Homemade Pontoon Dock / Boat / Barge Part : 4 

Thanks

thanks chud! im also jealous of your nose cones, homemade motors and your awesome crew! glad you like it. thanks for stopping by and commenting :)

Hey, btw, I have started a homemade barrel boat" group on facebook. I would love it if you would consider joining and sharing some of your pictures / experiences. Thanks for the reply on my comment.

Mr Random thanks MRRandom

awesome glad you enjoyed it. thanks for watching :D

thanks Pete!

thanks. its pretty cool for a backyard budget build.

Thanks 🙏🏽

Good idea 🤷🏽‍♂️

yeah it was nice to get it wet finally but the maiden voyage was too short because of wind and a weak battery. i hope to get it wet again before the season is over.

thanks : )

thanks for the input and for interacting. check out my 8ft Jon-Boat build also here > ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kwoQPiwKd8E.html

it was bitter-sweet, i had no doubt it would hold a ton, literally, but it was not as satisfying as it should have been, not as satisfying as the jon boat build, because i had trouble finding someone to come along this time, and the wind was way too strong this day, and my weak battery only lasted 20 mins on the trolling motor. next time i will try to bring better batteries and maybe an anchor, and spend more time out there. thanks for watching :D

thanks Tim : )

thanks Mean Gene Customs ! yes i do enjoy being creative and building stuff

@@613Builds great work john 👍

Yeah Lakes and calm rivers. Thanks

thanks !

Pro Rider Even a trolling motor on your boat requires it to be registered in Florida. I'm not sure what state he's in. Might not be required in his state.

lol it sure was windy that day. i never catch a break or a fish but i try anyway. :P

@@613Builds - lol! Well anyway, I really like your build. It looks well thought-out and purposeful. Have fun my friend!

@@shanebeaudrot777 thanks for interacting

that's like farming black land, too wet and sticky in the morning and too dry and hard in the afternoon, but just right when you go to lunch.

yes law here is one PFD per person on board. legally here in ontario canada im allowed to have the PFDs on board but wearing them is optional. i do keep them on board for legal reasons, either as a seat cushion or in the storage compartment

thanks. thats awesome. :)

each 50 gallon barrel supports 450 Lbs ! i believe this is capable of ferrying atvs to islands. when i tested it, the craft barely tracked at all unfortunately due to the massive amount of buoyancy. it pretty much sits ontop of the water rather than in the water. thats why the windy day was terrible becuase the craft can easily blow sideways when its sitting ontop of the water rather than tracking thru the water like a pair of canoes. perhaps a little more weight on the craft, or less barrels would help it sit into the water and track better. i believe these are stronger than commercial plastic dock floats and you probably could build a cabin on a craft like this, with stronger materials such as treated 2x8's or 4x4's

@@613Builds Thanks John. Yeah i was thinking more of static houseboat really, pontoon and cabin. They could be good for this! Maybe filled with expanding foam or something similar?

It can be done - there are 200 of them holding up my floating home! All standing upright.

digyabatty floating docks do not require licence . Video Title is Homemade pontoon dock boat barge part 4 . I guess some days I call it a boat. Some days I call it a swim raft. No licences required for swim rafts or floating docks . I have only had it out on the water only once. I no longer have the transport trailer and seems like lazy people these days so nobody ever wants to go. Loading and unloading it alone is a chore so I’d just leave it in the water and call it a floating dock. But personally I’ve only used mine once. Only been wet once , tested In This video . I have no problems law enforcement, I try to abide by the laws and I know a few laws, and I know a few lawyers, and I play it safe. Legally if you’re building a boat than you will likely need to register it , depending on your local laws. However if you own your private lake, or if you just build a floating dock or swim raft, you might be fine. Contact you local law office or lawyer for specifics or laws or loopholes for your area. I can’t give you any real specifics but you local MPs or lawyers might help you. Depends on if your building a dock or boat or swim raft. I know the title says dock/boat/barge but which one you choose is up to you

i agree 100%

great question! i did not use any foam inside the barrels but small amounts of closed-cell foam might be a good extra precaution . thanks for your input!

Buddy of mine built one 6 years ago and since I'm building one he commented that I should put 2-3" of sand in each barrel for stability. Haven't decided if I will or not but he insists if I don't I'll regret it.

@@jimmiller4667 this one has so much buoyancy that it sit on the water rather than IN the water, so it didn't track well in the wind. sometimes the wind blew it sideways. another friend @chud327 made one similar size with 6 barrels instead of 8, which gives it more depth in the water, thus more tracking. but this one is capable of ferrying ATVs to islands due to the massive amounts of buoyancy, depends on how much weight you will carry and the size of the craft

Awesome 👏🏽 thanks Ron ! I did some math regarding buoyancy and the sinking hold over 3000 pounds I believe. I considered using it to ferry a small ATV to an island. I can think of at least half a dozen good uses for a craft like this. Cheers 🥂

yes anchors work well but we didn't bring one for the short float test. it definately was super windy unfortunately

Yeah but at least you know

🛠😎

yes it sits a bit high in the water with 8 barrels and limited passengers. youre right. i designed it to accomodate dirtbikes and mini ATVs to ferry heavier items to islands. if youre only making a swim raft platform or floating dock im sure 6 barrels would be fine. i just didnt want any gaps between the barrels within the row that makes a pontoon because every barrel would have to push tthrough he water hydrodynamically.

@@613Builds I see. You would possibly lose the "catamaran effect" if you had gaps between the barrels, and I suppose more is always better 😉. I asked because I'm starting a similar project but my one will have to go under bridges which sometimes are only 2.5 meters high and it will be covered. Thanks for the explanation.

yes life sure can keep us busy. not enough hours in a day lol. Thanks for stopping in and thanks for watching

Buoyancy testing in SE Ontario Canada. It rides a bit high on the water but I think it's capable of ferrying a DirtBike to an island. Thanks 🙂

@@613Builds LOL...I meant a bit more specific: I'm on Beaver Lake, north of Napanee, and do weekly drone/other videos of the area. You seem to be around the same neck of the woods.

@@DonJoyce awesome! yeah i'm not far from you at all. I used to live in Napanee. I cant remember the name of this spot but I think it's called Kenebec Lake ? I will have to check out your channel :) beautiful neck of the woods for drone videograpgy

you're right. i was just too anxious to get out and test float the thing. Thanks for watching

Or if you decide to go the electric route, make a good deep cycle battery bank with 4-6 batteries and go with 2 different types of chargers. Like maybe put a top on it and mount a couple of 100 watt solar chargers and a small wind turbine. You could run for quite some time with that type of setup.

yeah electric isn't bad but i had only a single weak battery that day in my rush to test float. thanks for watching :)

Around about 200 or 250$ Canadian in materials , give or take

sounds like great fun, aside from the beaches part. i think it is capable of ferrying a dirtbike or a small ATV to islands , does that count?

MrJohn613 yes it does. Let’s just build an armada of them and control the waters

@@requoiseofficial3881 at 450 lbs buoyancy per barrel x4 = 3600 lbs of capacity. should hold well over a literal ton of artillery :D

i would definately put a bigger motor on if i could find something cheap. :D

@@613Builds yeah

@@noaharmstrong752 snow here now, perhaps in the spring or over the winter might find something. i think it has to be the long / deep shaft like the trolling motor.

That is one awesome boat. Excellent job

you're right, it was barely enough to fight the wind that day lol

each barrel supports 450 lbs of buoyancy, the craft weights around 400 lbs i think. im only using a small electric trolling motor to position the swim raft or take the platform for a test float. its 27 ft lb thrust i believe

@@613Builds Thanks man, am building a similar pantoon, inspired by you and others. My weight is similar to your. And using a 10 hp outboard. Is it okie?

@@crazyboyzpro2001 yes but if i could do it again, i'd make a lower transom mount for the engine. this craft sit high up on the water. thanks

am already struggling with balance and motor height, my drum submerge atleast 2/3. Hence experimenting with mounting the motor inwards( instead of at the end) somewhere middle of last drum.

@@crazyboyzpro2001 mine had the opposite, too much buoyancy where it sat ontop the water

yes good idea! unfortunately i was in a hurry for the maiden voyage test and i didnt bring an anchor. this first test proved the massive buoyancy, the craft was sitting on the water rather than in the water. and it was also very windy

sometimes i edit it out or turn it down in severe wind situations. otherwise there would be excessive wind noise

some type of glitch sorry about that

@@613Builds all good mate, she still afloat after a year?

@@huh2634 its been paarked for a long canadain winter. still snow on the ground here in places. might get it wet again this season. i have an epic idea, if i do get it out again this summer.

@@613Builds cant wait to see!

yes sir, i believe you are correct. ive come accross a few recently but they were all short shaft, and this craft requires a long shaft motor. perhaps soon i can get a larger gas motor and / or bigger battery bank. thanks for watching jim

Use some wood and build a lower motor mount so you can use a short motor they are way cheaper, you have skills! You can get one with a remote steering and build a seat with a steering wheel and motor control.

yeah it could benefit from a lower transom, good idea. thanks for watching

i frequently think about moving south. it's way too cold up here in Canada

Gordon Taylor actually life jackets are on board, 1 per person. Local laws require them be on board but not legally required to wear them, here in Ontario Canada. I do bring them on board and I do abide by the laws.

yes i do talk too much. you're right. :P