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Make a DIY Pontoon Boat in 1 Day for $250 Bucks!

My homemade pontoon boat! This was the first boat ever made but definitely not the last. I prefer to call this my pontoon boat but many have referred to it as a raft. This boat was quick and easy to build and I was able to float it in one day!

Material were simple:
2 - 12" diameter PVC pipes - 10 foot long
4 - pipe caps
6 - 1/8" x 2" metal strapping
1 - 1/2" pressure treated plywood sheet
6 - 8' long pressure treated 2x4's
and assorted stainless steel fasteners

I don't remember exactly how much this boat cost me, but i think it was less than $200 excluding the engine, which I picked up at a flea market for $50. I just had to rebuild the carburetor...that was a project. All in all this little boat was ALOT of fun...for very little cost. If you build one please remember to be safe!

How to Unload and Load Your Pontoon Boat on the Boat Trailer

Owning a Pontoon boat is something the entire family can enjoy. However no boat owner was excluded from the intimidation of unloading and loading their 1st boat on the trailer. Pontoons especially can be more challenging as they sit higher off the water and have a tendency to catch the wind. This video provides a very simple checklist and suggestions from many years of lessons learned.

Video Timeline
Initial pre-unloading steps - 0:05 - 0:42
Backing the trailer into the water - 0:43 - 0:58
Making sure the engine starts & runs - 0:59 - 1:11
Unloading from the trailer - 1:12 - 1:46
Approaching the dock - 1:47 - 1:59
Getting underway - 2:00 - 2:14
Returning to the dock - 2:15 - 2:45
Loading the boat on the trailer - 2:46 - 6:02
Securing the boat for the road - 6:05 - 6:31

Top 3 Must Have Accessories To Protect Your Pontoon Boat

Dock damage is most common damage that pontoon boats experience while on the water. People tend to move around here the most - getting on and off the boat and settling cargo. Additionally sometimes the waves can be hectic and rock the boat up against the dock or other boats. Lastly it is very common for pontoon boats to have their decks dented at the corners when you are docking if you are unable to get the angle right when driving the boat in.

But don’t stress, some simple and easy preventative measures to avoid damage to your pontoon boat is to purchase rubber bumpers for the corners of your pontoon boat deck. You may also want to invest in fence savers for your railings, these are specifically for protection when rafting with other boats or when you are in a crowded dock situation. And lastly a bumper that protects the space between your pontoons and deck. Three great accessories that will extend the life of your boat and keep it looking sharp.

With that said, here’s our top 3 pontoon boat accessories to keep your boat ding free and you can find all of these bumpers right here at Pontoon-Depot.com. We got you covered.

1. TAYLOR PONTOON FENCE SAVER The fence saver secures to the fence or railing and is designed to prevent contact to the delicate aluminum fencing. The fence saver is especially effective preventing those nasty dings that occur when rafting a pontoon boat to a conventional hull boat.

2. TAYLOR PONTOON 90º CORNER FENDER SAVER Specifically for square shaped corners. The corner bumper mounts over the original factory installed aluminum corner section to provide air-cushion impact protection when docking. Made from special gray PVC formulated to match the aluminum color of the boat and secures with stainless fasteners.

TAYLOR PONTOON RADIUS CORNER FENDER SAVER Specifically for Pontoon Boats with rounded-shape corners. The Taylor Radius Corner Fender Saver is built the same as the 90º Corner Fender Saver the only difference being the shape.

3. TAYLOR PONTOON FENDER These unique fenders offer a level of protection to areas on the Pontoon boat other fenders can't provide. The Pontoon Fender is specifically designed to fit snugly between the pontoon and the deck of the boat, protecting both from rafting boats, docks, or other objects. All pontoon fenders are made from our own marine-grade, U.V. resistant vinyl and have an integrated rubber football style valve for easy inflation.
 

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Just start the app, and your location pops up with animated weather, allowing you to easily see if rain or snow is headed your way. Our high-res animated radar helps you see weather details even at the closest level!

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On top of the basic weather forecast, users can get a quick glance of temperatures around the country, as well as overlay a current satellite image of cloud cover. For you aviation buffs, there's a layer that provides Airmets & Sigmets, and even the ability to overlay the flight plan of a particular aircraft onto the map. You can also share interesting weather photos from your area, and see photos other users have contributed neatly displayed on the map.

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