How to give your boat a second life !

Buying a new pontoon boat can sometimes cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. If yours needs a little love, a restoration might be the most economical solution.

If you love crafts and have a free weekend this summer, take the opportunity to work on your pontoon boat and refurbish it. In the rest of this article, we'll take you through the main steps involved in giving your pontoon boat a second life.

 To restore your pontoon, you'll need certain tools. These include

• A screwdriver or 18 V electric drill with matching bits
• Wire strippers
• A set of sockets
• A set of wrenches
• Hammer, screwdriver, wrench and other hand tools
• Lever bar
• Dremel or other multifunction tool
• Circular saw
• Rivet's gun
• Voltmeter
• And electrical tape

First, you'll need to get the pontoon boat out of the water and onto dry land, or into a large garage if you have one. Make sure you have plenty of space around the pontoon boat so you can move around easily with your tools.

Remove the seats, roof and rails. During this step, be sure to keep the rails and vinyl in good condition to avoid having to replace them.

Next, remove the console. Take the time to identify all the electrical wires you'll need to cut to facilitate reassembly of the console. Don't forget to remove or disconnect the battery to avoid electric shocks.

Once the console has been removed, it's time to remove all the lights. Remember also to remove all side trim and aluminum corner pieces. In short, all pontoon boat parts and accessories should be removed at this stage.

Once all the elements have been removed from the pontoon boat, you can remove the flooring, which is usually carpet. When the carpet is removed, remove any screws, bolts and fasteners you can find. Next, remove the plywood. This last step can be physically demanding. Don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

Be careful not to damage your pontoon boat frames while removing the plywood.

Before applying your new flooring, you'll need to reconnect your pontoon boat wires. The new wires will have to run along the frame of your boat. Again, label these wires to make connection easier.

The ideal flooring for pontoon boat is marine-grade plywood. It's more expensive than conventional plywood, but more durable and water-resistant.

A more permanent solution is to use aluminum or stainless steel round-head bolts to secure the flooring to the frame.

Vinyl flooring is also available, but most pontoon boats use carpet. They come in all colors, qualities and prices.

To keep the carpet in place, use a water-resistant marine adhesive. Exterior adhesive is not enough.

When installing the carpet, it's best to use two people to make the job easier. First apply the glue to the first section of plywood and to the surface of the mat to be glued. Unroll the carpet on the first section, making sure there are no air bubbles underneath. A carpet roller can help you here. Then repeat for the second section.

You need to work quickly when installing the carpet to avoid the glue drying too quickly.

Once the carpet glue is completely dry, you can reinstall the console and electrical cables. You'll probably need to drill holes for some of the wires. Next, reinstall the benches and all pontoon boat accessories.

Finally, reconnect the steering cable to the motor and you're done! Your pontoon boat begins its second life!

 Each flooring material has its advantages and disadvantages.

Carpet is the most common type of flooring used on Quebec pontoon boats. It's inexpensive and doesn't get slippery when your feet are wet, but can be more difficult to maintain.

Vinyl flooring, on the other hand, is more expensive than the carpet, but it is easy to maintain and well suited to saltwater environments. On the other hand, the floor can become very hot on hot, sunny days.

Choose a marine-type adhesive, that is water-resistant. In general, a gallon of glue can cover a space of about 8 by 12 feet. Most pontoon boats will therefore need two gallons of glue for carpet installations.

 The first step is to inspect your benches properly. If they're still in good condition, you can reinstall them. If not, you can replace them with premium pontoon boat seats.