Pontoon Strakes - Material Used

[-dirt-]

If you added strakes to your pontoon tubes, I would love to know the following info:

1) thickness of the material used
2) alloy of material used (e.g. 6063, 5052, 3003), if known
3) thickness of the tubes
4) welding methodology (e.g. 4" weld every 3')

If your toon came with strakes and you'd like to share the same info for those, I'd be glad to know that too.

Thanks!

 

[lmuss53]

Glad to see this conversation revived in this thread dirt.

I can't offer a lot of information except that I like the design of the Tracker NV strakes and looked at trying to copy that on my boat.

I have shortened a 22 foot tube to 14 feet and added it to the center of my 20 foot boat. If I had it to do over I would have kept most of the 22 foot tube and put a transom on it. I went to a 90 hp motor and found it impossible to keep the prop in the water no matter what we tried. Rather than starting to cut up the transom I went back to the 50 hp power, The third 'toon is still a welcome addition, keeping the bow high no matter what the load and not impacting the 50 hp performance at all.

I am thinking of going to a bigger motor again, which will make it necessary for me to modify the transom and probably add lifting strakes. I will watch your thread for information that might help with that decision,

 

[-dirt-]

Yes, I like the wide style that the Tracker NV used. I believe they were ~6" wide and set flat...

My current thought for strakes is 6" wide bottom x 4" high side-piece. With a 1" lip on each side, flared out to mate up with the curve of the tube for welding. That would make good use of a 12" wide strip of material.

 

[1983 ercoa 21']

I have a old ercoa with the hex toons the bottom being flat with a planning surface. I got lucky and picked up a center toon with a transom and strakes on it all ready but if it hadn't of had strakes on it already my thought was adding the flat surface to the toon by simply taking a 2' 6" by 8' and ending up with a 1' flat bottom with 6" sides 3" 45s with plug welds on bottom to stop any rubbing . That's just this ol farm boys thoughts of what he would have done because I was very impressed with how the outer toons planned so quickly. My boat is 21' and I had a 115 crank rated it ran 33 before adding the center toon.