I have a 35 ft. Playcraft pontoon HB and was listing to the port side. Suspected water in the port pontoon and was looking at option of hauling it out and repaired. Then some dock buddies came up with a great idea that seemed to get the water out. First, we found a small crack about one-half inch in length and well above the water line in the front of the pontoon just behind a medium size dent in the front of the pontoon. Here is how we got the water out and patched the small tear.

1) We drilled a one inch diameter hole in the top of the pontoon sticking out in front of the front deck.

2) We created a "low spot" on the front port potoon by placing coolers and tubs on the corner of the deck filled with water so it would weigh down the front and the water would flow to the front. The pontoon has baffles and foam inside, but baffles don't go all the way to the botton of the five ft. sections and allows water to flow in the bottom channel of the toon.

3) I got a 5 ft. section of flexible PVC (3/4 inch diameter) and duct taped the end to a 6.5 HP wet vaccum.

4) I ran the PVC down the front curved portion of the toon about 4 ft. in along the bottom of the toon.

5) We sucked about 90 gallons of water out of the toon (took about 6 hours) with the wet vac and water moving forward to the front.

6) The small crack was accessible from the one-inch hole we drilled and put some JB Weld on the crack from the inside. The crack was not on a stress weld, only right behind the dent in the front of the toon.

7) Let JB Weld cure for 24 hrs. and sealed the drilled hole on top up with a one inch boat drain plug with some silicone around it to be water tight. The lost water weight raised both pontoons up out of the water about 4 inches.

8) Tested potoon, plowed it through water and dry as a bone afterwards.



I am luck the crack was not undert the water line, but it worked, for now. Thanks for all the advice I have learned from this board, thought I would share some.

KnoxTN, What's the beam on your boat and how hight does it float in the water? My 35 ft. Crest has an 8'-0" beam and the 'toons floated about half in the water. There was no water in them, but it seemed a little low and would nose dive with 6-8 people on the bow. I added a center pontoon and now it floats conciderably higher in the water with no more submarining.

Waiveraider - my pontoon house boat is 35 ft. long and has a 10 ft. beam. The previous owner installed a center pontoon that is 16 ft. long from Wilson Pontoon (only goes halfway and does not go all the way the length of the boat).

Like you, most people want to sit on the front deck and the boat just plows water and front deck has taken on some water in wakes. Now I get people to sit in front and back. Since pulling the water out of the port pontoon, it sit higher and does not plow as deep in the water with people on front. The deck of the boat sits 18 inces above the waterline, so gotta watch the wakes. I run with a 70 HP Evinrude 2 stroker. Taking the water out really helped lift the boat and I am fortunate the small crack could be sealed.

These pontoon houseboats are really heavy and a lot of weight are on the pontoons. Weight distribution in center and back really helps.

waveraider

As the manufacturer of pontoon told me 1/2 the pontoon is under the water.

Half is a safe load, if more if that is under water you are either loaded to havey...or you have a leak.

6 - 8 people is quite a load in the fist 6' of the boat



jack

Here are pics of the holes drilled in top of pontoon sticking out under the front deck where the wet vac pulled out excess water.