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Apontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies onfloats to remain buoyant. These pontoons (also calledtubes) contain much reserve buoyancy and allow designers to create large deck plans fitted with a variety of accommodations including expansive lounge areas, stand-up bars, and sun pads. More horsepower is now able to be applied to the stern due to design improvements.[1] Pontoon boatdrafts may be as shallow as eight inches (20 centimetres), which reduces risk of running aground and underwater damage; this allows it to come close to shore to pick up and drop off loads.
The 1952 invention of the pontoon motorboat in the United States is credited to a farmer who lived on the Horseshoe Chain of Lakes, nearRichmond, Minnesota. Ambrose Weeres put a wooden platform on two columns of steel barrels welded together end-to-end, creating a sturdy deck that would be more stable on a lake than a conventional boat.[2] Living in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," Weeres thought this idea might be marketed. The first boat was "The Empress". He built a few boats and sold them with the help of dealers. He started Weeres Industries to meet unexpected demand. Weeres, later called "Mr. Pontoon", was elected to the Minnesota Marina Hall of Fame.[3]
Common pontoon boat designs are acatamaran with twohulls, or atrimaran with three hulls. Boats with three hulls are sometimes calledtri-toons.[4]
Pontoon boat designs have changed significantly since the early 2000s, with boats now featuring larger tubes, increased engine horsepower, andcuddy cabins.[4]
Pontoon boats are used for pleasure on lakes and rivers, and in some cases on oceans close to shore. Pontoon watersport activities include tubing, waterskiing, and wakeboarding. Common pontoon accessories include inflatable slides, diving boards, sun shades, andBimini tops.[5]
They are also used as small vesselferries to cross rivers and lakes in many parts of the world, especially inAfrica. Pontoon ferries may be motorized, such as theKazungula Ferry across theZambezi River, or powered by another boat, or pulled by cables. A type of ferry known as thecable ferry (also calledpunts in medieval times and in modernAustralia andNew Zealand) pull themselves across a river using a motor or human power applied to the cable, which also guides the pontoon. Pontoons may support a platform, creating araft. A raft supporting a house-like structure is ahouseboat. A pontoon boat keeping a sauna cabin is called asauna boat or sauntoon.[6]
Small inflatable pontoon boats are one or two-person, catamaran-type boats, designed for leisure and fishing. Their pontoons are made out of abrasion-resistant PVC and nylon with aluminum, steel, and plastic frames for support. In today's setting, more and more people prefer to use frameless pontoon boats.[7] They are powered withpaddles,oars and often withelectric trolling motors usingdeep cyclelead batteries. Commonly they are equipped with motor mount, battery storage area,fishing rod holders, canopy,fishfinder mount, smallanchor, and other required fishing gear. Such boats are suitable for ponds, lakes, rivers, and seas during calm weather. However, due to their light weight, they are susceptible to waves and windy conditions. Nonetheless, such boats are often used even forbig game fishing.
Jumbo pontoon boats are used to give guided tours to tourists.
Hydrodynamic design and analysis of lift and drag characteristics of round pontoon planing surfaces is complex, since the deadrise angle is changing with pontoon arc (circumference), but this is resolved withthis paper.[8]
The pontoon effect is when a large force applied to the side capsizes a pontoon boat without much warning, particularly a top-heavy boat.
