Old Pontoon Boat

As I mentioned I recently purchased a pontoon boat. Not a new pontoon boat, a used pontoon boat. It's in fairly good condition, but as boats go, I have seen boats in worse shape. Having said that, I think it's fair to say that this is a pontoon boat that has "seen better days" and has been well used by it's former owners. That's OK too, after all, part of the fun of buying a used boat is the fun of repairing and restoring a used boat.

However, this old floater boat does need some tender loving care, some maintenance and some repair work. The boat navigation lights aren't working properly for one thing. The seller said it was something to do with "polarization" whatever the heck that means. I suspect it has more to do with burnt out lightbulbs or broken wiring. Polarization isn't something I am about to start trying to fix....I am not even sure what that means.

The gear shifter, or boat throttle control shifter is broken. It still works but it's made from plastic and the plastic lifter has snapped. I'm not particularly sure why it still works but it does, so I am not going to question it, just hope for the best until I can get a new REMOTE CONTROL to replace the broken one.

Other than that, there are a few issues with things like adding some snaps to the canopy, a good cleaning, and perhaps a tune up for the engine, at the very least some new spark plugs etc. Oh and the stereo system, while it works, it's kind of touchy, particularly the radio, which has a tendency to go off station. I suspect it's a wiring problem as well. I'm not well versed in pontoon boat wiring, but I have a feeling a lot of it is somewhat exposed to moisture, perhaps even more than a typical powerboat, which likely results in some deterioration of wires etc. So there is probably a need to run some new wiring for some of the electric power components like the navigation lights and the radio.

As of this post the Mercury 40 horsepower outboard engine is working quite nicely, so I am hoping I don't have to start doing any major engine repairs this year.

One thing about old boats, there is always something to do to them, but on the other hand, a little work and they can be like new again, and they are usually quite restorable. The beauty of this pontoon boat is that there is no fibreglass hull to repair, no leaks, no broken windshield to replace.

I'm torn between dry docking the boat and starting to refurbish it now, versus using it for the summer and starting the restoration work in the Fall after boating season. It is probably a good idea to use it for the summer as is, which will give me an opportunity to figure out what needs to be done. I'll have to fix the navigation lights right away because I hope to use it in the evenings, particularly for fireworks night at the campground and some of those lazy summer evening cruises.