winching a pontoon?

[jack450]

I have a 24ft. pontoon. We just bought a trailer with a float on center, not on pontoons . My question is there is no winch ring on our pontoon, so I dont know where to hook the winch cable. There is 2 holes, 1 each on pontoons. Can I make a girdle from cable. Hook it to both pontoons and attach winch to center and load on trailer. This is a homemade trailer so it will be my first attempt this fall any assistance would be welcome. Iwont have any problem strapping rear. The reason I cant put a center bow ring is there is only thin aluminum around deck. Also can I maybe put a winch ring on first crossmember thanks.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: winching a pontoon?

i've got a similar trailer. The first thing was to mount keel rollers on the pontoon itself, so it rides up the trailer bunks instead of halfway sliding up.

As far as winching, I loop the winch rope through one pontoon loop, over to the other, and then hook the rope onto itself. Has worked great for years doing it this way.

 

[jack450]

Re: winching a pontoon?

Where on the pontoon do you place the rollers? and how many do I need? Thanks

 

[H20Rat]

Re: winching a pontoon?

Don't have any good pics around, but NORMALLY you have two long trailer bunks that the pontoon crossmembers rest/slide on. You can take two normal keel rollers and bolt those to the front of the pontoon, on the back side of the very first crossmember. (You need them all the way forward to do anything.) One on each side/bunk. You don't need to worry about further back, since the pontoon is floating you really never need rollers there.