Pontoon float tube.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

I bought an inflatable pontoon from Marketplace on Facebook.   It came with 2 frames, one longer than the other.  The guy who sold it had the longer frame on the pontoons, but they matched the smaller frame.  He told me the longer frame was a Fishcat frame and the smaller frame is a Creek Company.  Well, I decided that I would make new pontoons for the Fishcat because it has more options.   It has a motor mount and a deck to stand on and fly fish, with a retractable rail.  It is much more heavy duty than the Creek Company (yellow pontoons) in the pictures.  

I have a 10' raft that I was considering using as a donor for the float tubes .  My thought was to cut out the floor and mount the frame to the raft.  I decided not to do that.  My next thought was to use an idea floated around the internet as a joke. 

 

 

I first got some pink insulation foam sheets, and cut them down.  Made them to be about 10 feet long.  That was what the guy who sold it to me said they were.  Side note, he kept the original pontoons to be used as outriggers for his canoe.   I glued the sheets together by using Great Stuff Foam spray.  It will not melt the foam as many other adhesives will.  Original Gorilla glue is good also.

 

 

 

My first idea used to wrap them was pond liner.  I wanted them protected from breaking off small particles of foam on rocks, branches, etc.  It worked ok. I tied the ends together similar to sewing them.  I wanted to find a better way.  You can adhere the pond liner to itself with pvc cement and primer.  The green stuff worked much better. 

 

This worked ok.  After a couple trips, of tial and errors, the pond liner did get pinholes, from dragging on the bank and allowed water in.  That made it  take a little more effort to paddle the unit.  But, it worked.  Didnt look great, but I was on the water.  The holes, wore bigger, and allowed more water, and made the unit much heavier and you could tell which side had more water, the unit would turn towards that pontoon when paddling.  

I was searching ideas such as fiberglass,  shrink wrap, 1/4" wood frame, and many other materials throughout the build.  I came across PMF, Poor Man's Fiberglass.  

The idea is really simple and effective.   Coat the item to be "glassed" with wood glue.  Adhere canvas or other material to the glue an allow it to soak the glue.   Once cured, add another layer of wood glue, and once that cures, paint with exterior paint.   I did it on a small boat I built and was very happy with the outcome.   Decided to remove the pond liner and try it on my pontoons.   I reshaped the pontoons, and began PMF.   Spray  painted the pontoons with my own version of camo, and have made a few adjustments an efforts to attach the pontoons to the frame.  I am using a cam buckle system that connects to paracord that goes through the pontoons.  Seems to be good.  The pontoons were angled pretty hard last trip out, so I added some foam blocks to control the pontoons from 'rolling'.  

This write up is a little late, @Johnsfolly mentioned that he may have missed it, or I didn't do the full write up.   I made sure to include pictures.   I have some more to add.  

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Here is the process of the PMF, 

 

 

Here is the pontoon tube that has 'rolled' 

[snagged in outlet 3]

Is it pretty light?

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

10 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Is it pretty light?

No, not really.   It is manageable, but not light.  I drag it. I can stand it up, lean it on the van, lift the back to load it.