Re: Pulling with a pontoon
We used to have a harness that is attached to both toons. This distributes the weight between the pontoons and makes it easier to handle. Never had a problem that way.
Finally we got a tow bar to mount on the deck, lifting the town rope above the engine. This keeps the rope from slapping the water as much and makes for a more enjoyable tube ride.
I would recommend the latter, but if you cannot afford that, or are not ready to do that, then you can get away with the former. That said, I am not an engineer, so I did not research the stress loads being placed on the pontoons and their mounting brackets, so anything I say is just based on past history and not on scientific formula.