There’s nothing like rolling up your sleeves and getting to work on renovating and improving your pontoon yourself. Sure you could take it into the shop (and sometimes you really should if you’re tackling some complicated issues), but you’ll learn a lot more doing it yourself while saving yourself unnecessary expenses.

We recently caught up with some pontoon owners who all know a thing or two about improving their boats themselves. Check out the awesome renovations they’ve done!

Rebuild With A Bar

Ian MacDonald rebuilt his Sweetwater pontoon boat this past winter. He bought the boat a couple of years ago and joined the Facebook group, Pontoon Junkies!!!, where he soon learned of many resources including one of his favorite stores, pontoonstuff.com.

When Ian bought the boat, he had the idea of fixing it up because the seats were torn and the carpet was old. So over the winter, Ian decided it was time to get to it.

“I didn’t have any idea it was going to be this much work!” laughed Ian. “I fix cars for a living so I’m mechanically inclined, and my friend who helped me is a contractor, but this was a new project for both of us.”

Ian ordered new woven vinyl flooring from pontoonstuff.com, along with new lean backs. He also got the seats reupholstered.

After all that, he focused on the back of his Sweetwater pontoon. He’d always wanted a bar layout pontoon, so he figured there would have to be something out there on the market he could buy to make it happen. It turns out that there’s almost no place to buy pre-made bars for pontoons.

From there Ian and the friend who helped with the rebuild, decided to make their own using composite deck boards with plywood wrapped in vinyl under them. They also put 15 lighted cupholders from pontoonstuff.com on the boat to complement the new bar.

Ian bought some outdoor barstools and secured the bar with iron pipe paint so it doesn’t rust. Then they replaced the lounge area on the back of the boat with some composite wood and attached the grill and Blackstone.

With this new space, Ian got a second captain’s chair as well. He’s received so many compliments on his boat this summer that he’s even thinking of finding another boat to work on in the winter.

Ian’s created the perfect space to simply hang out, eat and drink with his family and friends.

Unique Pontoon Tables

Janice Brammeier and her husband Bill were looking for tables to go on their 2000 Fisher pontoon during their renovations. A lot of the options they found were expensive and didn’t have the “eye-catching pop” Janice was looking for. One day she discovered some of her son’s old skimboards in the garage while she was looking for something else.

“And BOOM, I had the idea to make tables out of them,” described Janice. “They’re already waterproof and have cool designs.”

This is Janice and Bill’s first pontoon boat and first renovation. The project has turned out to be a bit more than they had originally planned since once they started tearing it down they decided to just start from scratch. Thus the Moonlight Mermaid was born.

Their D-I-Y skimboard tables came together very nicely in the end. “It didn’t take too much to do,” explained Janice. “I ordered cupholders and Bill measured where to put them. If I had to do it again I might not use cupholders as there are plenty on our seats.”

Janice found the bases and legs for the tables on Amazon. Bill decided on the best screws and bolts for moisture and put it all together to make Janice’s unique idea come to life. The couple were able to do it in an afternoon once they had all the parts.

Janice and Bill love their skimboard tables and so do many other pontooners who have had the pleasure of seeing them.

Light It Up

Kim Lewis owns a 2022 South Bay 224 CR LE pontoon and he recently installed an awesome safety light upgrade. He mentioned that all South Bay pontoons and pretty much 95 percent of other pontoon manufacturers install a button so safety light upgrades can be added easily.

South Bay coined it the “Mood Light” switch and it’s pre-wired for convenience. They are not recognized as nautical lights for port and starboard, however. Their purpose is to increase nighttime visibility while out on the lake.

“Plus, they add to the ‘cool factor’ when out at night cruising with family or friends,” shared Kim.

The lights Kim used come in extendable strips and he bought them on Amazon. He feels it’s probably one of the easiest and most simple modifications you can do while simultaneously being extremely affordable. Plus it won’t drain your battery like crazy.

Kim laid out the process in these simple steps:

1. Locate the factory wired connection labeled for accessories.
2. Lay out your wires and where they should/could be run.
3. Connect everything and test before ever making any part of the installation final.
4. Now that it is tested and laid out, clean the application surfaces with rubbing alcohol.
5. Peel and stick lights around your boat evenly on the top of your pontoon.
6. (Optional) Install rear stern LED lights on pontoon bumpers.
7. Run all wiring into the area under the console and connect directly to your accessory/mood light switch.
8. Once these are all connected and you use the waterproof connectors to connect all wires safely, simply go back and apply clear marine grade silicone to help protect your lights and keep them in place.

Now Kim’s South Bay pontoon looks incredible at night. Plus, the entire project cost him less than $130, taxes and all.

This is his first add-on, but he now plans to install a misting system to keep his passengers cool in the Texas heat. Not only is he saving money by tackling these upgrades himself, but he feels that getting to know how his “rig works and operates is worth all the money in the world.”

So next time you’re looking into upgrades for your pontoon, consider tackling them yourself like these handy boaters.

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