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Question about pontoon construction

Renegade34

Renegade34

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I have recently discovered that one of the pontoons is leaking and has a substantial amount of water in it. It’s only 2 years old and the other side had to be repaired once already due to a leak when we first bought it.
I’m trying to understand how the tubes are constructed. Some people have drilled a hole at the backend of the pontoon near the bottom to drain the water. My understanding is that they are made with separate internal compartments. If that’s true then how would water in the front of the pontoon drain all the way to the back?
 
" how would water in the front of the pontoon drain all the way to the back? "
It won't. Whichever chamber has water would have to be drained independently of other chambers.
 
That’s what I was thinking but it’s strange that welding shops are adding the drain plugs at the back of Benningtons then. I’ve seen it done several times, including the 2005 Benny I had that also started leaking.
 
Yes, they are chambered. Depending on the model and overall length, there is usually two or three main chambered sections and the nosecone assembly.

To drain a specific chamber, a hole would have to be drilled for that chamber alone.

Many other pontoon manufacturers have semi-chambered/baffled or full-length single piece pontoon tubes, which many shops may just assume that is also how Bennington's pontoon tubes are constructed.
 
Probably welders thinking ahead. Do it now and save time later if needed.
 
I remember seeing a drawing showing a cross section of a chambered pontoon tube. Each divider between the chambers had a small opening cut into the bottom of it. That way, if you tilted the bow up, all the water would run to the rear chamber and could be drained out a hole drilled in the back of the tube. I Googled but can't find a drawing showing this.

I have never heard of drilling holes to drain a leaky pontoon anywhere but the bottom of the rear tube so I thought all chambered pontoons had the same opening at the bottom of each divider.

I am aware that it is possible to suck water out of a tube through the vent hole that is typically on each chamber at the top of the log, but I thought it was easier and more common to just drill the rear bottom.
 
sunedog said:
I remember seeing a drawing showing a cross section of a chambered pontoon tube. Each divider between the chambers had a small opening cut into the bottom of it. That way, if you tilted the bow up, all the water would run to the rear chamber and could be drained out a hole drilled in the back of the tube. I Googled but can't find a drawing showing this.

I have never heard of drilling holes to drain a leaky pontoon anywhere but the bottom of the rear tube so I thought all chambered pontoons had the same opening at the bottom of each divider.

I am aware that it is possible to suck water out of a tube through the vent hole that is typically on each chamber at the top of the log, but I thought it was easier and more common to just drill the rear bottom.
Click to expand...
Thinking out loud but if that is true and there is a hole at the bottom of each chamber what would the reason to have chambers be? They all would fill up if there was a leak in any of them. I am guessing they all are sealed and their own chamber, that is a assumption however.
 
That’s exactly what I’m confused about. I guess we shall see as the water in my tube is in the front and I plan on drilling the rear tube anyways to add drains. We’ll see if the water comes out or not.
 
Carlson80 said:
Thinking out loud but if that is true and there is a hole at the bottom of each chamber what would the reason to have chambers be? They all would fill up if there was a leak in any of them. I am guessing they all are sealed and their own chamber, that is a assumption however.
Click to expand...
The dividers definitely give structural rigidity. I once jacked my old pontoon up midway between the dividers and the log started to collapse! o_O I immediately let it down and thankfully it did not deform permanently.

I understand what you are saying about the water tightness. Maybe someone that has toured the factory and seen the log construction process in person can weigh in.
 
I had these same questions about the “chambers” since we have been dealing with leaks in the middle chamber this summer. I have had one weld repair attempt done a month ago, and am waiting for a follow up. This is what I was told by dealership regarding chambers:

They are separate and sealed from each other. No drains within the chamber dividers, no holes, etc... They are meant to divid and contain an leaks. Each chamber needs to be drained independently, and if they are leaving drain plugs behind, separate in each chamber.

All of my leaks are in the middle chamber, port side, along peerformance foil welds. After the initial repair, they put a drain plug on the inside of my middle chamber on that pontoon. See pic below for reference.

CAD37CBF-FC93-4745-AB90-8048179419CE.jpeg
 
Jeff, I’m guessing that’s a pressure port. That looks like it’s up by m bracket trim. A drain would have to be on bottom.
 
Vikingstaff said:
They are separate and sealed from each other. No drains within the chamber dividers, no holes, etc... They are meant to divid and contain an leaks. Each chamber needs to be drained independently, and if they are leaving drain plugs behind, separate in each chamber.
Click to expand...

Too bad that separate chamber technique didn't help the Titanic!

Renegade, it's a 2018? Are you not going to take it to the dealer for this?
 
I don’t live close to any Bennington dealers. The closest is a 6 hour drive. I will take it to a local welding shop.
 
With all this talk about leaks, I have been wondering about the water that drains when I put the boat on the lift. I take it there will be water in the appendages that are welded to the pontoons? I believe these are providing lift. The time is limited, but now I need to be sure. I think the discussion was around checking the weld points? Tips?
 
M Jay Farr said:
With all this talk about leaks, I have been wondering about the water that drains when I put the boat on the lift. I take it there will be water in the appendages that are welded to the pontoons? I believe these are providing lift. The time is limited, but now I need to be sure. I think the discussion was around checking the weld points? Tips?
Click to expand...

In my case, it is the weld points along the performance foils. For others it has been in different places. If you climb around under it after putting it up on the lift, you’ll be able to see where that water is coming from. Some does just come out of different places naturally, but I think the different should be obvious.
 
M Jay Farr said:
With all this talk about leaks, I have been wondering about the water that drains when I put the boat on the lift. I take it there will be water in the appendages that are welded to the pontoons? I believe these are providing lift. The time is limited, but now I need to be sure. I think the discussion was around checking the weld points? Tips?
Click to expand...
Yes unless you have sealed lifting strakes water will get inside them and of course they will drain when you put your boat in the lift. In our old boat we would be sitting in a No Wake cove and we would see bubbles coming up then it would stop. We figured out it was coming from the lifting strake on the portside tube.
 
I have a tube with water in it. It was sitting on my lift for awhile due to health issues. That would make the leak on top of the tube? What is the best way to handle this. Thanks!
 
I would rather imagine that your toon took on water while using it and you just didn’t notice
 
Our cracks in the tube were on the top of the tube and where collecting water as we ran the boat. It took me 3 years to notice the problem. I drilled a hole to drain the water and then used epoxy to fill the hole and used the boat till the Bennington Dealer replaced the pontoon under warranty after Ohio boating season.
 
Ok, we just purchased our first new and only boat last season. How prevalent is this problem? I bought a Bennington because so many folks I spoke to spoke of the quality of the build. Not that I will be changing craft anytime soon, but I am hopeful this issue is the exception.
 
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