Need advice building a pontoon boat out of 55 gallon drums?

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CameronD

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So I've done a lot of math and I've concluded that a plastic 55 gallon drum will hold up about 480 lbs before it sinks. With that being said I've decided that 55 and 30 gallon plastic drums with closed tops and sealed bungs would be the best things to make pontoons out of for only having a very small budget.

I want to make a boat around 14-16 feet long. With the height of 55 gallon drums being about 3 feet, I could fit 5 of them in a row, each side of the pontoon boat. A total of 10 drums could hold up about 4800 lbs before sinking. Such a weight I don't think I'd ever reach.

I want to be able to fit 10 people on this boat. Using an extreme average weight of 200 lbs a person, I've got 2000 lbs I need to meet. Plus weight of the boat itself, coolers....the motor....gas tank....ect. ect. ect.

Just to help with readers to picture my design. I'm going to lay all of the barrels down, stacked top to bottom. 5 in each pontoon. Then if you were looking at it from the rear view, I'm going to put 3 long poles down the length of it, 1 at the 2 o clock. 1 at the 6 o clock, and another at the 10 o clock. Then weld them in place.

I do have a few concerns about using these barrels. Should I be concerned about cave ins when the barrels meet cold water? If so would it be smarter to use structurally stronger smaller containers like 30 gallon drums instead of 55s? I'm aware the leaking may occur, but like I said, I dont think I'll ever get near the sink weight. So leaking won't hurt it that much unless when it will only see maybe at best, 12 hours of use before going home. I can't imagine the leaks, if present, would be so severe it would be a problem in a 12 hour window.

With all that being said what are your concerns about using these barrels? Would you advice against them? If so, what else could I use to make pontoons out of?
 
You could reduce the possibility of thermal collapse or expansion by drilling a small (1/2" to 3/4") hole in the side of each drum, position the hole at the top as you arrange them for the pontoons. A better way would be to fill the drums with something like packing "peanuts" or similar. Many businesses that receive large boxed items dispose of the packing foam along with the boxes. If you ask around, you may be able to find someone who would be willing to give them to you instead. The plastic drums should work fine for recreational boating.
 
leaks shouldn't be an issue and neither should collapsing as long as you make the saddles where the barrels rest match the contour closely so they don't cause pressure points on the sidewalls of the barrels. as for length i'd make the platform shorter than the barrels for stability reasons (notice on pontoon boats they stick out both ends) this may require some additional fabricating but will ensure you don't swamp the front end when under motion( i've seen this happen with a pontoon boat that was improperly loaded.) i think the 30 gallon drums may be a better choice because they'll ride lower in the water and be a it more stable.
 
leaks shouldn't be an issue and neither should collapsing as long as you make the saddles where the barrels rest match the contour closely so they don't cause pressure points on the sidewalls of the barrels. as for length i'd make the platform shorter than the barrels for stability reasons (notice on pontoon boats they stick out both ends) this may require some additional fabricating but will ensure you don't swamp the front end when under motion( i've seen this happen with a pontoon boat that was improperly loaded.) i think the 30 gallon drums may be a better choice because they'll ride lower in the water and be a it more stable.
 
I don't think cave-ins would be a problem, unless you're going from a hot springs directly to the Artic Ocean. Leaking shouldn't be a problem if you caulk them and don't run them into anything. I would arrange the bungs to be as close the bottom as possible, though, just in case - you could open them to drain water if necessary.
 
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