Festive Pontoon Boat Transforms Into Effective Work Space
Pontoon boats aren’t for partying and puttering around the lake anymore. These unique vessels have earned a reputation as some of the most versatile and rugged work boats. Boats that easily adapt to various and sometimes dangerous tasks including fire fighting, commercial recreation, wildlife protection, marina construction, fish and game research and management, and marine demolition or construction.
Pontoon boats, particularly Chinook Boats from Metalite Industries, have earned respect because design specifications can be tailored to payload capacity, work environment and weight demands. Width, length and buoyancy can all be modified to meet working requirements. And bow and stern shapes can be adjusted to allow for the best utilization of surface space and work requirements.
Each pontoon boat user will begin with a platform that is crafted for its durability and incredible flotation stability. But you can customize almost anything on these boats. From riggings, cleats, tie-downs, steering and enclosures - cabins, tarps or canopies. All based on the simple or complex nature of the enterprise.
Ken Hagman’s firm, Copper Bay Construction, has been a fixture on Idaho’s Priest Lake since 1977. He connects the increased use of his pontoon boats to the call for greater longevity of marine construction. “We’re using more aluminum framing and composite decking. Because of that, transporting equipment and materials to the site has become much more critical over the years.”
One aspect of Hagman’s work is removing damaged boat lifts and replacing them with new equipment. To make the job more efficient, Hagman went looking for a large, high-speed pontoon boat that could readily move and install heavy machinery. He chose a Chinook Pontoon Boat that was built to spec by Metalite Industries, a subsidiary of NewMax Incorporated. The 12 x 32-foot boat has a 15,000-lb capacity and carries a gantry crane that can lift and position 8,000 to 12,000-lb boat lifts. The speed and size of the new boat saves time and labor costs. “With it being 12 feet wide, which is extremely wide for its size, it allows us to deliver and set boat lifts with a two-man crew. As opposed to the old method, a slow moving boat that needed four people to jockey and set the lift in place.”
In fact, Hagman has calculated that since purchasing the Chinook Pontoon five years ago, he has saved half the cost of the boat in labor savings alone. Even as fuel costs rise, Hagman has calculated that he has saved even more money because of the boat’s four-stroke engines operate at one-third the cost of powering the large and heavy semi-displacement work boat Copper Bay previously used.
“We’ve been very impressed with the performance of the boat. It’s common to travel fifteen miles over water to get to a job site. Most work boats are semi-displacement vessels that plow through the water at a slow pace. The Chinook Pontoon work boats incorporate an angular, flat pontoon design that has a higher displacement and better surface planning capability. The design provides better hydro-dynamics to allow the vessel to plane on the water’s surface, where it can move quickly and more efficiently. We specifically wanted this boat so it would save money in labor costs by getting people to the job faster. We’ve had a lot of competitors, some who come from five hundred miles away, looking at the boat for design ideas for their operations,” he said.
Hagman’s Copper Bay Construction crew is in the midst of replacing Priest Lake’s oldest marina. A hundred boats slips will be replaced and a new breakwater will be installed. The marine aspects of the project will not be completed until the end of 2008, when full attention will be given to the on-shore construction of a bar and restaurant.
Hagman had his Chinook Pontoon Bout built with aluminum ramps that attach to the front of his boat. This allows the crew to transport and disembark mini excavators easily. The machinery is needed for the on-shore work that must be done during the winter months, when Priest, a reservoir lake, water level is lowered. Snow many arrive in early November and remain on the ground as late as April. Nevertheless, The pontoon boats are still working hard in the water year round.
Though Hagman keeps busy throughout the year, when time permits, he’s not opposed to a little fun. “Every summer, we throw a party for our twenty-five employees. We turn the pontoon boat into a floating party. We spruce it up and cruise around the lake, smiling at everybody. We’ve had more than 30 people safely on that boat,” he said.
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