Boating World

'Toon Transformation

With just a few modifications, you can turn your ordinary pontoon boat into a cabin cruiser suited for extended stays.

by Alan Jones

March 14, 2007

You're at the dock, sitting on your 25-foot-long pontoon boat and watching a family of six as they excitedly get ready for a weeklong cruise in their 34-foot cabin cruiser. Face it, you're a little envious; you love your pontoon boat, but it would be nice to take your own family of six on an extended cruise to places like the Tennessee River or the boundary waters up north in Minnesota. But even if you could afford a six-figure cruiser, your pontoon boat is a better match for your family's lifestyle. Oh well, you can't have everything ... or can you?

Make That Change
Believe it or not, not only can you turn your pontoon boat into a cabin cruiser that sleeps six, you can actually do some things better than you can with a conventional cruiser. For one thing, towing a cruiser capable of sleeping a large family often requires that your tow vehicle have the capability to rip stumps out of the ground or haul semitrailers, not to mention the hassle of jumping through the wide-load legal hoops in order to tow anything with a beam greater than 8 feet 6 inches. Also, if you like to do a little fishing, a pontoon boat is a much better angling platform than a conventional cabin cruiser. Another factor is fuel economy. A 12,000-pound cruiser might get 1 to 2 miles per gallon, which can add up to an alarmingly large amount on a long trip. Well, not only is a 3,000-pound pontoon boat easier to tow ... opening up the cruising possibilities to the extent of your imagination ... but when powered by one of today's new generation of 4-strokes or direct-injected 2-strokes, you can also expect more like 4 to 6 mpg ... even more if you're ambling along.

Air Bed Rear 2What's the best pontoon boat for the job?
The biggest limitation of using a pontoon boat for cruising is that pontoons aren't designed to handle rough water like a deep-V hulled boat. While almost any pontoon boat can serve as a cruiser in protected waters, triple-pontoon models give you the most flexibility and safety on larger bodies of water. That's because they give you more buoyancy, which not only gives you more speed, but also allows you to ride higher in the water ... a good thing, since cruisers tend to overpack. Another option that makes your pontoon more seaworthy in choppy water is an aluminum underskin, which covers the I-beam frame that your deck is built on and makes it more hydrodynamic. A pontoon boat with a length of 25 feet or more with at least a 115-hp, new- generation outboard or inboard/outboard engine should give you the performance you need for cruising.

Does it have enough range?
Most outboard-powered models have relatively small fuel tanks that are usually in the neighborhood of 24 gallons or so, giving you an effective range of only about 100 miles. To increase this, you can look into installing a larger tank; however, most pontoons have space limitations where the original tank is located. Another option is to add an auxiliary tank, which can be mounted on the stern platform, or you can bring along several jerry cans, but make sure they can be fitted with a spout that doesn't leak. You can even secure a 29-gallon, wheeled fuel caddy on the stern that has a built-in, gas pump-style spout. If you have to install it on the rear of one of the pontoons, you can counterbalance it by carrying additional water (you'll need it with kids along) on the other side to prevent listing.

Full EnclosureWhere's the cabin?
Almost every major manufacturer of pontoon boats offers a complete camper enclosure that not only keeps you cozy while you sleep but can also be left deployed while cruising in inclement weather or cool temperatures. Even if you didn't order this option when you originally bought your boat, see your dealer about installing a retrofit. Many pontoon boats are available with changing rooms that have portable heads ... some even have dockside pumpouts ... but encouraging the crew to use land-based facilities is the way to go ... literally.

Where are we going to sleep?
With the incredible amount of deck space that even a mid-sized pontoon boat affords, you'll have no problem sleeping six or more passengers. Most manufacturers have several ways to create sleeping space. You can always sleep on the pontoon settees themselves, and if you have a stern sunning pad, your needs are almost met, but if you require additional capacity or want at least queen-sided accommodations, you have several options.

Air Bed Rear 1 For starters, many builders offer convertible couch options that have foldout sleepers. These range from inexpensive models that have the dreaded back stabbing bar or may feature uneven cushions, all the way to the premium models like Flexsteel EZ Beds that give you a quality sleeping surface. A better solution, offered by many manufacturers, is an inflatable mattress that joins up to existing deck furniture to form a huge, comfortable sleeping area. There are also inexpensive, raised, stand-alone inflatable cushions available on the aftermarket that stow away easily when not in use, and like the manufacturer's models, they can serve as sunpads during the day. If you have a gaggle of kids along, they can each have an inflatable swim raft, which costs about $5 each and provides a comfortable bed.

What's for dinner?
When you go cruising, meals aren't merely sustenance ... they take on the element of entertainment, providing you have a galley. Fortunately, most pontoon manufacturers provide roomy entertainment centers that already have a sink and spigot, so this can be where your galley is located. If you need more food prep space, a small folding table set up adjacent to the wet bar should suffice. Since there is ample floor space, a couple of coolers should be adequate for food storage. There are a number of 12-volt kitchen accessories that plug into the input ... formerly known as the cigarette lighter ... that are available at marine supply stores like West Marine or Boater's World. For less than $60, you can get appliances like a blender, coffeemaker, toaster oven or a George Foreman-style grill. Combine these with a gas barbeque grill and an alcohol or butane stove, and you have a well-equipped galley.

Day Enclosure 2 Other conveniences that add to your cruising pleasure are a fan for muggy evenings and a power shower called Big Kahuna (www.bigkahunashowers.com), which also plugs into the 12-volt outlet and has a 6.6-gallon water tank. To power these items, a three- or four-battery setup with multiple deep-cycle batteries similar to a trolling motor should suffice (use a combiner to allow your engine's alternator to keep everything charged up). Make sure to isolate the cranking battery with a switch to ensure you can start up in the morning.

As long as you don't have to make long runs in open water, you can do just about anything in a properly equipped pontoon that a more expensive cruiser can do. So rig it up, tow it away, and get cruising.

Photos courtesy of Premier Marine Inc.

Related Links:

www.bigkahunashowers.com (http://www.bigkahunashowers.com)