How to make a homemade pontoon boat out of 55 gallon drums?

I have about 10 plastic 55 gallon drums at my disposal and was wanting to make a pontoon boat out of them, just wanted to get some ideas|||I kinda think you could strap 'em to a frame. If your straps held 'em firmly to the bottom, you could frame around 'em to immobilize 'em.





If you plan to have them floating where half is above the waterline and half below, each will support about 234 pounds *minus* the weight of the drum itself. So with all 10 drums you could use around 2300 lbs of building materials (*minus* the weight of the drums).





Try to get the weight evenly distributed. Unless you can figure out a way to add planing strakes to the drums, you'll have a displacement vessel -- it won't go very fast no matter how much power you hang on it. I'm thinking 40hp max...she'll be a lumbering beast, difficult to control. But she'll be your lumbering beast!|||I have only seen plastic drums used for floating docks and permanently moored homemade houseboats. Even if you could build a solid hull, handling would not be good and the speeds you could go would be around 5-6 mph. That maybe good if you want to go a short distance.





I also wonder if the Marine Police or Coast Guard would even permit such a craft to be used underway for passenger/recreational use?|||You can't pressurize them%26gt; And connecting them together is an issue%26gt; If they get holed they sink%26gt;Straps around the ends might hold them to the frame%26gt; But will move around%26gt;|||Here is the answer to your question. Listen to # 30.





http://thefuntimesguide.com/2004/10/bud_light_real.php


|||gotta get em filled with air probly like 50 pounds each.





btw make sure they dont leak =p





gl