Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

brentwalker

Cadet
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
8
Just wanted to introduce myself to the iboats pontoon community. My name is Brent and I recently was given ($0) a 20' pontoon boat from a friend of a friend whose husband had passed away. She let me borrow the boat about 5 years prior and we enjoyed taking it out, which is why I think she wanted us to have the boat. Pictures are attached but blurred pictures due to my kids being 14/13 yrs old. During the time she was caring for her husband the boat was stored outside without a cover and that took its toll. You can see from the pics that it was not in the best shape when we took it out but now the boat needs a complete rebuild, seats all eat up by the sun, carpet in really bad shape, toons are decent with a couple of dents in the rear where someone backed their boat or camper into it while it was stored in an outside storage facility. The Mercury 65hp motor runs but I think the shear pin is broken as the prop doesn't turn when put into gear.

Oh, also I will be replacing the 65hp Mercury with a 90hp Mercury from my dad's old boat which needs a complete transom overhaul which he has chosen not to do on his 1970's 17' bass boat. So its a good deal for me if I can figure out how to hook it all up.

Anyways, I hope to get lots of advice from the collective wisdom here in the community and hope to have the pontoon in the water by May/June. My biggest concern areas are around the steering and cabling as well as the control box and cabling (and associated costs).
 

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sutor623

Rear Admiral
Joined
May 23, 2011
Messages
4,087
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Welcome!! Does that 65hp Merc have a power tilt and trim, I am looking for one.....
 

brentwalker

Cadet
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
8
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Welcome!! Does that 65hp Merc have a power tilt and trim, I am looking for one.....

Yes, I had to work on it when we took it out originally as it had alot of rust in it. Doubt you want it. I'm not sure if I'm gonna need it with the new motor or have to get a new one.
 

Jeep Man

Commander
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
2,803
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Welcome aboard Brent. Lots of help here with "how to's". Ensure the "new" motor has a 20" shaft. Likely the 65 is a 20". Standard 15" isn't going to cut it.
 

The Rooster

Ensign
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
936
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Welcome to the forum, Brent. Whatever can't be answered here, I'm sure can be handled in the restoration / motor sections of the forum. Love the picture of the family dog taking a nap w/ the kids. Good luck !!!
 

junkman41

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Messages
350
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

looks like you got one heck of a deal, and the dog seems to like it also, good luck
 

lncoop

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
5,147
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Nothing like taking the fam (including the four legged member(s)) out for fun on the toon. When you start making plans for the nonmechanized work (furniture, deck, carpet, etc.) pontoonstuff.com is a really good source. Good luck with the project. Keep us posted.
 

brentwalker

Cadet
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
8
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Just a quick correction and additional information.

The pontoon boat I have actually has a 60hp Mercury not 65hp.

A bit more about the 90hp I'm going to put on it and part of the reason I'm going for this rebuild. My dad passed away in 2009. He had been working for about a year on restoring his 1984 Trophy Fish 17' bass boat. It was a very cool boat in 84 but really too small, but he liked it. After getting it to a point where he could take it for a "splash" as you all say here, he passed away on the way back home. He spend his last day with two other friends, putt putting around the lake enjoying the sunshine and catching a few fish.

After his death, my brother took the boat and was going to complete the restore. He found out that the transom on the boat was holding on by a thread and my Dad was lucky the boat didn't just fall off into the water when he used it. To repair it was too costly, so I told him that I would replace my 60 with his 90.

One of the reasons I started on this journey to restore the pontoon boat is cause that is the boat he really wanted, and I can keep his 90hp motor and still in some way have him with me on the water.

My son and I started the project last year by stripping the boat down to the deck and have left it that way for almost a year (about 9months now). But reading the notes here and experiences of others, I'm not so overwhelmed. I will post pictures of my project in another thread (is that what I'm supposed to do or post them here?) so that you all can go along for the ride, plus answer the thousands of questions I'm sure I'm going to have. This is my first boat that I will have owned so it will all be new to me. All other times I've been on the water was on someone elses boat.
 

The Rooster

Ensign
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
936
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Best of luck Brent. Look forward to following the restoration.
 

brentwalker

Cadet
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
8
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

So under which category/forum heading should I post the pontoon restoration? Should it be here in the pontoon section or over in the Boats/Hull restoration section? I want it to be helpful to other pontoon users and wish to put it in the most accessible place. Carpet is being ordered and will be here soon and want to start sharing my progress.

Or should I just continue it here in this thread? Don't want to be a forum abuser and want to play nice within the rules of the moderators. :)
 

lncoop

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
5,147
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Brent, under the circumstances I'd say either section will be fine. There's a mind boggling array of really cool projects and info over there, but not that much of it is toon related. I think I'd probably keep it here, but start another thread wherever you end up. By the way, if you haven't already search this section for other projects. You'll find some good ones. Also, take a look at this thread. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=537863 I expect to see you there, hopefully with your barge if it's in any way splashable, but there regardless.
 

brentwalker

Cadet
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
8
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Thanks Incoop! I'll start a new thread on the rebuild. I'll repost the original pictures and then start with new pics.

I would love to meet you in Ark but my boat is not splashable but I hope to have it there by June. To get to
Ouachita, thats about a 9 hour drive for me but one that I might possibly take but probably not this year. Sounds found though to meet up with everyone.
 

lncoop

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
5,147
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

It's still in the embryonic stages and likely won't go down until after June; June at the earliest. You ain't getting off that easy! Rooster's coming all the way from Ponchatoula!:eek: Not to worry though. I'm sure this will be the first of many. Those Florida guys are training me.
 

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
Re: Introduction to myself and pontoon project.

Unless you just want it in the dry dock section keep it over here in the toon section, it will get lost over there is a few days in the dry dock section, and us tooners are a lot easer going bunch and and you will get more help and responces here.
 
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