A lot of people here have made some good points regarding structural engineering. I have built, as a professional, 300 catamarans. In waterways that are protected this will be safe enough. However, there is virtually no torsional stiffness to this build. If the waves are over 12” the boat will be extremely susceptible to torsional racking. This will rapidly start popping welds. So there is two ways to handle the structural requirements. Build it like Polynesians did, with double canoes and beams lashed together to allow flex. Or create beams and attachments that are able to resist this torsional movement. This beam attachment and beam really require proper engineering.
You need to turn the plywood sideways and stagger them since the pontoons are running length ways , it will flex in the watger if you run them length ways , just cutb one in half and stagger them 8 and 4 then 4 and 8ft ,it will be a whole lot stronger
A small amount of flex is a lot better than something breaking because it's too rigid . I understand what you're saying when it comes to home building , I have 35 years experience in construction . But this is a boat , not a house .
I would not weld the hot tub box to the center pontoons. This will be a high stress area and will likely crack in short order. Keep them separate and weld a flat end plate onto the pontoons and leave a gap between the pontoons and the hot tub box. Use a flexible caulking if you need to make it a streamlined joint.
Not a bad idea at all. you could even weld a bit of sheet aluminum to the box and under the center tubes to make sure its not a water catch when that thing is plowing the water.
make sure you use ALL 316 stainless for your hardware! anything else will melt the aluminum around it, its good to use a little insulation washer/caulk as well. Gotta prevent galvanic corrosion.
Very true. Otherwise they will have inadvertently created hundreds of tiny useless batteries powering nothing corroding every attachment point into oblivion.
Something from the racing world that might be a good idea on the boat. Slightly pressurize the pontoons and have gauges for them wherever the captain would be at. If there’s any damage or anything even a pin hole the pressure will change and you’ll know there’s a problem. The racing world used this to detect microscopic cracks in the frame of cars throughout races from fatigue.
Those Pontoons are going to leak like sieves on the welds after a bit of flex in even slightly choppy water. Better off just fitting with bilge pumps or filling with with some sort of buoyancy aids.
You need to seal off the center pontoons first before welding to the hot tub box. Thats the weakest part of the boat and any cracks in the weld between the hot tub box and the pontoon are going to flood the inside of the pontoon....
Man this is going to be a bad ass party barge guys!!! Just a note from a marine mechanic mindset here..The outboards being forward of the outer toons is going to plow the last six feet of the outer toons when you turn, that may cause the boat to tip outward during turns(pontoon boats dont lean into turns), you may want to think about putting them on the outer toons or at least leaving yourself the option if that becomes and issue, good luck fellas!!
He’s gonna sink that turd in the mighty Columbia river, It’s unforgiving, as many have died. No way a flat front box will survive the frontal assault on this vessel.
@@twosborn I was thinking that in the last video and hoping he was going to point that in some way. Things about to be as hydrodynamic as a barge or Duck.
@@ItsDaJax that and the fact they are two separate buoyant tubes that seek to be level, unlike a typical monohull boat with a tapered v that naturally leans toward the turn when the thrust pushes the stern away from the turn...which is whats going to be a problem here when the boat doesnt lean and the longer toons dig in and push the top of the boat away from the turn...and it wants to tip over or at least leans way over and dumps everyone who isnt hanging on right off into the river lol.
Cool Boat. I would strongly recommend building/ installing some truss type frame between the tubes. Those .090 tubes that you spool gun welded together will not survive much twisting without cracking the saddles and potentially cracking the welds around the circumference of your co-joined tubes. In general when using tubes with individual saddles we always install 2" square inside corner angle over the tops to tie all the saddles together. You may want to consider a bow thruster as well, that is alot of windage. Good luck with the build. Very creative
Personally, having built a monster party barge, I'd weld the cross members as well as adding triangular supports between them fore to aft or you'll have racking problems that will apply all of the stress to the screws fastening your ply decking. May as well name it The Crusty Crab cause it'll be moving in anything but a straight line... Others have pointed out that you'll need to isolate the fasteners too or the stainless and aluminum will weld together through galvanic response and eventually fail thus making welding a much more attractive and structurally sound choice.
You can't rely on the pontoons for strength front to back. You need full length I beams on the sides of where the pontoons mount to the crossbars. The side edges alone won't be enough.
@@FarmerFpv Stop posting your same lame comment on every top post, go find something better to do with your life than trying to bring others down for whatever ungodly reason ha
I commented on the first two videos and no one seems to care but the boat is going to hog under dynamic loading. The toons are not ridgid enough to support the length with the weight he's talking about.
I say keep this in the bay on the river or in a lake.... don.t want to see this on seconds from disaster... please have an engineer look at it. Torsional and angular moment stress in rough seas could lead to shear forces exceeding design limits, in rough seas pontoon boats can and do submarine (solid water over the bow) which will also sweep typical pontoon deck rails overboard with the passengers and furniture that's ripped off the deck. Let us know how your going to use this boat so we can stop worrying about your family and friends. Love your channel, I bought my Evora after seeing your fantastic build... This comes from a place of love bro !
Look at big party barge pontoon designs. Maybe even travel to check out how theyre built. You will definitely want the engines all the way at the very back (to balance out the hot tub) and all the way out to the sides (to maximize directional authority for maneuvering, especially at low speeds).
I commented this on your last video and will say again I think you should weld some angle along the bottom of the center two tubes right across the bottom of the hot tub box. Counting on all that bracing just on top to hold that massive box filled with a heavy hot tub and a few people with waves is just going to rip the nose of this thing apart. Your bow gets the most hits from waves and with a heavy box filled with water you're going to want as much support as you can get. Plus, some crossmembers to prevent racking the whole structure. Don't count on the plywood to give you the strength that the RH pontoon wont creep a couple inches ahead of the LH pontoon.
Some added insurance against “snapping a pontoon in half”. Maybe weld a length of C-channel the whole length of the outer pontoons to the vertical component of the stringer supports. Just a thought. Looks awesome though.
The front of the boat is the only part of the boat that only has 2 pontoons. So it's going to have an extra 4000 pounds of weight with half the buoyancy. You guys are always super smart about what you do so I'm sure it'll work. It just seems like it wouldn't haha. Such a cool build. Can't wait to see it on the water!
My biggest concern so far is the idea of covering the outboards, (giving omc quite rider vibes) plus there will be a need to ventilate the covers like a stern drive to get rid of any flammable gases.
You need a lot more triangulation in the cross bracing under the floor. Your decking is going to flex and buckle otherwise. Plus as someone commented below, you have to stagger the decking and run the grain across, not lengthwise bow to stern.
The floor effectively is cross bracing. It's substantial stuff. I disagree with grain cross boat thing bow to stearn is marginally better as the c supports are port to starboard. Obviously staggering boards is goid idea. Being plywood it's relatively good in either direction. But the longer length should be perpendicular to the cross members obviously
Seal the center pontoons before welding to the tub. The caps did not have the weight and flex youll see with that 5000lb brick attached to the front of them. Maybe grind down and invert the caps inward and weld them a few inches inside for minimal water cavity.
@@joshleteYes, but his shop is nowhere near his boat slip. I know Portland very well, and there are boat launches to the Columbia River fairly close to his shop, so most likely he’ll need to hire a tractor trailer with a oversized load permit to get it to the launch, then take it down the Columbia to the mouth of the Willamette and upriver to his slip. That’s assuming it doesn’t take on water immediately and roll 100’ from the boat ramp.
Maybe weld a cap on each pontoon at the hot tub before welding the edges, that is the weakest link of the whole project. Might want to put on a trailer soon too before adding the decking at least. Great work!
Before permanently bolting the stringers to the pontoons, think about putting a gasket,sealant, or nylon paint in between the two metals to prevent galvanic corrosion. Also think about wet installing the bolts with sealant. Great build
@@Crewsy It is just good practice. If the stringers are aluminum I guess it would be fretting corrosion that would take place from vibration or slip. The bolts on the the other hand are probably not aluminum so galvanic corrosion is a factor.
I believe you should weld the cross bars to the pontoon mounting brackets. The bolts only give you one point of contact and can be ripped out easily. Run a bead of weld to each side of the square tubing to the mounting brackets, it will help spread out the stress point.
Looking good guys! I worked in the pontoon factory for over 15 years. Make sure to use stainless bolts and washers with nylon lock nuts. Look forward to seeing it floating 👍
If you mount the engines on the outer pontoons you would be able to use differential trust to greater effect. Would give a better radius just by reversing one engine
I have held off commenting, BUT(!!!) THERE IS ZERO SHEER STRENGTH BUILT INTO THIS BOAT! A hit on the front of one pontoon or a large wake is going to twist this beast to pieces!😢
@@tonybosworth5382 I play alot of racing games, and I've seen how much twisting does into steel, so seeing something this large and flat, made of all aluminum, all I can think about it this potentially just twisting and splitting the welds, not only that, but they plan to make this a project they can replicate and sell, which is a horrible idea for anything clearly untested, especially something going into water that can hold more than 5 people.
Ya there's zero percent chance they can replicate this and sell it. The first one that breaks will bankrupt them and they'll have to sleep knowing they put people's lives in danger. You can't just become a boat manufacturer on a whim! He's put very little thought into this sadly
You should look into a bow thruster for this. Not sure if they make external ones but the smaller pontoons can be hard to maneuver in any slight wind, I think this might be even more difficult in the marina with its length and wind catching ability.
It's going to drown the outer pontoons with the outboards mounted forward on the inner pontoons. He's going to have lots of issues that I don't think will make it that far to need bow thrusters. It's a delusional build.
i honestly had never considered what the frame of a boat like this would be made of, but seeing it in all aluminum on the pontoons made it look so doable! can't wait to see this finished, for sure want to try this one day if i could!
With outboards on the inner pontoons, when turning, won’t the thrust hit the outer pontoon which is longer and cancel out the angled component of thrust?
Cap the inner pontoons before welding them to the tub, check the clearance on the outboards relative to the outer pontoons, they might get in the way and make turning not so fun, so check that or at least give yourself the ability to move them outwards if needed. I'd also add a few more c channel bracing between each channel/beam there currently is.
Just a tip when working with a sting line, it’s a good practice to offset it like an inch off of your “final line” because it’s very easy to push something slightly into the string line and it’s a domino effect.
The reality is this boat will probably float pretty decent. It will be a pain to turn and expensive to operate, but will work. The scary part is just like a drift car, overtime it’s gonna take a lot of stress and stuff is going to fracture after only so long
hope you're using 316 stainless fastenings with an isolating compound like duralac otherwise you're going to have some galvanic corrosion happening from dissimilar metals
Are you going to weld-in supports in-between the pontoons ?... Just having them bolted together at the top alone could cause stress on the bolts when rotational force is applied to round pontoons 20:03
@@Mldavis1214 It looks like the boat is wider than 8'-6". They're going to need a permit to move the thing over land lol. Might want to make the second level be removeable to transport seperately, or it might not be able to get under bridges. Should be a great episode!!
I too am wondering about the trailer as I live in an area with a few boat manufacturers and trailer manufacturers as well as rvs. Elkhart county Indiana builds a lot of that stuff.
I think they'll get the main deck together and floating, then build the second floor on the water so they can transport it at an angle to fit inside the lane to avoid extra cost possibly.
Before you go too much further take it out to Haag Lake and float it in the lake. You can see the distribution of weight and how it floats. Maybe use a sump pump and pump water into the hot tub to see how the boat reacts.
You could weld protective support rails out of the box aluminum at the bottom sides of the hot tub box. You could boat the front and leave the back opened like what’s on the pontoons and when you’re moving it will eventually create lift As well as protection.
I would through floor under boat storage between the center pontoons, maybe make one an insulated compartment to use as a cooler pre chilling some of those beverages on a long day outing
Just a point about the use of string lines. The way you used it is very common, however a more accurate way would be to place your string a unit away from your work (I usually go an inch or two out) and then measure to your pieces. The way you used it leads to creep, because the line gets touched by your work and pressed out. Looks really good. I work for a guy in Homer Alaska that builds aluminum Bristol Bay boats and all types of aluminum skiffs.
There's so much doubt in the comments!🍿Can't wait to see the finished product, the custom trailer to haul it, the finagling this thing through the garage doors and the maiden voyage. I'm not even a boat person but this is premium content right here!
He has never actually finished a project. He just reaches a "good enough" stage and moves on because the content no longer generates engagement. This thing will twist and buckle until it breaks, if it even floats.
For the love of GD....please before you secure your wood to the pontoons, add waterproofing or an undercoating to the wood. Thompsons or maybe a bed liner material, so many homemade pontoons boats rot out because of the wood not being protected
I'm thinking they will have to use house moving dollies and beams under this thing to tow it to the water, and get some wide load permits and a low traffic schedule on a planned/approved route to execute the move. The boat ramp is going to try to flex it as it negotiates the change of pitch, as will other surface irregularities en route, and the moving dollies will need to be removed in the water and lifted out with a crane. Might have been cheaper to rent a space by the water and build it there. Also might be possible to get a pair of cranes there at the shop to lift it onto a flat-bed semi, with another pair of cranes at the marina to lower it in.
Be an idea to 3D print your boat as large a scale as you can and then load it with mass and see how it floats. Ideally put some waves in and see how it flexes.
This build is very interesting, so many observations and recommendations from your audience that you need to give some thought to. This will be your most challenging build so far. Adding to so many other recommendations, I was thinking that you might want to wrap those pontoons with fiberglass to create a hull, just my take
Awesome progress Chris! I know you’ve done your planning but the left to right stringers are great but the only lengthwise strength is the pontoons. Is it worth running 2 lengthwise stringers to lock everything together longwise or are the pontoons strong enough? Anyways this thing is awesome. Can’t wait to see it done. I have no doubts about its buoyancy even with the hot tub. Gonna be sweet.
For the 2 pontoons that are getting engines, I would look into Tritoon center pontoons they have transoms built into them and they can take the stress a little better, rather than fabricating transom for you engines.
You are going to want to put a diagonal cross with beams in your second floor level. Waves coming in diagonally on you will put large forces on the trusses for the 2nd floor, warping the deck. You need diagonal beams to stop deck torsion ripping your second floor deck apart.
@BFB; FYI; the Shorts 360, Commuter Aircraft, Is so Box Like in form, it is one of few aircraft described as having a "Bow Wake"... I expect the "Pool Area" will experience near "Flat Plate Drag" as the Weight and Fluid Dynamics interact when under way.
I don’t see how almost 2 tons of hottub water is supposed to be offset by a couple of outboards, even 4 motors ain’t even close, that things gonna be draggin the bow something mean. I hope I’m proven wrong here
His numbers indicated 2000lbs for water (say 450kgs). I think he is using a hot tub insert so it isn't the full volume of the box (say 2 x 2 x .5 = 2000kgs) for water. That said I am not confident in the design at all.
The mouth of the Columbia River into the Pacific Ocean (where he took the other boat and the diesel engine died) is far more dangerous than the haul over inlet. Ships sink and people die there every year.
Yeah Haulover is kinda tame to most inlets we have here in Australia as well. Haulover is entertaining to watch because so many meatheads have no idea how to control a boat and it is on that magical border line for viewers of just bad enough that it will embarass them but not kill them.
I am invested in this build even though I think it’s going to have some massive issues. Hot tub box is bad all around. I do not think you fully understand how much downforce you will have, water is going to bend the crap out of it or create a wave in front and you will swamp your tub. With the power you are adding is another huge problem, motors can’t be mounted directly to the pontoon you need a structure to disperse the pressure otherwise your motor mounts will rip the top of the pontoon. All in all I think you are in way over your head on this build. But we shall see…
So, why did you drill a access hole at 90 degrees from the mounting hole on your 2" x 2" stringers? This requires holding a nut or bolt with a wrench and then tightening the nut or bolt from the underside. Wouldn't it have been easier to drill the access hole above the mounting hole so you could use a ratchet and socket to tighten the nut or bolt from the top? Was this to facilitate removal when the sheeting is in place?
Now that you have all this experience welding aluminium, and knowing that your camper truck is top-heavy, maybe it would make sense to rebuild the box on the back of your camper in Alu?
Hi Chris, liking the build but concerned about the use of plywood for the deck 18:17 if you do not seal the edges of the plywood it will absorb moisture and start delaminating. No matter what anyone says, even “marine grade” plywood still needs to have the edges sealed. I may have a solution for you though, myself and my team over here in the UK have designed a product that stops the delaminating process, it is the only one on the market. Would you be interested in a couple of free sample pots?
A lot of people here have made some good points regarding structural engineering. I have built, as a professional, 300 catamarans. In waterways that are protected this will be safe enough. However, there is virtually no torsional stiffness to this build. If the waves are over 12” the boat will be extremely susceptible to torsional racking. This will rapidly start popping welds. So there is two ways to handle the structural requirements. Build it like Polynesians did, with double canoes and beams lashed together to allow flex. Or create beams and attachments that are able to resist this torsional movement. This beam attachment and beam really require proper engineering.
You need to turn the plywood sideways and stagger them since the pontoons are running length ways , it will flex in the watger if you run them length ways , just cutb one in half and stagger them 8 and 4 then 4 and 8ft ,it will be a whole lot stronger
Gonna comment-boost this.
@@memillionthdoot4436 me too
Sounds like a solid idea.
A small amount of flex is a lot better than something breaking because it's too rigid . I understand what you're saying when it comes to home building , I have 35 years experience in construction . But this is a boat , not a house .
He's already said that he was going to be staggering the seam.
I would not weld the hot tub box to the center pontoons. This will be a high stress area and will likely crack in short order. Keep them separate and weld a flat end plate onto the pontoons and leave a gap between the pontoons and the hot tub box. Use a flexible caulking if you need to make it a streamlined joint.
Not a bad idea at all. you could even weld a bit of sheet aluminum to the box and under the center tubes to make sure its not a water catch when that thing is plowing the water.
I really hope they read this because you're absolutely right.
I was thinking the exact same thing. It does not look strong at all welded to the hot tub. But I am not a professional.
1000% correct!
make sure you use ALL 316 stainless for your hardware! anything else will melt the aluminum around it, its good to use a little insulation washer/caulk as well. Gotta prevent galvanic corrosion.
He’ll probably use black steel hardware….
Very true. Otherwise they will have inadvertently created hundreds of tiny useless batteries powering nothing corroding every attachment point into oblivion.
Something from the racing world that might be a good idea on the boat. Slightly pressurize the pontoons and have gauges for them wherever the captain would be at. If there’s any damage or anything even a pin hole the pressure will change and you’ll know there’s a problem. The racing world used this to detect microscopic cracks in the frame of cars throughout races from fatigue.
Those Pontoons are going to leak like sieves on the welds after a bit of flex in even slightly choppy water. Better off just fitting with bilge pumps or filling with with some sort of buoyancy aids.
S is for Sink.
I really enjoy this channel. I'll watch till the end of time, and till the bottom of the ocean.
Salt
@@JuPac420salt water
Is it going in the ocean?
😂
It SHOULD hold enough buoyancy with the inner toons plugged. But of course if it falls apart what does them staying afloat help 😂
You need to seal off the center pontoons first before welding to the hot tub box. Thats the weakest part of the boat
and any cracks in the weld between the hot tub box and the pontoon are going to flood the inside of the pontoon....
agreed, guy needs to cap those pontoons off before welding them to that box. He should still have the offcuts from making the outers
thats a seriously good point
are we witnessing another sunken boat video in the making?😂
Thought exactly the same thing. The weight of the tub might indeed crack the welds. Good luck to you guys!
Come on we all know that TH-cam creators are all experts. They don't need our help. Does anyone want to start a bet on the outcome? lol
Man this is going to be a bad ass party barge guys!!!
Just a note from a marine mechanic mindset here..The outboards being forward of the outer toons is going to plow the last six feet of the outer toons when you turn, that may cause the boat to tip outward during turns(pontoon boats dont lean into turns), you may want to think about putting them on the outer toons or at least leaving yourself the option if that becomes and issue, good luck fellas!!
@@macbook802 Ive done it...once 😂
He’s gonna sink that turd in the mighty Columbia river, It’s unforgiving, as many have died. No way a flat front box will survive the frontal assault on this vessel.
Now that I think about it; they don't lean much in turns. Is it because of how slow they are?
@@twosborn I was thinking that in the last video and hoping he was going to point that in some way. Things about to be as hydrodynamic as a barge or Duck.
@@ItsDaJax that and the fact they are two separate buoyant tubes that seek to be level, unlike a typical monohull boat with a tapered v that naturally leans toward the turn when the thrust pushes the stern away from the turn...which is whats going to be a problem here when the boat doesnt lean and the longer toons dig in and push the top of the boat away from the turn...and it wants to tip over or at least leans way over and dumps everyone who isnt hanging on right off into the river lol.
A big hottub in a small boat is a great idea. Can't see any problems at all. Oh, right in the front? Even better.
Yep, when trying to balance something it is always best to place all the weight on one end, lol.
Yeah considering 1m3 of water is 1 tonne, I’m thinking that could be about 4 -5 tonne easy sloshing about way out the front.
@@rosscato8745 Don't tell him...
Don't listen to the haters. The hottub is a great idea. Perhaps make it bigger. I mean, why swim in the lake when in the lake?
Cool Boat. I would strongly recommend building/ installing some truss type frame between the tubes. Those .090 tubes that you spool gun welded together will not survive much twisting without cracking the saddles and potentially cracking the welds around the circumference of your co-joined tubes. In general when using tubes with individual saddles we always install 2" square inside corner angle over the tops to tie all the saddles together. You may want to consider a bow thruster as well, that is alot of windage. Good luck with the build. Very creative
Personally, having built a monster party barge, I'd weld the cross members as well as adding triangular supports between them fore to aft or you'll have racking problems that will apply all of the stress to the screws fastening your ply decking. May as well name it The Crusty Crab cause it'll be moving in anything but a straight line... Others have pointed out that you'll need to isolate the fasteners too or the stainless and aluminum will weld together through galvanic response and eventually fail thus making welding a much more attractive and structurally sound choice.
You can't rely on the pontoons for strength front to back. You need full length I beams on the sides of where the pontoons mount to the crossbars. The side edges alone won't be enough.
Calm down, TH-cam creators are all experts. With that said want to make a friendly bet on the outcome? lol
I was thinking that. He's expecting welded together pontoons to do everything.
@@FarmerFpv he says all the time they aren't experts with this stuff.
@@FarmerFpv Stop posting your same lame comment on every top post, go find something better to do with your life than trying to bring others down for whatever ungodly reason ha
I commented on the first two videos and no one seems to care but the boat is going to hog under dynamic loading. The toons are not ridgid enough to support the length with the weight he's talking about.
I say keep this in the bay on the river or in a lake.... don.t want to see this on seconds from disaster... please have an engineer look at it. Torsional and angular moment stress in rough seas could lead to shear forces exceeding design limits, in rough seas pontoon boats can and do submarine (solid water over the bow) which will also sweep typical pontoon deck rails overboard with the passengers and furniture that's ripped off the deck. Let us know how your going to use this boat so we can stop worrying about your family and friends. Love your channel, I bought my Evora after seeing your fantastic build... This comes from a place of love bro !
Look at big party barge pontoon designs. Maybe even travel to check out how theyre built. You will definitely want the engines all the way at the very back (to balance out the hot tub) and all the way out to the sides (to maximize directional authority for maneuvering, especially at low speeds).
I commented this on your last video and will say again I think you should weld some angle along the bottom of the center two tubes right across the bottom of the hot tub box. Counting on all that bracing just on top to hold that massive box filled with a heavy hot tub and a few people with waves is just going to rip the nose of this thing apart. Your bow gets the most hits from waves and with a heavy box filled with water you're going to want as much support as you can get. Plus, some crossmembers to prevent racking the whole structure. Don't count on the plywood to give you the strength that the RH pontoon wont creep a couple inches ahead of the LH pontoon.
I'm guessing the Yacht sinking videos did well. Trying for a round two!
😂😂
Oh definitely gona be a " my Catamaran sank" video
You should weld QD air valves on all the pontoons to do a leak/pressure test with soapy water in case you damage the hull.
Soapy water!
Some added insurance against “snapping a pontoon in half”. Maybe weld a length of C-channel the whole length of the outer pontoons to the vertical component of the stringer supports. Just a thought. Looks awesome though.
The front of the boat is the only part of the boat that only has 2 pontoons. So it's going to have an extra 4000 pounds of weight with half the buoyancy. You guys are always super smart about what you do so I'm sure it'll work. It just seems like it wouldn't haha. Such a cool build. Can't wait to see it on the water!
My biggest concern so far is the idea of covering the outboards, (giving omc quite rider vibes) plus there will be a need to ventilate the covers like a stern drive to get rid of any flammable gases.
For increased control and maneuverability, the motors should be placed on the outside pontoons.
As this does not have a keel of any sort, almost all turning will be tank style with engine power, not steering wheel
@@ChadNewitz wait, this thing has steering wheel? tried to look at 3d sketch and didnt see any control panel like structures.
I sure would think it should have one. How would one steer two engines without a wheel
I wouldn't worry too much about steering, this thing going to brake in half first wave it hits
I wouldn't be so sure about that. Pontoon boats are quite established concept
You need a lot more triangulation in the cross bracing under the floor. Your decking is going to flex and buckle otherwise. Plus as someone commented below, you have to stagger the decking and run the grain across, not lengthwise bow to stern.
Yep, she's gonna rack...
Agree 100%
The decking is plywood. The grain runs in both directions. The biggest weakness is in the framing.
The floor effectively is cross bracing. It's substantial stuff. I disagree with grain cross boat thing bow to stearn is marginally better as the c supports are port to starboard. Obviously staggering boards is goid idea. Being plywood it's relatively good in either direction. But the longer length should be perpendicular to the cross members obviously
Seal the center pontoons before welding to the tub. The caps did not have the weight and flex youll see with that 5000lb brick attached to the front of them. Maybe grind down and invert the caps inward and weld them a few inches inside for minimal water cavity.
Can't wait to see the trailer needed to haul this boat to the river.
i just hope it can fit thru the door lol
@@dandan7726He literally said it was 11' 10 inches so it would fit out the garage door.
itll have to be hauled to the water like every other large boat. on an oversized 18 wheeler trailer. legally they cant take it theirself.
@@KableTac He owns a spot on the river. He will probably leave it there.
@@joshleteYes, but his shop is nowhere near his boat slip. I know Portland very well, and there are boat launches to the Columbia River fairly close to his shop, so most likely he’ll need to hire a tractor trailer with a oversized load permit to get it to the launch, then take it down the Columbia to the mouth of the Willamette and upriver to his slip.
That’s assuming it doesn’t take on water immediately and roll 100’ from the boat ramp.
Maybe weld a cap on each pontoon at the hot tub before welding the edges, that is the weakest link of the whole project. Might want to put on a trailer soon too before adding the decking at least. Great work!
Do a float test before you add anything beyond decking. Slowly fill the hot tub and observe how things go.
Don't worry, TH-cam creators are professionals. 😂😂
That would be a great idea... But how are you gonna get it to the water without spending a fortune on permits? It's like moving the house...
I think this is the best plan before committing to the rest of the build
Before permanently bolting the stringers to the pontoons, think about putting a gasket,sealant, or nylon paint in between the two metals to prevent galvanic corrosion. Also think about wet installing the bolts with sealant. Great build
Why? The stringers and the pontoons are aluminum. 🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@Crewsy It is just good practice. If the stringers are aluminum I guess it would be fretting corrosion that would take place from vibration or slip. The bolts on the the other hand are probably not aluminum so galvanic corrosion is a factor.
I believe you should weld the cross bars to the pontoon mounting brackets. The bolts only give you one point of contact and can be ripped out easily. Run a bead of weld to each side of the square tubing to the mounting brackets, it will help spread out the stress point.
Looking good guys! I worked in the pontoon factory for over 15 years. Make sure to use stainless bolts and washers with nylon lock nuts. Look forward to seeing it floating 👍
If you mount the engines on the outer pontoons you would be able to use differential trust to greater effect. Would give a better radius just by reversing one engine
There is going to be some flex between those pontoons. Even small boat 🚤 wakes can generate twisting forces.
Yep definitely should cap the pontoons separate from the hot tub, that's where the cracks will start
I have held off commenting, BUT(!!!) THERE IS ZERO SHEER STRENGTH BUILT INTO THIS BOAT! A hit on the front of one pontoon or a large wake is going to twist this beast to pieces!😢
@@tonybosworth5382 I play alot of racing games, and I've seen how much twisting does into steel, so seeing something this large and flat, made of all aluminum, all I can think about it this potentially just twisting and splitting the welds, not only that, but they plan to make this a project they can replicate and sell, which is a horrible idea for anything clearly untested, especially something going into water that can hold more than 5 people.
Ya there's zero percent chance they can replicate this and sell it. The first one that breaks will bankrupt them and they'll have to sleep knowing they put people's lives in danger. You can't just become a boat manufacturer on a whim! He's put very little thought into this sadly
This thing will roll over and sink no other comment needed. There's a reason why others haven't done this!!
You should look into a bow thruster for this. Not sure if they make external ones but the smaller pontoons can be hard to maneuver in any slight wind, I think this might be even more difficult in the marina with its length and wind catching ability.
I been leaving the same comment every video. 👍
It's going to drown the outer pontoons with the outboards mounted forward on the inner pontoons. He's going to have lots of issues that I don't think will make it that far to need bow thrusters. It's a delusional build.
@FarmerFpv I agree, but dudes gonna build it Anyway. Why not try to stop a total disaster and just make it poorly executed lol.
You could probably just use a big trolling motor as a truster
Put a hot tub cover that doubles as a draw bridge to the beach for beach landings!!!
Thank you for all the hard work in making these excellent videos.
Don't forget to pressure test the new welds to make sure there are no pin holes.
They do this in previous videos
Cool submarine
i honestly had never considered what the frame of a boat like this would be made of, but seeing it in all aluminum on the pontoons made it look so doable! can't wait to see this finished, for sure want to try this one day if i could!
I cannot wait to see this boat finished. I have been saying I want to build a pontoon and this makes me excited.
With outboards on the inner pontoons, when turning, won’t the thrust hit the outer pontoon which is longer and cancel out the angled component of thrust?
Depends on how low the prop goes?
Cap the inner pontoons before welding them to the tub, check the clearance on the outboards relative to the outer pontoons, they might get in the way and make turning not so fun, so check that or at least give yourself the ability to move them outwards if needed.
I'd also add a few more c channel bracing between each channel/beam there currently is.
Just a tip when working with a sting line, it’s a good practice to offset it like an inch off of your “final line” because it’s very easy to push something slightly into the string line and it’s a domino effect.
The tile in my dining room agrees with you there's a little section that's off because a bucket behind me, was touching a string.
@@trentgay3437 don’t feel bad brother We normally learn the lessons in life the hard way. lol
@B-Man90 it will look great from my next house lol.
@@trentgay3437 hahah that’s all that matters! I learned mine on the fence, thankfully, I caught it before I concreted the post
Literally the only time in the world I’ve ever ever heard somebody call a a party barge a yacht.
Awesome Chris! I'm really enjoying this build.
The reality is this boat will probably float pretty decent. It will be a pain to turn and expensive to operate, but will work. The scary part is just like a drift car, overtime it’s gonna take a lot of stress and stuff is going to fracture after only so long
Good energy and vibes. Good to see someone having a great time at work.
hope you're using 316 stainless fastenings with an isolating compound like duralac otherwise you're going to have some galvanic corrosion happening from dissimilar metals
I don't really normally watch your boat content but this is actually pretty interesting!
With that hottub placement its more like B is for Barge!!!!
Perhaps fill the pontoons with water as well? For stability?
@@AakeTraakS is for sink.
C is for capsized
This is badass. I'm not a boat guy but wouldn't you want x bracing between at least some of those stringers?
No high end ppntoon manufacturers that I know of do any "x bracing" .
I love seeing the Jumpican in the background!
You mean the ruined Lambo that jumped once and broke lol
Are you going to weld-in supports in-between the pontoons ?... Just having them bolted together at the top alone could cause stress on the bolts when rotational force is applied to round pontoons 20:03
Even as a diehard car guy, I love this build.
I think the progress is coming along badass! I think it would so awesome if you took a couple of fans to party on the boat with you!
Most high end pontoon manufacturers add extra stringers in high srtess areas like motor mounting locations and overhead decks.
Love how your making your dreams come to reality well done 👍
Can't wait for the trailer build
It’s living in the water. You mean transport episode
@@Mldavis1214 It looks like the boat is wider than 8'-6". They're going to need a permit to move the thing over land lol.
Might want to make the second level be removeable to transport seperately, or it might not be able to get under bridges.
Should be a great episode!!
I too am wondering about the trailer as I live in an area with a few boat manufacturers and trailer manufacturers as well as rvs. Elkhart county Indiana builds a lot of that stuff.
I think they'll get the main deck together and floating, then build the second floor on the water so they can transport it at an angle to fit inside the lane to avoid extra cost possibly.
Before you go too much further take it out to Haag Lake and float it in the lake. You can see the distribution of weight and how it floats. Maybe use a sump pump and pump water into the hot tub to see how the boat reacts.
You could weld protective support rails out of the box aluminum at the bottom sides of the hot tub box. You could boat the front and leave the back opened like what’s on the pontoons and when you’re moving it will eventually create lift As well as protection.
You could run a plum bob off the side of the pontoons on that cross bar. That way if the brackets are off the toons are straight to one another.
Please think about shear! Super exciting to watch. :)
I recommend that you stagger the flooring seams front to back and side to side. No 2 sheet seams connect with another.
I would through floor under boat storage between the center pontoons, maybe make one an insulated compartment to use as a cooler pre chilling some of those beverages on a long day outing
i like how you are "Ridged and Strong" while the camera is pointed at your junk , gave me a good chuckle
Just a point about the use of string lines. The way you used it is very common, however a more accurate way would be to place your string a unit away from your work (I usually go an inch or two out) and then measure to your pieces. The way you used it leads to creep, because the line gets touched by your work and pressed out. Looks really good. I work for a guy in Homer Alaska that builds aluminum Bristol Bay boats and all types of aluminum skiffs.
Fish are going to like hiding under your boat. 🤣 Put a Plexiglass floor.
Make sure to box in those brackets on the pontoon that support the deck and structure.
There's so much doubt in the comments!🍿Can't wait to see the finished product, the custom trailer to haul it, the finagling this thing through the garage doors and the maiden voyage. I'm not even a boat person but this is premium content right here!
He has never actually finished a project. He just reaches a "good enough" stage and moves on because the content no longer generates engagement.
This thing will twist and buckle until it breaks, if it even floats.
@@lexus82su Right? We are missing a chance to garner bets on this project. Sink or Swim bets. We all know TH-cam creators are professionals lol
No idea how this is going to go, but I am certainly here for it
Very cool build! You can use a compound miter saw for cutting aluminum. Its quicker and you can cut angles easy😊
So I'm curious do you have to have it inspected by coast guard to be able to use it?
This went from customizing lamborghini's to building rv's and platoonboats....the improvement is unreal
For the love of GD....please before you secure your wood to the pontoons, add waterproofing or an undercoating to the wood. Thompsons or maybe a bed liner material, so many homemade pontoons boats rot out because of the wood not being protected
I'm thinking they will have to use house moving dollies and beams under this thing to tow it to the water, and get some wide load permits and a low traffic schedule on a planned/approved route to execute the move. The boat ramp is going to try to flex it as it negotiates the change of pitch, as will other surface irregularities en route, and the moving dollies will need to be removed in the water and lifted out with a crane. Might have been cheaper to rent a space by the water and build it there. Also might be possible to get a pair of cranes there at the shop to lift it onto a flat-bed semi, with another pair of cranes at the marina to lower it in.
Be an idea to 3D print your boat as large a scale as you can and then load it with mass and see how it floats. Ideally put some waves in and see how it flexes.
It's great watching you guys work. So much attention to details... Always a great video, doesn't matter what the content is.
This build is very interesting, so many observations and recommendations from your audience that you need to give some thought to. This will be your most challenging build so far. Adding to so many other recommendations, I was thinking that you might want to wrap those pontoons with fiberglass to create a hull, just my take
Awesome progress Chris! I know you’ve done your planning but the left to right stringers are great but the only lengthwise strength is the pontoons. Is it worth running 2 lengthwise stringers to lock everything together longwise or are the pontoons strong enough? Anyways this thing is awesome. Can’t wait to see it done. I have no doubts about its buoyancy even with the hot tub. Gonna be sweet.
Before you get too far, you should have a pressure gauge on each pontoon to make sure your welds are good.
You've won your greatest battle and earned the right to fulfill your dreams. Bon voyage!
For the 2 pontoons that are getting engines, I would look into Tritoon center pontoons they have transoms built into them and they can take the stress a little better, rather than fabricating transom for you engines.
You need to read the comments, Chris!
Take the comments with a grain of salt, bro. No one is doing what you guys do. Love what you do and don't be discouraged please.
You are going to want to put a diagonal cross with beams in your second floor level. Waves coming in diagonally on you will put large forces on the trusses for the 2nd floor, warping the deck. You need diagonal beams to stop deck torsion ripping your second floor deck apart.
I'm a boat designer/stylist and I have to say I have never seen anything like it!
Starting to come together. I cannot wait to see what's next! 🧡👊
Looking good Chris!
@BFB; FYI; the Shorts 360, Commuter Aircraft, Is so Box Like in form,
it is one of few aircraft described as having a "Bow Wake"...
I expect the "Pool Area" will experience near "Flat Plate Drag" as
the Weight and Fluid Dynamics interact when under way.
The channel should put a fastback mustang body on the pontoon boat, for channel continuity.
I don’t see how almost 2 tons of hottub water is supposed to be offset by a couple of outboards, even 4 motors ain’t even close, that things gonna be draggin the bow something mean. I hope I’m proven wrong here
4000 lbs? Seriously? 😮 I want to see how he gets it to the water. That boats going to be massive.
The box is way more buoyant than the back pontoons. There not enough support around that box at all. 2x2 angle will catch hell.
@@christophermorris6386 If its 5x6x3 that's 673 gallons at 8 pounds per gallon is over 5000 pounds....
His numbers indicated 2000lbs for water (say 450kgs). I think he is using a hot tub insert so it isn't the full volume of the box (say 2 x 2 x .5 = 2000kgs) for water. That said I am not confident in the design at all.
@@justwhy24842 x 2 x .5? I don’t think anyone is calling sitting in 6” of water a hottub 😅
The motors need to be mounted on the outer pontoons for a better control
You’ll break the internet if you take it down haulover inlet. You’ll definitely know what it’s made of on a durability test
The mouth of the Columbia River into the Pacific Ocean (where he took the other boat and the diesel engine died) is far more dangerous than the haul over inlet. Ships sink and people die there every year.
Yeah Haulover is kinda tame to most inlets we have here in Australia as well.
Haulover is entertaining to watch because so many meatheads have no idea how to control a boat and it is on that magical border line for viewers of just bad enough that it will embarass them but not kill them.
😅😅😂😂
Haha, I can't wait!!
I am invested in this build even though I think it’s going to have some massive issues. Hot tub box is bad all around. I do not think you fully understand how much downforce you will have, water is going to bend the crap out of it or create a wave in front and you will swamp your tub. With the power you are adding is another huge problem, motors can’t be mounted directly to the pontoon you need a structure to disperse the pressure otherwise your motor mounts will rip the top of the pontoon. All in all I think you are in way over your head on this build. But we shall see…
So, why did you drill a access hole at 90 degrees from the mounting hole on your 2" x 2" stringers? This requires holding a nut or bolt with a wrench and then tightening the nut or bolt from the underside. Wouldn't it have been easier to drill the access hole above the mounting hole so you could use a ratchet and socket to tighten the nut or bolt from the top? Was this to facilitate removal when the sheeting is in place?
Now that you have all this experience welding aluminium, and knowing that your camper truck is top-heavy, maybe it would make sense to rebuild the box on the back of your camper in Alu?
I can't wait to see the trailer for this thing. Going to be epic
Well done on the camera frame rate! Looks great!
Hi Chris, liking the build but concerned about the use of plywood for the deck 18:17 if you do not seal the edges of the plywood it will absorb moisture and start delaminating. No matter what anyone says, even “marine grade” plywood still needs to have the edges sealed.
I may have a solution for you though, myself and my team over here in the UK have designed a product that stops the delaminating process, it is the only one on the market.
Would you be interested in a couple of free sample pots?
I would have suggested it wider. But it’s going to be amazing as is. ❤
Ppl doubting Chris’s abilities must not be long time viewers, he does
Dope shit and it’s well thought out, calm down guys