Course How To

Pontoon house boat and rough waters!

by anastasia
(toronto ON)

I live on lake ontario and am interested in buying a houseboat and becoming a liveaboard the one we found was a 40 foot pontoon house boat and we found it cheap BUT we arent sure what to do about the choppy winter waters will we bo ok on a pontoon style house boat??

Comments for Pontoon house boat and rough waters!

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		It can be done
by: One Step Beyond

Your boat will need enough freeboard to handle average waves/wakes. Minimum I would say at least 2 feet fully loaded. If your toons are half submersed, you will probably have problems. In rough water don't forget the possiblity of "pontoon effect" When you have a toon more than half submersed, and then a rapid shift of weight.
Pontoon houseboats won't sink, but they can capsize. You might consider adding a 3rd toon, have it larger than the two. Have it sectioned for fuel storage. Would give you bouancy, ballast, more freeboard and act as a keel and more range than you would need.
just a suggestion

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Houseboat Forums.


Continue Reading Our Popular Pages

Manufacturers
Live on a Boat
HB Forums
HB Rentals 		HB Buying Guide
Boat Build Plans
New Houseboats

Parts/Accessories
Trailerable Boats
What's New / Blog 		Pontoon H-Boats
Marine Insurance
Transport/Movers
Loans & Finance

Our collection of houseboat ebooks

Ebook Boats Collection on Houseboat Books

We just love houseboats, do you?
Join our monthly HB Insider for free



Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.