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Average Pontoon Boat Speeds (With 15 Examples)

By: BetterBoat.com

When buying a pontoon boat, one of the major considerations is your top speed. Since pontoon boats are generally not built for speed, skiing and tubing behind one can be difficult unless you take care to select an engine, weight, and pontoon style that will be conducive to speeds required for skiing and tubing.

How Fast Do Pontoon Boats Go?

• G3 Suncatcher 22′ V22RF with a 115hp engine and medium load can go about 25 mph (39 kilometers)
  • 22mph (38 kilometers) with a 90hp engine and medium load
  • With 11 people in the boat (max capacity) and a 115hp engine, it gets about 22 mph (35 kilometers)
  • Under perfect, ideal conditions and only one person in the boat, it can hit 31 mph (48 kmph)
• 21′ with lifting strakes and a 90hp engine and perfect conditions gets 36 mph (58 kilometers)
• 18′ Bass Buggy with 60hp engine can go up to 18mph (29 kilometers)
• Suntracker 22′ with a 70hp engine can get 21 mph with a light load (34 kilometers)
• Gigantic 30′ Pontoon with a 115hp will only get around 15mph (24 kilometers)
• 24′ Pontoon boat with a 115hp and a medium load got around 25mph (38 kilometers)
• 18′ Party Barge with a 75hp engine can get around  24mph (38 kilometers)
• 20′ Bass Buggy with a 60hp motor only gets around 13-17 mph (18 to 27 kilometers)
• 20′ Starcraft with a 75hp engine and with no load can get 23 mph (36 kilometers)
• 26′ Crest III with a 90hp engine and medium load can get around 28mph (45 kilometers)
• 24′ 2006 Sweetwater with a 90hp engine can go around 18mph, or 20.5mph with a 115hp engine
• 26′ Tritoon with a 175hp engine and a medium/heavy load can get up to 35mph (56 kilometers)
• 21′ Tritoon with a 90hp engine and only two people on board can get up to 27mph (43 kilometers)

How Fast Do You Really Need to Go?

Your initial response is probably “the faster, the better” but in reality you likely don’t need to go as fast as you think.  While speeds certainly vary according to the tastes and abilities of your riders, consider the following as good average speeds for various water sport activities.

• Waterskiing with two skis – 15 to 26mph is pretty normal (28 to 42 kilometers)
• Tubing with very young kids – My kids really don’t want to go faster than 5 to 10 mph (16kph).  They are 4 and 6 years old.  Most of the time, they feel like idling is a wild ride, but will sometimes get brave enough to hit 11mph.
• Tubing with kids 8 – 10 years old – Depends dramatically on the kid, but most wouldn’t want to go faster than 15 or 20 mph (24 to 32 kilometers).
• Tubing with older teens and adults – Above 25 mph (40 kilometers) is dangerous unless you’re just going in a straight line.  At 20 (34 kilometers), you can get really nice air and have the ride of your life but even this speed can be dangerous with more than one rider.  21 mph is a pretty adventurous ride and will easily knock off riders if you make tight turns.
• Wakeboarding – 13mph to 18mph (30 kilometers) is a pretty average ride. Wakeboarding requires less speed than many other water sports, and going too fast increases the danger dramatically.  The large, solid board strapped to both legs makes this water sport more dangerous at high speeds than some others.
• Slalom skiing – 14mph (22.5 kilometers) is a little slow and 36mph is HAULING (and extremely dangerous)!  A good average speed is somewhere around 22mph (35 kilometers).
• Kneeboarding – Somewhere around 13 to 20 mph (22 to 32 kilometers)
• Barefoot – This blog gives a formula that is helpful for those in the U.S.  Take your weight in pounds and divide by 10.  Then add 20.  So if you’re 200 pounds, you go to 20mph, then add 20, which means 40mph.

If you are new to boating, that is probably a little eye-opening.  Before, you thought you needed as much speed as possible, but as you can see from this breakdown, the optimal speed for most watersports is only 22 mph (36 kilometers).  Just about ANY pontoon boat with a 90hp motor can do that as long as it isn’t loaded down with people.  With a 115, you should be hitting the optimal speed even if your boat is pretty well loaded down with people. For most pontoon boat captains, the real goal is to hit the golden 22 mph (36 kph) mark.  At that point, your fishing/cruising rig becomes a nice watersports rig as well.

How Weight (Load) Affects Speed

Prepare yourself for a horrible generalization.  This depends dramatically on the specific boat and the setup, but just as a guestimation aid, for every thousand pounds you add to your boat, you’ll lose about 15% of your speed.  So a 22′ boat with no load may get up to 29mph, but will likely slow down to 24.5mph with 1,000 pounds of people in the boat (5 or 6 adults).

How the bimini Affects Speed

• One pontoon boat captain reported that folding down the bimini took  his speed from 32mph all the way up to 36mph (51kilometers to 58 kilometers).  In my experience, it’s usually much less of a difference than that unless it is an incredibly windy day.  I usually only see a 1 mph difference with top up vs down.

How the Prop Affects Speed

• When you first get your boat, it will likely come with a “safe” prop that is meant to make the motor operate under nice and easy conditions.  Almost everyone will switch out that prop and go with something a little smaller (usually) to get the speed up and push up the RPMs to around 5000 or 6000 depending on your recommended range for your particular motor.

How Dirty Pontoons Affect Speed

• It is not surprising to see a pontoon boat slow down 2 to 6mph if you have algae, barnacles, or other crud on your pontoons.  For those pontoon boat captains who don’t trailer but leave their boat in the water most of the season, this is an important consideration.

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Pontoon Tiny House: Considerations Before Building

By: BetterBoats

Intrigued by owning or building a pontoon tiny house?

They could be your answer to low-cost houseboat living. Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? Especially when you can’t afford bigger liveaboard boats, don’t like the idea of marina living or want something more customized than cheaper boat living options.

With the tiny house trend on the upswing, growing interest is spreading across the world. (Check out this pontoon tiny home video.) While they seem practical and break the cuteness scale, there’s a lot to consider before investing in one. So let’s weigh your options.

What’s a Pontoon Tiny House?

Pontoon tiny houses are custom homes designed to fit onto a pontoon base (tubes). You can enjoy all the comforts of home on the water, without the huge cost (and labor) of owning an enormous houseboat.

You can buy one pre-built or have one custom designed, which all depends on your budget, desired size and how you plan to use it.

Investing in a Pontoon Tiny House

You love this idea, and I’m right there with you! But, like me, you still have questions: Is it safe? Are there special rules and regulations involved?

And then there’s the biggest question of all: How much will it cost?

This guide can help you with all that. You can read on to find information on state law and permit guidelines, types of tiny houses to consider, costs, transportation, and more.

If you’re as intrigued as I am (mine’s already built in my head!), read this guide to get answers and maybe even get started.

Types of Pontoon Tiny Houses

How do you plan to use your pontoon tiny house? Will it be solely for recreational and entertaining purposes, or do you plan to use it for extended fishing trips? Or both? Either way, there are a few considerations to think about.

Pontoon Tiny Houses for Leisure

If you plan to use it for leisure and fun, consider these optional accessories and features:

• An ample deck for lounge chairs, tables, umbrellas, and accessories (think coolers and grills)

• Extra storage (for those fun accessories above!)

• A portable/hidden clothesline for drying clothes and towels

• Or you can go big and install a stacked washer and dryer, like this Kenmore 1.6 unit(check price on Amazon)

• Ample windows for lots of light

Pontoon Tiny Houses for Fishing

If you plan to use your pontoon tiny house for fishing, there are various pontoon fishing accessories. Some of which may take pre-planning and/or installation during the building process. Consider these accessories and features for a tiny house built for fishing:

• Large deck for fishing chairs, accessories and equipment

• Ask your builder/dealer about installing a trolling motor, like this Newport Vessels brand (check price on Amazon)

• Install a live baitwell or cleaning station, like this Keepalive Tank with aerator(check price on Amazon)

• Specially-installed railing for fishing rod holders

• Downrigger for trolling, like this Cannon Manual Downrigger (check price on Amazon) that comes in six types and sizes

For a better idea, look at these series of custom pontoon tiny homes by, Le Koroc, which come in two designs: Fishing Series and Holiday Series.

Additional Pontoon Tiny House Features and Ideas

Interested in a kit? Check out these clever pontoon tiny house kits and ideas.

Solar power is another option to consider: Check out this solar-powered pontoon tiny houseboat. It’s awesome!

All these options are features you might wanna think about, depending on your needs and plans. But you absolutely need to plan ahead to avoid later regrets.

Building and Customizing Pontoon Tiny Houses

Once you decide how you intend to use your pontoon tiny house and have chosen some of the features mentioned above, you’ll next need to consider these basic underlying features.

Will you float in freshwater or saltwater? Will the house be used year-round or only in summers? These are important considerations before building or buying.

Saltwater vs. Freshwater Materials

Water types are an important consideration.

Plan to sail your pontoon tiny house in oceans? Make sure it’s saltwater worthy. This includes all hardware, electrical connections, plumbing, and even motors, which can all be affected by saltwater brine. Since saltwater causes erosion, you need to ensure your pontoon tiny house is saltwater worthy throughout. To do so, here are a few must-haves:

Use maritime paint and maybe corrugated steel roofing (check price on Amazon) to withstand the elements.

You can even install solar panels for the roof (if there’s room in your budget). Yes, these cost more up front, but save you money in the long-run. Not to mention, it’s these small investments that help protect your bigger investment.

Discuss this with your builder or dealer. Before making the final payment, or signing any final documents, consider having your new tiny house inspected to be certain it’s saltwater worthy. This is crucial if you’re sailing year-round. Your boathouse baby will be exposed to the elements for longer periods, so plan ahead for this to avoid later problems.

How to Choose the Right Pontoon Base

Your pontoon base and tubes will be determined by your pontoon tiny house’s weight and length.

It will also be determined by your budget. Can you afford new tubes or used tubes?

Consider a used pontoon tubes age and condition. Older tubes need to be thoroughly inspected for holes, dents and drainage problems. Generally, also, how it currently floats.

If it fails the test in any of these areas, it’s a major safety issue. This is when you should consider buying new bases for better safety and security. (Not to mention the investment in the house you might’ve already built!)

How Many Tubes?

Two tube or three tube pontoon?

Ask your builder or dealer to determine this. An assessment of your needs, along with the house size and weight, can help the builder/dealer make this call.

And here’s a pre-fab float system to consider: Look at this Pontoonz Modular Float System, created in New Zealand. This is an innovative option you may wanna think about. (For cost, you’ll need to contact the dealer.)

Attaching Your Tiny House to Pontoon Tubes

One overlooked cost is the cost of setting your new pontoon tiny house onto its new base.

Locate someone local who can do it and is willing to do it. But make sure to:

1) Get a quote

2) Ask for proof of insurance

Avoid working with someone who isn’t familiar with this procedure. And especially avoid someone without proper insurance to cover your boat, just in case.

Find a reputable company or individual. It’s worth the hassle to be worry-free and you’ll sleep better, too!

Legal Questions and Guidelines

State Laws and Permits

Just like regular boating, houseboat laws and permits vary from state-to-state. Even in each country.

Certain bodies of water, such as lakes and reservoirs, frown upon houseboat living, regardless of it being a pontoon tiny house. Although smaller than some yacht-like houseboats, they’re still considered houses in the eyes of the law. So restrictions vary.

Before building or buying, check with governing state authorities to verify precisely what’s allowed and what permits are needed. If you can’t have your tiny pontoon houseboat in the closest, most-convenient waters, it may not be worth pursuing.

To check your local laws, here are two places to start:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — information on regulatory permits, and more, for each state.

• United States Coast Guard (USCG) — helpful information for each state.

Check these sites for your state information, then check with the governing offices to ask any additional questions.

Insurance Costs

Houseboat insurance, big and small, varies from state to state. (Not to mention from agency to agency.) But, you’re required to buy it.

Your costs will be determined by many factors, like size and investment.

If you’re unsure who to contact for insurance quotes, check with the United Marine Underwriters for advice.

Additional Building Costs

If you’re handy with DIY projects, build a pontoon tiny house yourself. It may help protect your wallet.

But whether you plan to hire a builder, buy a custom-designed tiny home or use a kit, there are additional costs to consider.

When planning a budget, you need to determine costs for many areas, not just basics.

As with any newly-built house, you’ll have these initial building costs: Foundation, walls, flooring, roof, heating and air. (These costs can vary greatly depending on what you choose.)

Then you’ll need to purchase appliances, such as sinks, a shower and a toilet.

And then there’s decorating: Paint, cabinets, hardware and mirrors.

You’ll need special furniture: Hidden bed/storage beds, chairs with storage and folding tables.

Then there are annual costs: Yearly maintenance, as well as fees, permits and storage costs.

Oh, and then there’s this…

Transporting Your Tiny House

You new tiny boathouse will need to be transported, whether it’s on the base yet or not. You’ll have to transport it to the base to be attached, and you’ll have to transport it to its final destination. (Geez… so much to think about!)

So, like I said before, locate a reputable company who can transport it for you, including a transportation quote and proof of insurance.

Then, you’ll need to transport it to either a storage facility, dock or it’s base to be attached.

And it’s best to keep that transport company in your contact list to transport your pontoon tiny house to a service provider for maintenance or repairs. (Hopefully not, but it’s best to plan.)

Transportation costs and fees can all add up, so get quotes first to include in your budget.

Inspecting Your Pontoon Tiny House

Just chock it up. You may not want to pay those few final inspection costs, but it could protect your investment. And even protect lives.

First Inspection

When having a tiny house built, you’ll need it inspected for proper building codes, laws and permits—just like a regular house. Don’t forget about saltwater compliance inspections, as I mentioned earlier. If you’re not doing the building yourself (or hiring it out), ask your dealer about the final inspections. Are they included? Who’s responsible for handling it?

Check the fine print in your contract. Once your tiny house leaves the dealer, you may have no recourse if proper codes haven’t been met.

Second Inspection

Before transporting your tiny house, have it inspected to make sure it’s properly attached to the bases/tubes. If it isn’t, it can become damaged during transit. And you sure don’t want any problems on the water.

Inspecting Each Phase

A smart option is to pay licensed inspectors for each building phase up until the point of base attachment. Safety is never worth saving just a few pennies.

Storing Your Pontoon Tiny House

You might need tiny house storage, either temporarily or in the winter. So start your search to locate a storage facility who can (and will) safely store it.

Most likely, they’ll need the weight and size before providing a quote. Once you get a quote, ask for proof of insurance. (Yep. I’m a broken record, but you can’t forget!)

If you can’t locate a viable storage facility close by, you’ll need to consider transportation costs to a neighboring city for storage.

This is a big deal, because safe, secure storage can protect your investment and give you peace of mind.

Pontoon Tiny House Ownership

This is an awful lot to consider before building, or buying, a pontoon tiny house. But when you consider that it’s truly a house (even though it floats), there are many costs and considerations to think about.

Who knows? Thorough planning, research and a simple financial plan can guide you on your way to tiny houseboat living on your pontoon.

Won’t that all be worth it?

For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.

Best Halloween Ever | Pontoon-Depot

By: HouseBoatMagazine

Just as some northern houseboat owners are packing it in for the season, the folks at Tradewinds Marina, on Lake Thurmond, are gearing up for fall and winter. Lake Thurmond is a deep, beautiful, 111-square-mile-lake, located on the border of Georgia and South Carolina, near Augusta. With 1,200 miles of shoreline, surrounded by the Sumter National Forest and limited to 5 percent development, it is a magnet for bass fishermen and pleasure boaters.

Granted, it is hot in the Georgia summer, but its moderate weather the rest of the time, makes this lake a year-round playground for diehard boat owners. Tradewinds Marina is home to an interesting mix of houseboat owners who definitely consider themselves family, and tend to spend all their weekends and especially holidays, together.

Party Central

When you want to find a poker game on Saturday night, there is no doubt you'll find a game (or two). Cigar smokers just need walk over to "D" dock, where the discussions are infused with the distinct smell of tobacco. Camaraderie abounds and thoughts of home or work seem to disappear. Holidays mean special times at Tradewinds Marina. Memorial Day and Labor Day are celebrated with beach-themed parties, as dozens of boats spend the weekend on one of the sandy shores around the lake. Sunning, swimming, barbecues, bonfires and movies under the stars bring everyone out.

The Best Of All

New Year's Eve is a raucous and fabulous evening, but most people can't quite remember it the next day. As you can tell, holiday celebrations and parties are legendary at this marina, but none is more anticipated than Halloween, when being outrageous is an accepted practice, and creativity is applauded!

Plans for the 2011 Halloween Goblin Gala began in early September, when Mike Parlier suggested that the marina invite Houseboat magazine to its annual celebration of all things horrifying. 

Game Plan

At that point, plans jumped into high gear. Although there was no formal "committee," a small group took charge of making this event memorable. 

Each year, this party seems to get bigger, so the group decided to expand its party location. The plan was to have a "progressive" fright night that would kick off on "D" dock with spooky drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Then move to "C" dock for spookier drinks and Richard and Carla Smith's chili and fixins' dinner. Then cap off the evening on Sunset Dock for dessert, coffee bar, and actual Witches Brew. 

One person from each dock took charge of their respective docks for the evening; Melanie Villamein for the first course "D" dock, Mike Parlier for the "C" dinner dock, and Meredith Ray took on the desserts to be served on Sunset Dock. Each of them was responsible for getting the word out to boat owners in their respective area, coordinate the various menus and music and to encourage boat owners to creatively decorate for the evening.

This group also organized a post Halloween brunch, which would be held at a cabin at the marina. One thing you can be sure of, you will never go hungry with this group.

A Spooky Place

Houseboat decorating began in earnest on the Thursday before the Saturday night party. It is amazing what is stored in boat holds! Out came colored lights, spider webs, skeletons, ghouls, assorted nooses and tombstones.

The docks and the ramps became creepy labyrinths. The houseboats completely transformed into haunted houses, complete with resident ghosts and goblins; eerily lit and emanating sounds of horror and fear. Ghosts flew in the wind, shrieking skeletons dropped to greet you as you boarded the boats, carved pumpkins flickered in the darkness, and each boat offered bowls of scary treats. Everyone seems to add to their collection of decorations, and the atmosphere gets more bizarre according to the regulars.

As the sun went down, the dock party began to get going in full swing. The costumes were amazing, and even in face paint, mummy gauze, witches hats and pirates leggings, everyone managed to be an adorable (if not scary), bunch.

The annual costume contest was won by Steve and Desiree Wolf, unrecognizable in their witch and goblin face makeup. They took home the coveted "Headless Pumpkin" trophy. There was an entire cast of Gilligan's Island, and Amy and Hannah Masiongale were pirates that would have put a spell on Jack Sparrow himself!

Mike and Angela Parlier made a gruesome twosome, and the real coffin, complete with body, on Tommy King's front deck, was a fright to behold. Costumes ranged from NASCAR to Neverland, cowboys to aliens, flower children to Flintstones and an absent Jim Masiongale head on a stick. Decorated tables held all the food and drinks of all types flowed endlessly.

Party participants traveled between docks by foot, or by decorated pontoon boats, which doubled as pirate ship water taxis. Dance music played atop many of the boats, with country songs mixing with Carolina beach "shag" tunes bringing out the dancers. Almost 250 revelers celebrated the spirit of the haunting season through the night and well into the morning.

Don't Forget Food

Seemingly, none the worse for wear, the houseboaters met for the customary holiday brunch the next morning. Again, everyone attending brought a favorite dish. Southern breakfasts tend to be very eclectic, with everything from fried chicken to anything containing bacon. Between the biscuits and gravy, the eggs and the grits and hash brown casseroles, the world seemed to fly by in a carbohydrate laden haze.

Everyone was decked out in their new "I Love Houseboating" t-shirts, which we brought along. The pace had definitely slowed from the night before. The topic at brunch: how could they possibly top this party next year? With this bunch, there is no doubt; they will find a way!

For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.

Bargain Pontoon Boat Wraps Not Always A Bargain

Does taking shortcuts for winter storage pay off?

By: Dan Armitage

As many of my fellow pontoon boat club members readied their craft for the off-season, I grew intrigued by the DIY, alternative and after-market solutions some came up with for protecting their boats and related gear. Some of these non-traditional apps are put into use by my resourceful fellow boaters during the boating season as well, and are of value for those lucky pontoon boaters south of the Mason-Dixon Line who don’t know the meaning of “off” season and may enjoy their craft year-round.

For example, you will find covers intended for back yard use on chaise lounges and Adirondack chairs protecting the furniture of some members’ boats. The patio furniture covers are less expensive than semi-custom covers designed for the job, wear well under typical conditions, and the fact that the generic one-size-fits-all covers don’t fit all that tight allows air to circulate and the upholstery to breathe a bit, which can help prevent mildew in the damp environs the boats are subject to. And when conditions aren’t typical, and a loose-fitting captain’s (aka: Adirondack) chair cover goes gone with the wind, it’s less expensive to replace.

If you’ve run across any non-traditional uses for items aboard a pontoon —or any other watercraft – we’d like to see ‘em. Meanwhile, here are a few I stumbled across during a recent late-season walk around the local pontoon boat club – and one photo I snapped last winter that reminded me that going with cost cutting alternatives may not be the bargain you, well, bargained on…