Custom Pontoon Boat Lowe Line

NO RESERVE & NOT FOR SALE LOCALLYThis

pontoon boat is truly a custom craft. We refer to her as Rescue Vessel

Lionfish. In 2011, she was completely redesigned/rebuilt, from the pontoons up, for search & rescue

operations by Badlands Search & Rescue in central Texas. Her design is

also great for fishing, bowfishing, scuba diving, photography/video, exploring,

or just chilling. This boat's most exceptional feature is its 100% aluminum

deck. She is the only pontoon boat I am aware of that has an all-aluminum planked deck. Most plywood pontoon decks must be completely replaced every 5-10 years.*** The owner of this boat will NEVER need to

replace the deck! ***The benefits of the aluminum deck cannot be overemphasized: light

weight, strong, stiff, & rot-proof. As you might expect, the deck was installed at

a significant expense to us, due to the increased time/ labor involved and the

high cost of extruded aluminum. Only high quality marine-grade components were

used to build this boat.

WHY ARE WE SELLING THIS BOAT?

100% of the proceeds of this sale will go toward my family's transition into

full-time Christian mission-work abroad. There is absolutely nothing wrong with

this boat. Although we will be sad to part with R.V. Lionfish, we are

excited about the next chapter in our life.DIMENSIONS:

Length at deck level: 18'5"

Note: this measurement does not include the outboard motor. Add: 24"

Note: this measurement does not include the roof's overhang of the bow. Add

10"

Width (Beam): 96 3/8" (just over 8')

Height while the boat is resting on trailer (ground to rooftop): approx.

122" (just over 10')ROOF: A COVERED PORTION AND A SHADED PORTION

The covered (rainproof) portion of the roof (stern to amid ship) is 116"

(just over 9.5'). This structure consists of an aluminum framework covered with

aluminum sheet metal. Camo netting is affixed over the aluminum sheet metal.

The camo netting helps dissipate heat in the hot summer months.

The shaded portion of the roof (amid ship to bow) is 110" (just over 9').

This structure consists of an aluminum frame with bamboo crossbars supporting

camo netting. The camo netting shades the deck while still allowing a view of

the sky.

FUEL-RELATED:

The fuel tank is an aluminum 39-gallon tank manufactured in May 2011 by RDS. It

was purchased at West Marine. There is an on/off fuel valve mounted just

outside the tank for emergencies. All of the fuel hose is marine-grade. The

entire length of the fuel hose, from tank to outboard motor, is housed inside

PVC tubing for protection. There is a priming ball mounted conveniently near

the outboard motor.SCUBA TANK HOLDERS:

Four aluminum scuba tank holders (tubes) are installed against the port side

fence. The tubes are 12" tall and have 5/16" thick walls! These tubes

will not dent if a scuba tank is accidentally knocked against them in rough

water. Stainless eye-bolts above the tubes allow bungee cords to secure the

tanks against a 2" rubber strip (mounted above the tubes) while

underway.OUTBOARD MOTOR:

The outboard motor is a 70-hp Evinrude. It was recently checked out by boat

mechanics at Tahoe Boats. They gave it a clean

bill of health, i.e., no issues. It cranks every time & runs great. It also

has a perfect prop that has only been in the water one time.SEATS:

On the foredeck there is padded box seat with the dimensions: 4.5' long x 2'

wide x 21" tall. The box is made of galvalume steel. The seat's

orientation is aft-to-stern. It allows those sitting on it to face any

direction. The box contains the fuel tank. There is also space inside the box

for gear, e.g., fenders, PFD's, the stern light pole, lines, & anchor. A

heavy steel upholstered (& padded) lid keeps the contents of the seat box

dry & protected from the elements. There are two stainless vents mounted

through the upper stern side wall of the box seat. One of these vents the

interior of the box. The other one vents the fuel tank. Across the stern there is an upholstered (& padded) padded bench seat with

an adjustable back rest. It is oriented starboard-to-port. The padding is super

thick and comfortable. The bench is 12" wide and 8' long. In addition to

the bench being supported on each end, it is supported underneath at its center

by a vertical 2"x2" aluminum square tube. You can sit looking forward

with your back against the backrest OR straddle the 12" seat and face port

or starboard. Having this optional seating arrangement makes for a comfy ride

regardless of how you want to face. Storage of all personal gear goes under

this bench seat. Nylon netting along the aluminum fence prevents personal items

from falling overboard.FENCING (SIDE RAILS):

The all-aluminum fence is 32" tall. It has 11 vertical aluminum roof

support poles incorporated into it. Black nylon netting (1 " x 1 "

holes) is attached to the fencing from the deck level to the top bar of the

fence. There are no gaps in the netting. The netting is even fashioned around

the outboard cut-out.DRONE PLATFORM:

There is a 25" x 21" weight-bearing aluminum platform on top of the

roof over the starboard stern. A removable ladder beside the outboard motor

leads up to this platform. We built the platform to function as an elevated

perch for a person to operate a drone. Drones can take-off and land on the roof

while the operator sits/stands on the platform. The drone platform provides a

360 degree field of vision over the boat. The platform also works great for

observation, navigation, fishing, and jumping.LIGHTS:

6 LED spotlights with adjustable mounts are installed along the forward edge of

the roof (over the bow). Each light is 72-watts (NOT dim cheapos), and is

independently controlled by a waterproof Moroso 6-space switch/fuse panel

(mounted above the console just under the roof). These spotlights are oriented

along a 180 degree arch (port-forward-starboard) for maximum visibility at

night.

A 45" aluminum stern light pole attaches to the roof over the stern. The

light pole plugs into a permanently mounted receptacle on the roof. When

trailering the boat, the stern light pole can be removed from the roof and

stored inside the box seat.

A bow light is permanently affixed along the bow's forward edge (centered at

deck level). It is made of heavy-duty stainless steel.CONSOLE/CONTROLS:

The fuel gauge, voltmeter, keyed ignition, steering wheel, compass, 2

batteries, and Perko kill/selector switch are all mounted on the boat's fiberglass

console.

The console is attached to the deck with heavy aluminum angle and stainless

hardware. Vertical pieces of aluminum angle protect the bottom corners of the

console. Above the console, just under the roof, is a Moroso switch/fuse panel (for the

spotlights) and a VHF580 radio by West Marine. These units are both easily

reached by the person driving the boat. The VHF antenna is a Shakespeare

Mariner 8300 (8' tall) and is located on the roof's port side. It is mounted on

a heavy stainless ratchet mount that allows the antenna to fold down to the

roof while trailering the boat.ENTRY/EXIT WHILE AFLOAT:

There is a swim ladder that can be quickly attached to either the starboard or

port side. The quick attach/detach mounting hardware is permanently affixed to

the deck just forward of the fencing on each side (port and starboard). The

forward edge of the fence functions as a convenient hand-hold while using the ladder. The

deck is structurally reinforced at each entry-exit spot with thick aluminum

plates (6"x43"x1/4").CHARTPLOTTER:

I am not including a chartplotter, although I am leaving all of the associated

components and wiring for a Humminbird 898c hdsi. Here is what you get (&

is installed).

*a GPS antenna module mounted on the roof on a 12" stainless tube

*a tranducer mounted on the lower back side of the starboard pontoon

*a chartplotter mounting bracket on top of the console with all associated

wires in place.

All you need is the chartplotter head unit, which you can score on classifieds board or Craigslist. Once you acquire the head unit, it only takes about 30 seconds to

hook it up!

2011 REBUILD:

The only parts of this boat that are original are the two pontoons, cross-bars, andtransom. Everything from the pontoons up was custom built/assembled in 2011, e.g., aluminum deck, console, electrical system, fuel system, gauges, roof, fencing, steering, lights, scuba tank holders, and carpet. Of course the boat's date of manufacture on the title still shows the date (1985) originally assigned to this vessel's VIN #. MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES:

Paperwork/title: all clear and in hand

This boat has only been in fresh water.

There are two custom aluminum life ring cradles on the outside of the

fencing: port and starboard. Note: the life ring is not included in the sale.We doubled the number of aluminum cross bars between the pontoons (under the deck) to maximize stiffness and load-bearing capabilities.

Theedges of thedeck bow (starboard, forward, and port) are reinforced with a

SEAMLESS piece of heavy aluminum angle (4"x4"x1/4")--an

impressive display of mig welding (& a fair share of grinding/sanding). The

upper surface of this aluminum angle edge has non-skid tape attached to

it.

There are two 12-volt batteries inside the base of the console. One battery is

for starting the outboard motor; the other one is a deep cycle battery for all

12-volt accessories, e.g., spotlights, nav. lights, gauges, sending unit, and

VHF radio.

All wiring is marine-grade "tinned" wire by Ancor.

The foredeck has 2 stainless 7 " cleats for tying off.

All of the fastening hardware is stainless steel.

Blue paint, blue vinyl upholstery, and blue carpet

There is an 8' aluminum hand rail (bar) mounted under the center of the roof.

It is oriented aft-to-stern, and allows the crew to stabilize themselves while

standing while underway.

This boat was only used 5 times since the refit--all for training

purposes.CUSTOM TRAILER:

The trailer's axle has 2 tires/wheels; both tires are BRAND NEW. The wheels are

great--no dents.

The axle is not malformed in any way.

There is one spare tire/wheel.

The trailer has mounting space for 2 spare tires/wheels. Only one space is

occupied. The spare(s) lock onto the trailer mount to prevent theft.

All of the lights on the trailer are LED.

Aluminum stairs lead from the ground level to the deck level for easy

boarding

A steel handrail leads up the stairs for safety

The trailer has a heavy swing jack with a swivel wheel

To secure the boat for transport, the trailer has a heavy duty winch with a

2" wide nylon strap and hook. Also, 4 heavy nylon ratchet straps connect

the underside of the boat to the trailer (2 under the bow & 2 under the

stern).

Reflective tape has been applied to the trailer for maximum visibility at night

Non-skid tape has been applied to the trailer's neck on surfaces where a person

might step

The trailer's cradle (bunk) lumber and carpet were replaced 3 years ago. Both

are still in great shape.

The hitch mechanism is easily managed.

The safety chains have heavy TXDOT-approved latch-hooks for quick & secure

attachment. This may seem like a trivial detail, but they are high-quality,

efficient, and expensive.

The neck is long (9') to allow for easier loading and unloading at boat ramps.IMPERFECTIONS:

The carpet "rippled" a little within 24 hours of installation. The

ripples are super shallow and do not affect walking. To be clear, the ripples

do not affect anything.

The spare tire needs replacing. Its sidewalls are starting to crack. The wheel

is fine.

There is a tiny vinyl upholstery patch on the side of the box seat lid. The

patch covers a tiny hole that was made when I slipped while pressure-washing

the deck. The high-pressure nozzle touched a tiny spot of vinyl on the seat

& made a tiny hole.If

you have questions or comments let us know; I would be happy to address them over the phone if you message your number to me on classifieds board.Thank you for your interest.Viva la Lionfish!