How should a pontoon sit in the water?

Joined
Jun 29, 2007
Messages
16
My pontoon is 20' long (tubes) with a 25 HP long shaft mercury from 1990, and it sits stearn down the tubes are 60" the deck is 8 x 16 and I have no furniture
6 gal gas on stearn and deep cycle battery
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,296
all pontoons sit ass-heavy

never seen 60" diameter tubes
 

HotTommy

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Messages
1,025
1. It sounds like you have about 200 pounds of stuff at the very back plus your weight wherever you sit. Try walking to the very front of the boat and look over the side to see how it sits. My guess is it will level out a lot and tell you to consider redistributing the weight.
2. Just moving the battery from the back to the front will remove about 45 pounds from the back and add it to the front, a net shift of 90 pounds. This points out that moving anything forward even a little bit can have an effect.
3. Once you are underway you can use engine trim to bring the boat to a more level position.
4. Many pontoon boats have a visible water line mark on the logs. Look at others and compare it to yours if that matters to you.
 

ahicks

Captain
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
3,957
60" tubes is a typo/misprint. Your deck would have to be 10' wide just to cover them.

I don't like to see the water line much above about the half way point on the tube sides in the rear. If it's sitting to deep, you've got too much "stuff" in back when considering the diameter and length of your tubes.
 
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