Pontoon Logs Leaking

[BStrange]

I have read a lot about pontoon boat logs leaking and the issues in finding and repairing. As an owner of a 30' pontoon boat I have pondered the following question and was wondering about what others thoughts are on the subject. Why can' t logs be divided into non contiguous sections with a small gap between each log. So for instance, in my case, I would have a two ten foot logs, one seven foot log and three foot nose cone. It seems like with a small gap between logs, leaks would easier to isolate and in the worst case you could remove and replace log fairly inexpensive

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

that method of construction would have multiple issues:

• it would cost a whole lot more to roll each section, weld up the end caps, so the manufacturing costs of the logs would triple, so it would push the cost of finished goods a whole lot more than other manufacturers
• hydrodynamically, it would add a whole lot of drag, so the performance would significantly suffer compared to a single tube log
• assuming you can get the gaps absolutely perfect to prevent the hydrodynamic performance issue, you now have two aluminum skins right next to each other, so crevice corrosion would eat them up
• with higher cost and worse performance, the company is now out of business.

in the end, you would have a pontoon boat that doesnt last as long, costs more and has performance problems and is no longer supported because the company went out of business.

best thing is yearly inspect the logs, repair as required (usually simply weld up the cracks and go boating)

 

[H20Rat]

Used to have an old Kennedy pontoon that was constructed somewhat like that. The logs weren't round tubes, they were welded flat pieces of aluminum, and there were 4 individual sections, separated by a common bulkhead.

It actually saved the pontoon for us one time. The pontoon was pushed into some rocks during a storm, and we were able to drive it over to the ramp to load and barely noticed the gaping hole in 1 section. (not my pontoon in the pic but nearly identical, imagine a hole about a foot across in the compartment right above the wheel in this pic)