Tin Diesel
Well-Known Member
I've been away from the forum for a couple of weeks while I recapture my mojo about my boat.
We've only been out a couple of times since we bought it used last fall, and only twice on Lake Livingston (1 hour north of Houston, TX) and both times on Lake Livingston we dented the port pontoon.
The first time, we were launching at Lake Livingston state park. The ramp is small, and the cove is shallow. The ramp we were using had a long dock at 90 degrees from both sides of the ramp. The second time we launched the wind caught us as we backed out and pushed us stern-first around the shoreline in front of the dock. No problem, we're at drifting speed... except that suddenly crack-whump, we hit something. It was so hard and unyielding and close to the dock that I wonder if it was an old pier footing. Anyway, it broke off the transducer and split the seam for 2 inches where the end-cap of the pontoon meets the tube (at about the 5 o'clock location). Two hours of driving to get a $155 fix to the hole, plus a new Humminbird to replace the 11-year old Garmin (that part was OK!
).
I sort of consider this one to be kind of my fault (sheepish grin). The boat ramp was really small, and somebody said there were stumps out in the cove, so I should have known better.
But a couple weeks later we were at Wolf Creek Park on the other side of the lake. Really fabulous park for our Airstream, and a good ramp. On the last day, we were cruising along and decided to fish in an arm of the lake on the south side of the Wolf Creek area. Depth finder said 12-14 feet of water, and the best part was that at the end, I could see a huge twin-screw cruiser suspended in a 2-story boat-house. I figured it must be safe, but was still motoring slowly (not idle-slow, but very slow) along the channel. There was a solid bump and the port side lifted up then back down. I figured "phooey" (or some such word!). When we took the boat out of the water, we had a HUGE 2-foot long dent in the bottom of the pontoon that at its deepest is probably 3 inches into the pontoon. It split the seam on the end-cap (at the 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock location), bent the cap back slightly, and opened up a "smile-shaped" hole 5 inches long and a half-inch wide. The hull must be compartmentalized because I'm amazed we weren't seriously listing by the time we got back to the dock. The V-channel keel is pretty crooked. As before, 2 hours of driving, and another $155 to fix the hole, but the dent can't be fixed. At least the transducer is OK.
So, my main issue is this... just how soft are these pontoons? I don't think my dad's 16' bow-rider ever had this issue the few times we bumped a stump.
I'm guessing this serious dent may cause turbulence over the transducer, reducing reading at higher speed, but haven't had a chance to test it yet (this weekend).
And finally, I am NEVER going back to Lake Livingston. I've done more research and its just too risky. Not just existing stumps but too many floaters drifting down from the wooded areas. We thought we were safe on the south side of the lake, but now I think I was just lucky I didn't hit something at 40 mph. (God protects idiots and small children)
I'm one of those guys that keeps my equipment in perfect shape. If I was rich I would replace the pontoon, but I can only console myself that the dent is invisible when in the water, and even when on the trailer... (so maybe its in my head??)
Thanks for letting me vent... I needed that!
We've only been out a couple of times since we bought it used last fall, and only twice on Lake Livingston (1 hour north of Houston, TX) and both times on Lake Livingston we dented the port pontoon.
The first time, we were launching at Lake Livingston state park. The ramp is small, and the cove is shallow. The ramp we were using had a long dock at 90 degrees from both sides of the ramp. The second time we launched the wind caught us as we backed out and pushed us stern-first around the shoreline in front of the dock. No problem, we're at drifting speed... except that suddenly crack-whump, we hit something. It was so hard and unyielding and close to the dock that I wonder if it was an old pier footing. Anyway, it broke off the transducer and split the seam for 2 inches where the end-cap of the pontoon meets the tube (at about the 5 o'clock location). Two hours of driving to get a $155 fix to the hole, plus a new Humminbird to replace the 11-year old Garmin (that part was OK!
).I sort of consider this one to be kind of my fault (sheepish grin). The boat ramp was really small, and somebody said there were stumps out in the cove, so I should have known better.
But a couple weeks later we were at Wolf Creek Park on the other side of the lake. Really fabulous park for our Airstream, and a good ramp. On the last day, we were cruising along and decided to fish in an arm of the lake on the south side of the Wolf Creek area. Depth finder said 12-14 feet of water, and the best part was that at the end, I could see a huge twin-screw cruiser suspended in a 2-story boat-house. I figured it must be safe, but was still motoring slowly (not idle-slow, but very slow) along the channel. There was a solid bump and the port side lifted up then back down. I figured "phooey" (or some such word!). When we took the boat out of the water, we had a HUGE 2-foot long dent in the bottom of the pontoon that at its deepest is probably 3 inches into the pontoon. It split the seam on the end-cap (at the 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock location), bent the cap back slightly, and opened up a "smile-shaped" hole 5 inches long and a half-inch wide. The hull must be compartmentalized because I'm amazed we weren't seriously listing by the time we got back to the dock. The V-channel keel is pretty crooked. As before, 2 hours of driving, and another $155 to fix the hole, but the dent can't be fixed. At least the transducer is OK.
So, my main issue is this... just how soft are these pontoons? I don't think my dad's 16' bow-rider ever had this issue the few times we bumped a stump.
I'm guessing this serious dent may cause turbulence over the transducer, reducing reading at higher speed, but haven't had a chance to test it yet (this weekend).
And finally, I am NEVER going back to Lake Livingston. I've done more research and its just too risky. Not just existing stumps but too many floaters drifting down from the wooded areas. We thought we were safe on the south side of the lake, but now I think I was just lucky I didn't hit something at 40 mph. (God protects idiots and small children)
I'm one of those guys that keeps my equipment in perfect shape. If I was rich I would replace the pontoon, but I can only console myself that the dent is invisible when in the water, and even when on the trailer... (so maybe its in my head??
)Thanks for letting me vent... I needed that!
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