pontoon storage

[ballpienhammer]

past winters had local marina pull out and store outdoors. Very pricey. This year am leaving dockside waiting for lake drawdown. Do I need a cradle of somekind or will a couple 4x4's under the pontoons at either end work OK? Small lake, little wind, rocky bottom, docked from shore,22' boat, power lift 40hp Mariner.Thanks bph

 

[hollowoods]

Re: pontoon storage

I don't know what climate your boat is in, but one potential problem is the foot. You would have to tilt the foot most of the way up to set the boat settle to the 4x4 bed. An up tilted foot will hold water. Temps below freezing will then crack the lower unit housing.<br />You might consider biting the bullet on storage one more time and build some sort of cradle for next year. Preferably one that lifts, so that the boat spends no time fidgeting before coming to rest. Another suggestion would be some sort of slightly elevated ramps at the bank, to winch or drive onto. I currently borrow a trailer and bring my toon to the yard. It is easier than I thought it would be to tie the transom to a tree and drive off, leaving properly sized Styrofoam blocks under the logs.

 

[ballpienhammer]

Re: pontoon storage

hollowoods, thanks for the come-back. I am on the Mason-Dixon line PA/MD. My trihull does well on its trailer with the lower unit @45 degrees tilt and well wrapped in plastic. I will do the same for the 'toon. Not unusual for the lake drop to occur quickly altho forecast is for rain next 3 days. If I block up the front pontoons on 4x4s only the stern will swing. I am close enough to the dock to check daily. I read you on the info, tho. bph

 

[sloopy]

Re: pontoon storage

I would not do it... The key word is ROCKY bottom.... What lake do you keep it on?

 

[GodsBeast]

Re: pontoon storage

Ballpienhammer, forgive me, I just have to ask.<br /><br /> Hollowoods, how do you get the boat back onto the trailer after pulling it off onto the Styrofoam?

 

[DJ]

Re: pontoon storage

ballpienhammer,<br /><br />We too keep our family toom on blocks, just as the water is going down. We are also in the mid south-(mid Alabama).<br /><br />We can just about get the engine to stay vertical, but not quite. We also wrap the L/U in plastic, after the water is down. So far, so good, it's been several years this way.

 

[hollowoods]

Re: pontoon storage

GodsBeast, <br />Re-trailering is just about as easy as getting it off. Back up straight in front of boat. Hook winch to bow, leave vehicle in neutral and wind it under to the front blocks. Ball clasp and safety chains must be good and sound. Might need to go adjust vehicle steering a couple of times. I’ve done this several times by myself with no problem. Ground should be fairly level. Styrofoam cubes need to be just tall enough to slip under logs with no problem when boat is trailered and have a large enough foot print to be stable. Just went out and took some measurements. Mine are 24”Lx16”Wx24”H. I think placement is also important; aft cubes are a foot off the stern, fore cubes are nine and a half feet aft of bow. (24’ boat) When sliding it off, I begin by tying to the tree, positioning the rear cubes under the rear of the logs as far forward as they will go. Then I pull the truck up 3-4’, (winch must be unhooked, or you will need a four wheel drive truck) then snug the blocks up to the back of the trailer. Pull forward another 6’, slide the front cubes under, as close to the trailer as possible, pull up another couple, slide the cubes to trailer. Once the front cubes are within 9-10’ of the bow, gently drive on out. Individuals with no common sense should not attempt this procedure. Ask at least 3 people who know you fairly well whether you have common sense. I will not be held responsible for any property damage, death or dismemberment.

 

[hollowoods]

Re: pontoon storage

I'm thinking that if the lower unit is not verticle when the water leaves, some ammount of water will remain in there.

 

[hollowoods]

Re: pontoon storage

GodsBeast and all the rest of you guys, I would like to apologize for the arrogance displayed in the previous post, I read back over it and can easily see how everyone reading it would be offended. I was trying to be funny and went way over the line when I implied that any of you would not have common sense. After thinking about the process I was trying to describe, it occurred to me that something bad could happen. I was trying to drive home the need to be careful. I’ve been reading your posts for several months and gotten valuable insight into a wide variety of boating issues. Please let me know what I need to do to set this right.<br />Sincerely,<br />Robert

 

[ballpienhammer]

Re: pontoon storage

BTW the lake is down enough that the stern is on the beach. Worked out nicely thanks to little wind and I kept the dock lines snugged. Also, at full stage the bottom is only about 3ft under the pontoon. Slope about 20 degrees. Lake is down about 3ft. We do this so we can work on docks and bulkheads during the winter. Y'all have a great Thanksgiving!