Course How To

Homemade Pontoon House Boats

by Scotty
(Sydney , Austrailia)

Homemade Pontoon House Boats

Homemade Pontoon House Boats

Basically a Pontoon Houseboat Log Cabin on the water. After a years worth of weekends, lots of aluminum and sweat later... the "Nuthouse" was born.


Since we couldn't find the design we wanted, we decided to build this when we saw the base hulls for sale. We wanted something different looking and with a full house size shower, kitchen, bed etc...

Fully solar powered with all 12v LED lighting and 12v fridge/freezer (permanently running) 240 v inverter for accessories, mains pressure water, full size electric toilet, continuous gas hot water, full size gas oven, BBQ, sleeps 4 (1 x double, 1 x Queen sofa bed in lounge) with a dinette yet to be built to allow small adult/children's bed.



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Powered by 2 x 90hp TLDI Tohatsus/Nissans. Economy is the big surprise 6.5-10.0 litres/hr (total for both motors combined) at 6 knots cruise (depends on whether its with or against the tide) usually run at 2000-2400 rpms. Will get 4000 rpms but not sure what speed it is doing then, quicker than most!

Weighs 7.5 tons all up with 1000L of water. All alloy construction with rustic ply cladding. At present, the central pontoon is HDPE pontoons with central one as black water/grey water holding tanks.

These will be removed and substituted with 3ft diam HDPE pipe. This will give better buoyancy (reduce draft
from 500mm to 400mm) and with a sloped front may even get me to semi displacement speeds if required.

I hope this helps, Scotty.




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Reply - Answer
Well Scotty, I wanted to thank you for sharing your homemade pontoon houseboat photo and plans with us.

There's plenty of folks that are interested in the possibility of building a pontoon boat for those great weekend getaways.



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Lastly, hopefully some of our readers and visitors will share and post comments about their homemade pontoon houseboat plans, dreams, and experiences.

Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found near the bottom of this page.

Thanks again for sharing, IAN from all-about-houseboats

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Comments for Homemade Pontoon House Boats

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Reply to Colin
by: Scotty

Hi Colin, I'll email you some photos and details. I just went with plastic welding the cleats on the pipe every 1m and bolting thru the floor beams. That way there are no penetrations and the plastic welding is super strong. The poly pipe is going great after 10 years and will do for a century to come. Really easy to just scrape growth off every year. If I ever build bigger again , I'd 100% do then out of she material and go larger .... 1.8m or 2.0m diameter , 3 pontoons, use the middle one for black water/fresh water storage, split either side of centre with a baffle . Keep the tanks 3 or 4m long , that way your fore and aft balance hardly changes as you use water and it ends up in the black water tank.
Cheers Scotty
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		HDPE Pontoons for houseboat
by: Colin

Hi Scotty, it would be great to get an update on your pontoons please. I am shortly to select a boatyard to build a luxury houseboat in Malaysia using 2000mm HDPE pontoons. The houseboat will be 88' x 38' and two levels.

I would be keen to share details as the build progresses, with some pictures.

Best Regards
Colin
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		HDPE Pontoon in a large houseboat
by: Colin C

Hi Scotty from Sydney,

I will start building a large houseboat in Malaysia later this year (23.6 x 8.5m - 2 storey). I plan to use 2 pontoons of 1600mm dia HDPE water pipe.

I would appreciate an update on your 900mm pontoons and some pictures. Did you use the I Beam design that you spoke about?

Thanks
Colin
another expat Aussie

Note to Ian - is it OK to give Scotty my email? colincrowl@hotmail.com
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Baffles for Tanks
by: Scotty

Hi Ewan, I welded baffles in the whole center pontoon. 3 baffles about 3 meters apart each. This gives me a black water tank and a freshwater tank, each 2000 plus liters each.

There is still room at either end and I have fuel tanks in the rear section and rope, water toys, spare anchor storage etc... in the front section. Access to these areas thru a hatch in the front and rear decks.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		What to do for black/grey tanks
by: Ewan

In about a year I plan to start building my own houseboat. While I think I have a decent idea of what I want, I cannot find info regarding pontoon decks that have the black/grey water holding tanks.

I'll admit I have only worked on yachts with hulls for the tanks, so I'm unsure as to where these would be stored. Any info or links would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Ewan
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		re: the solar panel system
by: Scotty

Yes that is my specs, I forgot to put my name. Originally had only 2 panels but didn't keep up in the winter.

Scotty.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Large houseboat solar system
by: Anonymous

I have a 12 volt system - easiest as the fridge freezer is 12 volt and operates non stop. I have 3 solar panels of 130W each and 4 of N200 12 v batteries.

I have an inverter for the microwave and coffee machine. A 45A load and charge capable solar controller.

This setup keeps up all year round but is only just enpough if I get a few days of nonstop rain/cloud in winter. I think 4 panels and another 2 batteries would be better.

Biggest draw of course is the fridge at 50W. You'd need to have a 60Amp controller. Nice to have never needed a a generator or motors to boost for 5 years - so peaceful compared to the others you hear chugging away at anchor.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Solar System Specs on a Houseboat
by: Anonymous

Would like to learn more about your solar power electrical system. Considering a similar installation on my houseboat. Could you share some of the specs? Located in S. Louisiana near Houma

Thanks, Walt Bumgardner
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Large pontoon houseboat
by: Ricky B

My pontoon houseboat is 24 ft. wide and 55 ft. long. Each pontoon is 6 ft. wide and 4 ft. deep, made with 1/4 steel. I have two 140 hp Tohatsu outboards pushing.

This boat weights in a 125,000 lbs. No this is not a misprint 125,000 lbs and top speed is 7 miles per hour. I would have attached a picture, but will not let me. We are lucky in south Louisiana, we houseboat all year round.

Ricky B in Louisiana
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Houseboat Septic Plumbing - home made houseboats
by: Anonymous

With an electric toilet, is a blackwater tank necessary? If not, are there alternatives to black water holding tanks?
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Building a Trailerable Houseboat - retractable expanding hull
by: Vic

The wife and I are building a trailerable pontoon houseboat, with side expanding / retracting hulls, and it will be trailerable.

The roof also comes down to be more manageable on the road. We are using hdpe plastic foam filled pontoons. We like the recyclable feature.

Hopefully we can make it fully solar powered, with minimal reliance on petroleum (if at all).
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Plans for HDPE tubes
by: Scotty

I intend to use 800mm x 19mm thick tubes. I'll put a flat face ,55 degree slope on the front and flat at rear.

I'm going to insert two baffles in the middle to give me an internal black water tank of about 2000 liters - only would usually use 1000 liters max - i.e waterline.

To mount these I could either use HDPE cleats welded to tubes but I think I'll head this way: make an "I" beam out of 10mm alloy plate. The bottom of the beam is curved to suit the curve of the tube.

Just through bolted across the tubes with an internal plate to brace (like a big washer but 100x100x12mm). I beam welded to my floor beams.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Nice Going
by: L. Siopa

Can you please tell me how to use HDPE tubes as floaters, and how to connect the pontoons to the structure. This, of course if you don't mind.
Many thanks any way, I loved the look of your houseboat.

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