Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Schnorkie · Oct 24, 2011

Does anyone have any good suggestions on getting an 18 ft pontoon boat to shore for the winter? It weighs about 2000 lbs and there are some good size trees that I could use for a come-along. I don't have a trailer.

Thanks!

Bifflefan · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Use some plywood under the toons as skids. It should slid fairly easily on the wood.

EGlideRider · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

The preferable way would be to rent a scissors trailer if possible.

If not possible:

Do not pull from the pontoon eyelets because they break fairly easy. If you don't have too far to go or the shore is not too steep, then you can pull from the wench eyelet. Otherwise, I would run a rope through though the eyelet and back to the transom and locate a suitable place there to tie the rope. Which ever way you choose, go slowly and constantly check for potential damage.

And welcome to the forum.

Schnorkie · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Thanks for the advice.

Do you think it will be fairly easy to launch in the spring?

Schnorkie · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Thanks for the advice. I never thought about the stress on the eyelets.

oldjeep · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Schnorkie said:
Thanks for the advice.

Do you think it will be fairly easy to launch in the spring?

Only if there is a tree on the other side of the lake.

EGlideRider · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

LOL oldjeep, but very likely a true statement.

Redneck_Randy · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Get a shore docking system.

http://www.discount-trailers.com/pontoon.htm

http://www.shoredocker.com/us/shoredocker-pontoon-ramp-kit-sdpont

Jeep Man · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Used pontoon trailers are scarce in many areas of the country. Buying a new one to move the boat a hundred feet twice a year is hard to swallow. This won't work for you this year but what I did was get the frame from a stripped out RV trailer, complete with axles and tongue (plenty available for cheap or free). For a 18' boat, I suggest a 25' to 26' trailer (tongue to taillights), install makeshift bunks and your good for many future seasons.

rickdb1boat · Oct 24, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Get some PVC (Sch. 40 or 80) and use it for rollers every few feet. In the spring, roll it back in. That's if you have a fairly gradual lot to pull it up on..

MH Hawker · Oct 25, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Let me throw my 2 cents worth in , yes you can wench it out and up on the bank by several means, and I saw several good suggestions on how to do that, but I would think it would be a lot harder to get it back in the spring, I would suggest you ask around and find some one with a trailer to help out , or ask around a boat shop or marina and have it pulled out, pontoon boats are tuff but once damage is done its expensive to fix, at my local marina I would guess of the 300 pontoons on slips not more that 50 owners have trailers, most have the marina pull and store them. depending on where your at their may even be some one here closed enough to give you a hand I know I sure would I have a 20 foot so it would be no big thing. I am in the WV, KY, OH tri state area

Dakota Dave · Oct 25, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

For many years we just rented a scissor lift trailer each spring and fall. no trailer upkeep don't need to store it. and easy on the boat. just have blocks with a halfround cutout and set the hulls in them. its much cheaper than damaging the floats and having to get them fixed. In minnesota where I used to live every other house has a pontoon. this year it was $25.00 to rent a trailer. almost any boat dealer has a pontoon trailer. a lot of resorts have a pontoon trailer to move thier fleet of boats around.

Blank-N-Ship · Oct 26, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

It's not worth the damage to your pontoons to attempt to drag them onto shore and back again (not to mention the stress on the eyelets). The $25-$45 that it costs to move it is money well spent.

jeeperman · Oct 26, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Use the plywood on the ground to skid it out. Using rollers might cause damage to the bottom of the toons as they are concentrated pressure points.
Use a long nylon tow strap or two that can reach all the way to the stern.
You can position the strap on the stern so that it is actually pushing the toon instead of pulling on anything.
Get youself two rolls of vinyl/siding roof flashing from Lowes or HD. Cut it to a couple of feet longer than your toons.
Use the vinyl stuff as a slippery surface between the toons and the plywood.
The vinyl will make it much easier to push the toon back in next spring.

Failproof · Oct 26, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

Roll it on a few of those burst proof docking bumpers. They wont damage the toons with pressure points.

acertap · Nov 2, 2011

Re: Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

For about 5 yrs I pulled mine onto a sandy beach with sch40 pvc pipe and a 12v portable winch. For the last couple of years I have arranged with the local shop to meet me at the ramp, I float onto his trailer, he secures the boat and drives me home, sets the boat down on cement blocks next to my shed where all my tools, cleaning supplies and electricity are.

Moving an 18 foot pontoon boat to shore for the winter

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