Pontoon Boats are large flat bottomed boats that carry cargo and passengers. They are called party boats because of the number of people they can accommodate on board for a party. The hull is made of tubes called pontoons. These boats are best used in lakes and calm waters. Propeller companies make specific props that are ideal for pontoon boats. The main factors to consider when purchasing a pontoon prop is whether the prop provides sufficient thrust and turning ability for the large boat.
The best prop for the pontoon boat is the prop that the boat comes with. The manual of the motor will specify the pitch and diameter of the ideal prop. If the manual specifies a specific wide open throttle WOT rpm, it makes sense to get a prop that provides the required WOT RPM.
The material of the pontoon prop is an important consideration. Stainless steel propellers are not suitable props for pontoon boats. When a pontoon boat hits an obstacle stainless steel props resonate. The pass the resonance to other parts of the motor and cause severe damage. Pontoon boats are more likely to hot obstacles in calm water of lakes and rivers. Aluminum props shatter when they hit an obstacle. They are damaged but they do not allow damage to other parts of the engine. Aluminum is lightweight and it is easy to carry a spare aluminum prop and replace the prop if the original prop shatters because of impact. Stainless steel props give extra speed but the results of impact and the cost are too high compared to an aluminum prop which will give marginally less speed.
The best pontoon prop will allow optimum run around the engines at maximum rated rpm when the engines are run at full throttle. To get the best prop, the rpm should be checked with the average load, the above average load and full load of people, gear and fuel. The engine should never be overloaded by over propping.
Propellers with four blades control the engine better on a pontoon boat. This is because pontoons are large and heavy boats and drag a lot of water. In some cases three blade large diameter propellers can be quite effective in optimizing the performance of pontoon boats. The size of the pontoon boat is for leisurely movement. Upgrading the prop will not give the boat excessive speed gain.
Propeller companies make special props for pontoon boats. It makes sense to purchase a special pontoon propeller for getting the best performance. The specialties of these pontoon propellers are that they have a lower rake and more blade area which provide the thrust and control required by these large flat boats. Some pontoon props come with extra cupping in the blades to give more grip on shallow waters and to reduce ventilation especially during difficult turns.
Pontoon boats have a range of uses, from being leisure craft to transporting cargo or passengers. Using specialized pontoon propellers will help the boat perform with great efficiency.
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