Thank you! Now I can say it properly. I love the plate boats you guys build over there. They've inspired some of the features I use in my aluminum welded river boats!
Holy molely that barge turned out incredibly cool! It makes me want a smaller version to fish from on my small inland lake! You two are so talented. I love watching your videos which show how your awesome creations come to fruition. Please keep documenting your projects.
question, on the Bow what are the anchor looking poles that screw in the dirt? we have pontoons that are for fireworks and that would help us anchor them better, thanks
They are anchor spuds. Welded them up custom for this boat. They’re a dock screw bolted to aluminum tube and a mounting plate. They hold great in shallow water.
@@itscrazyproductions5639 a local aluminum welder/fabricator should be able to help you out with that. I believe I got the dock screw style ends off Amazon.
I worked for the marina I get them from for a few years, installed them, sold them, and loved everything outboards. It’s not easy to get the high HP motors shipped without those connections or background. Check with your local dealers first. You might be able to get one to install if you’ll pay to have the pre delivery inspection done after install to make sure everything was done correctly.
The calculations that I used rated each pontoon around 6800 lbs of capacity minus the weight of the pontoon itself. Assuming the pontoons weigh somewhere around 500-800 lbs each, that would mean it has somewhere around 18,000 lbs of buoyancy before the crossmembers, motor, wheelhouse, ramps, etc. So even if we added 4,000 lbs of decking, crossmembers, wheelhouse, and motor that would leave it able to float 14,000 lbs maxed out...so we said 10,000 lbs as a conservative operating load. I'm going to weigh it and subtract the trailer to figure out exactly what the hull and motor weigh...pretty excited to find that out!!
@@All-Ashore the goal for this boat build was to create a lighter, faster, more efficient barge to run errands the big companies won’t do. The 140 hp is a great little powerhouse for pushing that big of a boat, having low end torque for control, and being super fuel efficient. The fork and crane stuff is a whole different animal. I’ll build these open deck boats, but not sure I would ever get big into the forks and cranes…I’ll leave that to the pros for now!
I mentioned we’re going from an 11” pitch to a 13” pitch during the test run…I’m not sure where you’re referring to in the video but would love to know!!
@@grancitodos7318 I thought you might be referring to that part...As a separate thought from going from the 11 to the 13 I meant that in general we need a lower pitch than what most folks would put on a tritoon with a 140hp because we're hauling heavy loads and want the torque to still power through as well as still get the RPMs in the recommended range. Just me rambling thoughts together making it unclear!
Its a packer to pack it out and yes I am Australian and an aluminium boat builder.
Thank you! Now I can say it properly. I love the plate boats you guys build over there. They've inspired some of the features I use in my aluminum welded river boats!
Holy molely that barge turned out incredibly cool! It makes me want a smaller version to fish from on my small inland lake! You two are so talented. I love watching your videos which show how your awesome creations come to fruition. Please keep documenting your projects.
It would be a very comfortable fishing vessel, but I think some railings would be best for something you're fishing off of!
AMAZING WORK! Thanks for taking the time to video & share this project with us on RUclips.
Thank you! and thanks for watching!
This project turned out well but didn't surprise me I knew it would from the get go you always do a great job thanks for taking us along.
Aw man, what a kind thing to say! Thanks so much and for following along with our journey.
Dude!!! You’ve outdone yourself!!!
Make you want to start a barge business so I can build you one?!?
question, on the Bow what are the anchor looking poles that screw in the dirt? we have pontoons that are for fireworks and that would help us anchor them better, thanks
They are anchor spuds. Welded them up custom for this boat. They’re a dock screw bolted to aluminum tube and a mounting plate. They hold great in shallow water.
@@tomspontoons awesome how is something like that made?
thank you for the reply
@@itscrazyproductions5639 a local aluminum welder/fabricator should be able to help you out with that. I believe I got the dock screw style ends off Amazon.
@ awesome thank you
@@itscrazyproductions5639welcome!
Very nice build Tom great custom work !!!
Thanks so much! and thanks for watching!
Dig it. Wanna see the ultimate fishing toon. Lol
Check my other videos, just did a pontoon with Livescope, I-pilot, and more!
@@tomspontoons yes! Got center console!! Lol
I thought clue at the roll-out
Great Job! Looks Awesome. Where do you get your Suzuki outboards? I want to re-power with a 200hp. Can I get one shipped to me?
I worked for the marina I get them from for a few years, installed them, sold them, and loved everything outboards. It’s not easy to get the high HP motors shipped without those connections or background. Check with your local dealers first. You might be able to get one to install if you’ll pay to have the pre delivery inspection done after install to make sure everything was done correctly.
It's a packer not a pecker in Australia I am an Aussie .
Thank you for clearing that up!
Where are y'all located at
We’re up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Where are you watching from?
What was the cost to build it?
Projects like this end up in the $60-$70K range after all the customizations, motor, etc. TONS OF TIME went into this project!
The dog had his own idea of getting off the boat! lol
He's the best boy, but he's still a goofball about some stuff!
Do you build them for other people
There are rare occasions that we build boats to order for customers or use an old hull that we have in stock to restore for a customer.
How much weight do you think it can transport?
The calculations that I used rated each pontoon around 6800 lbs of capacity minus the weight of the pontoon itself. Assuming the pontoons weigh somewhere around 500-800 lbs each, that would mean it has somewhere around 18,000 lbs of buoyancy before the crossmembers, motor, wheelhouse, ramps, etc. So even if we added 4,000 lbs of decking, crossmembers, wheelhouse, and motor that would leave it able to float 14,000 lbs maxed out...so we said 10,000 lbs as a conservative operating load. I'm going to weigh it and subtract the trailer to figure out exactly what the hull and motor weigh...pretty excited to find that out!!
@@tomspontoons that's a perfect amount wow. Nice work tom, these unique builds are 👌. My goal is to build a forkbarge in the next 3-5 years!
@@All-Ashore the goal for this boat build was to create a lighter, faster, more efficient barge to run errands the big companies won’t do. The 140 hp is a great little powerhouse for pushing that big of a boat, having low end torque for control, and being super fuel efficient.
The fork and crane stuff is a whole different animal. I’ll build these open deck boats, but not sure I would ever get big into the forks and cranes…I’ll leave that to the pros for now!
You are going to increase the pitch, not decrease it, do you realise that mistake?
I mentioned we’re going from an 11” pitch to a 13” pitch during the test run…I’m not sure where you’re referring to in the video but would love to know!!
@@tomspontoons 12:49 "we are going to a 13, .......... we need a lower pitch"
@@grancitodos7318 I thought you might be referring to that part...As a separate thought from going from the 11 to the 13 I meant that in general we need a lower pitch than what most folks would put on a tritoon with a 140hp because we're hauling heavy loads and want the torque to still power through as well as still get the RPMs in the recommended range. Just me rambling thoughts together making it unclear!
@@tomspontoons OK, I understand.
Yep, sorry for the confusion!