Pontoon boats

[Boomshanka]

Can anyone see any beauty in these things, to me they are wrong on so many levels?:

I think they're mainly an American thing, never seen one in the UK.

[yes, yes, yes... I know they're a mobo... but I'm recuperating from some flu bug and I need to look at something]

 

[lustyd]

Can anyone see any beauty in these things, to me they are wrong on so many levels?:

I think they're mainly an American thing, never seen one in the UK.

[yes, yes, yes... I know they're a mobo... but I'm recuperating from some flu bug and I need to look at something]

I can see them catching on around Reading on the Thames but obviously not a sea boat.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Designed for lake life in the more southerly states, so not conceived for tidal northern waters.

Check out this picture of a marina on Lake Powell...

Here's another 'beauty'...

 

[Highland Bear]

DFS have got those in the January sale at the mo.

 

[prv]

I can see the point of them, but it's an activity almost entirely unrelated to real sailing.

Pete

 

[SlimRick]

Loving the slide on that one!

 

[Fantasie 19]

Poole Harbour last summer from my mate Phil's blog...

 

[Poignard]

Looks like a Winnebago that's been parked below the highwater mark.

 

[emsworthy]

Can anyone see any beauty in these things, to me they are wrong on so many levels?:

I think they're mainly an American thing, never seen one in the UK.

[yes, yes, yes... I know they're a mobo... but I'm recuperating from some flu bug and I need to look at something]

Not sure you'd make many friends with the Coastguard with a boat of that name either!!

I know you'd not be wanting to go far offshore but you might still want to use a VHF for comms.

 

[bbg]

Beuatiful, perhaps not, but practical - definitely. In the southern US states, you get to take your living room the the great outdoors, and go fishing, swimming and BBQing with your friends.

Perfect boat for that market.

 

[armchairsailor]

Not unlike a dory with comfy seats, really.

 

[snooks]

I've been out on the Thames on one....wearing my motoboating hat..I know it's not all Najads in Sweden you know....

Pontoon boats are incredibly practical, you pay for the length your berth and it fills it up the width, they are economical, cause low wash and are tough as old boot because they are made from aluminium.

When you are on them, it's easy to forget how they look.

They are however, as pretty as a rat catcher's mallet

 

[Highland Bear]

I've been out on the Thames on one....wearing my motoboating hat..I know it's not all Najads in Sweden you know....

Pontoon boats are incredibly practical, you pay for the length your berth and it fills it up the width, they are economical, cause low wash and are tough as old boot because they are made from aluminium.

When you are on them, it's easy to forget how they look.

They are however, as pretty as a rat catcher's mallet

In order to be able to make a full comparison, can you post a photo of a rat catchers mallet please Snooks?

 

[bigwow]

In order to be able to make a full comparison, can you post a photo of a rat catchers mallet please Snooks?

To help Snooks out here is a pic


http://www.serendipitystreet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/010a.jpg

 

[Twister_Ken]

To help Snooks out here is a pic

And to help everyone else out...

 

[ProDave]

And to help everyone else out...

No, that mallet is far more pretty.

 

[Boomshanka]

And to help everyone else out...

That would come in handy for the BBQ'd steaks (those things presumably have one that would make George Foreman proud). Given some of the positives identified (max use of mooring space), I was wondering if a pontoon boat could be rigged with a sail, seems these folks are ahead of me:

To keep it green, you can get this solar powered beauty for $18,500:

 

[VicS]

Can anyone see any beauty in these things, to me they are wrong on so many levels?:

I think they're mainly an American thing, never seen one in the UK.

[yes, yes, yes... I know they're a mobo... but I'm recuperating from some flu bug and I need to look at something]

There is a rumour that Searush has one on order .... complete with under water lights ..

 

[JKay]

big African pontoon boats

been on these http://karibahouseboats.com/houseboats for a couple of days and they were great especially when the MIL's sank

 

[Bajansailor]

Here is an interesting article about pontoon boats from 'Pontoon & Deck Boat Magazine' where they claim that pontoon boats are saving the boating industry in the USA :
http://www.mstand.com/issue/24162/2

Re the Avalon LS2200 mentioned in the article, there is one here, being used as a coastal water taxi between St Peters Bay (www.stpetersbaybarbados.com) and Port St Charles (www.portstcharles.com) a couple of miles to the north.
It has two 50 hp Yamaha 4 stroke outboards on the back, and fairly scoots along the coast with up to 12 passengers.

I saw this rather fine houseboat conversion job in the USA last year :