03-31-2010, 06:03 AM
FG is right on with her advice. Looking at your photo, maybe you can build some kind of battery platform from scrap plywood or 2X4 stringers and mount behind the seat. Going across the back from pontoon to pontoon high enough to be out of the water would be the strongest- to the frame or pontoon tops. You want your troll as close to center and near the seat as possible also, so you don't have to slide your frame so far forward. You can use 4 ratchet straps to secure the pontoons to the frame if you don't have secure "D" rings sewn into the pontoons or other secure method. You will have to steer with your fins with the motor behind you in a fixed straight position because it is difficult to rig anything to turn the motor head directly behind you. You can also rig the motor in front of you to get easy steering but then it will be blocking you from the front. The only other option would be a small rudder down low in front, maybe.
I don't build inflatable pontoons, but I have made 2 boats with polystyrene pontoons. I have made my own frames for existing pontoons from galvanized pipe, threaded rod and EMT (thinwall conduit) tubing. Basically use a EMT bender to make 4 curved pontoon tops to fit your pontoon.
Drill a hole in the center of each EMT curve for your 2 threaded rods that go aligned with the top of the the pontoons and use 8 nuts to bolt together to get a set of 2 curved tops, one for each pontoon. I drilled 4 pipe caps and ran the threaded rod thru them, used 8 nuts to secure at about 28" distance. The galvanized pipes screw into these caps to complete the square of the frame. Or you can drill directly into the galvanized pipe to do the same thing if you don't want to use caps. Caps just make breakdown of the frame easier. A 1"X12"X30" 3/4" (or larger) plywood is then bolted to the square of the frame across the galvanized pipe for mounting a standard boat seat. I used "J" hooks but long muffler type clamps could also be used. You don't want to drill the galvanized pipe inside the ends because that would weaken the stringers. There are different ways to drop down the seat if it is up too high and unstable or you can just make the whole frame wider and sit up high. I used 1/2" galvanized pipe for a small 6' pontoon, but 3/4 would be better for bigger pontoons.
Pon
[quote flygoddess]That could be okay. The battery you will want as close to the back of the seat as you can to help center it. Then you will be sliding the frame back and forth on the toons to find the spot where it will be level.[/quote]
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I don't build inflatable pontoons, but I have made 2 boats with polystyrene pontoons. I have made my own frames for existing pontoons from galvanized pipe, threaded rod and EMT (thinwall conduit) tubing. Basically use a EMT bender to make 4 curved pontoon tops to fit your pontoon.
Drill a hole in the center of each EMT curve for your 2 threaded rods that go aligned with the top of the the pontoons and use 8 nuts to bolt together to get a set of 2 curved tops, one for each pontoon. I drilled 4 pipe caps and ran the threaded rod thru them, used 8 nuts to secure at about 28" distance. The galvanized pipes screw into these caps to complete the square of the frame. Or you can drill directly into the galvanized pipe to do the same thing if you don't want to use caps. Caps just make breakdown of the frame easier. A 1"X12"X30" 3/4" (or larger) plywood is then bolted to the square of the frame across the galvanized pipe for mounting a standard boat seat. I used "J" hooks but long muffler type clamps could also be used. You don't want to drill the galvanized pipe inside the ends because that would weaken the stringers. There are different ways to drop down the seat if it is up too high and unstable or you can just make the whole frame wider and sit up high. I used 1/2" galvanized pipe for a small 6' pontoon, but 3/4 would be better for bigger pontoons.
Pon
[quote flygoddess]That could be okay. The battery you will want as close to the back of the seat as you can to help center it. Then you will be sliding the frame back and forth on the toons to find the spot where it will be level.[/quote]
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