Electric Pontoon Boat

I'm looking at party barges and would appreciate some first hand knowledge about the accessibility issue...being in a wheeichair myself I need some feedback on the in's an outs, do's & don'ts with party barge/pontoon boats and 300lb wheelchair not including me.

So if you or someone you know has dealt with this situation please let me know...thanks.

I agree with Tom above. Just make sure that when you do purchase a pontoon, that the deck is big enough that you will be able to move around in the wheelchair. Most pontoons are large enough to hold 12+ people, so I do not think that you will have a problem with the weight of the wheelchair.

2007-06-06 15:24:28 by cwgman2003

This is the electric paddle wheel pontoon boat. Designed for you to enjoy boating without polluting. Battery operated and includes charger. Plug ...

I've seen it done before but do i need to register it or anything like that. i have heard from a friend that has a pontoon boat also that registration is needed to put any kind of motor on a water craft. is this true?
sorry i forgot to mention i live in California.

Your friend is correct.
Every motor-driven vessel (regardless of length) that is not documented by the U.S. Coast Guard which is used or on the waters of this state are subject to registration by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This applies to private lakes, ponds as well.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/boatsinfo/boatreg. htm

2008-03-09 10:25:55 by james n

Price: $229.00 Too low to display

Made in USA
200 pounds of pulling power
Use up to a 40 pound anchor

I am planning to build an electric pontoon boat. I would be using it on a shallow harbour bay with lots of sandbanks, which is why a jet seems like a good idea to me rather than a propeller.

As far as I am concerned, the easiest way to build my own, electric jet drive would be to buy a DC pump with something like 4kW and position it cleverly on my pontoon boat, powering it with lead acid batteries. I want to make it electric, because it will need to recharge by wind rotors while moored. I am trying to achieve a zero-maintenance cost boat, or something approaching it.

But would that work? And would it be reasonable? Or are there better choices?

I have to keep reminding myself that not all questions on this forum are jokes and that I need to be positive and helpful... so that said...

The battery bank required to run a DC pump would be so enormous it would be impractical. Furthermore, the number of solar panels required to charge those batteries would exceed the size of the boat. Furthermore, the charge controllers required for those solar panels would even further the already exorbitant cost.

Let me say that there is NO such thing as a zero-maintenance boat. Forget about that right now. Try doing no maintenance on your car... and see how far it gets you.

Propellers are not going to be a problem for you... if you're in sandy areas you'll be better off with a prop than you would with a pump trying to digest sand. At the speed you'll be doing with an electric motor, you're not going to hurt a propeller. That said, if you need more thrust than a trolling motor and pair of group 29 or 31 deep cycles can provide you, look into a Torqeedo electric outboard. They're made in Starnberg, Germany, and judging from your use of "harbour", they're closer to you than they are to us in the States. Check out westmarine.com.

2008-09-10 17:34:53 by Chaco-Yekke Downyonder

Price: $559.99 $559.00

Digital Maximizer technology helps battery run 5 times longer on single charge
Side-to-side steering foot pedal with precise speed control knob
Quick-release lever for fast motor deployment

My pontoon boat needs a jump to get started. I have a motor cycle battery charger. The kind that you plug into an electric scocket in your home. Will it work on the boat. Thanks for any info on the matter.

If your motorcycle battery is 12 volt, the charger will work. Check the fluid level in the battery first, add distilled water to cover the plates if any are exposed. Then be sure to connect it to the battery first then plug it into the wall socket. When done, unplug it from the wall socket, then disconnect it from the battery.

2008-05-13 14:50:25 by sombody

For going slowly, "25 yards or so," from the banks of a lake!

I may be going out on a limb with this answer without knowing for sure the shaft length you will need but this should be plenty long and powerful enough for a pontoon of 16'x8'.
Minn-Kota Auto Pilot #70 APV2 US2 24Volt 60" Shaft
http://www.jollyannsales.com/trolling%20 motors/minn_kota_autopilot.htm
This will handle almost any windy conditions you will encounter short of a hurricane.

2007-04-13 17:11:33 by dzahncy