJ3, that just might an option if I wasn't skeer'd it would turn the aluminum dark.


Thanks for the info guys so I guess I'm off to lowes..... well in a few days that is.


PS: Just an FYI a month or so ago I regesterd as thewrenchbender the computer had a little problem with Lightning and I lost all my info. I ask about the year Id on a potoon and tashasdaddy answerded the question. So I now own this same pontoon I was asking about.
 

Fish n Geer

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
252
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Pontoons are a great cruising boat.Thats about 80 percent of what you see on the water where mom and dad live.I have access to one whenever we are up there.Seen some really nice ones.And by all means be careful with that acid.I used that alot when i drove a cement mixer.Nasty stuff.Will take your breath away if not used properly.

Enjoy that toon!
 

Gary H NC

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
8,972
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Eagle One Etching mag wheel cleaner,spray it on and hose it off.It will work best with a pressure washer but the hose will do ok too...
Its about the same thing they use at truck washes to brighten aluminum fuel tanks and wheels.
 

Weldor

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
68
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Fish n Geer,thanks for the warning I had thought it to be a good idea to stay upwind of the fumes/smell .




Gary H NC, it's funny you should mention Eagle One Etching mag wheel cleaner because I was in the local Advance Auto today and they have it on sale. Regular price was $6.89 on sale for $2.97 I bought a couple of bottles and will try it on Friday.
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Fish n Geer,thanks for the warning I had thought it to be a good idea to stay upwind of the fumes/smell .




Gary H NC, it's funny you should mention Eagle One Etching mag wheel cleaner because I was in the local Advance Auto today and they have it on sale. Regular price was $6.89 on sale for $2.97 I bought a couple of bottles and will try it on Friday.

Let us know how it works I have a 57 Crestliner I just want to clean up a little.Just years of sitting around no real abuse just normal oxidation of
50 years service.
 

Weldor

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
68
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Let us know how it works I have a 57 Crestliner I just want to clean up a little.Just years of sitting around no real abuse just normal oxidation of
50 years service.

I'll try and do a little better than that If I can figure out the picture posting thing. Maybe before and after pics if thats ok with around here.:rolleyes:
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Sounds good to me.I think there may be a sticky about posting pics.
 

starcraft67

Cadet
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
21
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Hello, a newbie to the board pitching in on the clean your pontoons question. I have a 16' Playbuoy with a 9.9 Johnson 2 stroke outboard. It is currently on the Ohio River, where as you might imagine its range is limited by lack of speed -- about 7 mph downstream and 5 up, with calm water. Only gets about 4 1/2 mpg at full throttle!!

But on to the cleaning question. Since I bought the boat used five years ago, I have read much on this subject and tried a few different things. While the acidic techniques certainly leave a good-looking pontoon, I have read, and I tend to think it true, that repeated use of acids thins the aluminum and leaves it with deeper pores, thereby making each successive cleaning a little more difficult. Then there is the environmental issue to consider too with acid. Others say clean the boat with elbow grease when it's wet fresh out of the water. That's OK, that works. However, if you buy a soft brass rotary brush for your drill, or, I suspect, a rather abrasive mitten for a buffer, and wear a dust mask, you can give the thing a good scrubbing in a jiffy when the stuff is dry too. I tend to think in terms of "get the algae, etc., off so there is smooth flow" rather than "make a ten year old pontoon shine like brand new."
 

Weldor

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
68
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Thanks guys I still ain't got around to testing the Eagle One yet. But as soon as I do I will report back with the results and hopefully pics.

BTW what do think of the 48 hp Evinrude 92 year model? Anything odd or out of the norm to watch for?
 

Weldor

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
68
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Well here is a before shot ( before I bought it) it sat here on dry land for several months. After be beached on a low level lake for quite a while. I think she can be brought back to life with some TLC & $$$. What cha think? I still ain't tried cleaning the toons, that ole honeydue list got in the way so maybe early in the week.
 

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steelespike

Supreme Mariner
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Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

Thanks guys I still ain't got around to testing the Eagle One yet. But as soon as I do I will report back with the results and hopefully pics.

BTW what do think of the 48 hp Evinrude 92 year model? Anything odd or out of the norm to watch for?

I can't speak too specifically to the 48 but it is based on a well proven basic design that dates back to the 1950s.My info indicates the 40,48,50,55 and 60 are based on the same 45 cu in block.
 

Gary H NC

Fleet Admiral
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Dec 1, 2005
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Re: Any Pontoon owners here?

I think it will clean up nice.
I'm going to Advance to see if the Eagle one is on sale here...;)
 
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