How Are Pontoons Constructed?
American farmer Ambrose Weeres of Richmond, Minnesota is credited with inventing the modern pontoon boat in 1952, according to the Yacht Council. The first pontoon boat used two aluminum cylinders tied to a wooden deck.
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Cylinders
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The cylinders that provide flotation for the pontoon are created by rolling sheets of aluminum into cylinders and welding them to be water tight, each pontoon cylinder is made up of a number of watertight cylinders. High-quality aluminum is important to avoid corrosion in saltwater, according to the Used Pontoon Boats website.
Deck
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The basic deck used for the construction of pontoon boats is usually manufactured from pressure-treated wood to avoid rotting. Wood is used because metal can become too hot to be used on days with large amounts of sunshine.
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Mounts
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The cylinders and deck are attached together using metal mounting legs positioned around 16 inches apart. Outboard motors are commonly used to power pontoon boats, which are mounted to the boat using specialty motor mounts.
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