How to unload tractor from a pontoon

[acs55812]

Yes thats right, if I want to get a project done this fall at the cabin the only way to get there is via pontoon, now loading on the land side is easy---however I have a problem in unloading on the other side of the lake. I could wait and take it out there after freezeup---however I am not really that keen on working outside in the winter.

I have a rocky shoreline (3-10 inch rocks) with the exception of one small sandy area about 10 feet wide.

If possible I would like to keep the pontoon back far enough as not to bottom out on the rocks and in a perfect world I would take a bush hog, FEL, wood chipper and 4100 John Deere (this would require two trips I am sure---but gotta figure out a ramp for the opposite side.

Thoughts?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am a boat guy and you have me stumped on this one. I am guessing the only real choice is to build a dock by setting up some pilings in the lake bed then drive the pontoon up to the dock and leave the motor in gear at a low idle to hold it in place.

The first question is can the boat handle the weight and is it stable enough to handle this top heavy load? I have seen more than one pontoon rolled over.

Chris

 

[acs55812]

Hex pontoons 25 inches high, and about 22 wide (Pontoon is totally open like a cargo ship!) ---should handle the weight fine, and centering load is easy enough, its just that jump from pontoon to land that bothers me---did I mention I can't swim?

 

[groundcover]

Can't swim,how are you at bridge building ?!

 

[keving]

Sounds like a challenge. Do you have some pics?

I'm thinking about those portable bridges and seeing some industrial planks???

 

[plowking]

Is the camp on an island or opposite shore of lake? The 4100 looks to be subcompact size. Does it have a backhoe? I have seen excavators that will float and have pontoons in place of the tracks. They work in the lake and shoreline while floating. You said you have a ten foot beach to land on. Is the beach rocky? Will you have ballast to hold barge level while loading and unloading. Maybe make a pair of landing ramps with float drums underneath. A large barge could have a crane or tow truck to lift tractor off and on. We have a large lake in NH,with a colony of houses on an island. They have a barge to bring suppiles and delivery trucks or service trucks over. It isn't cheap to have this service. plowking

 

[acs55812]

The 10 foot beach is sandy, the rest of the 200 feet is rocky.

and add to the possibilities that in my stash of goods is 600 feet of 1 inch nylon rope---I'm beginning to envision a "suspension" type bridge from deck of pontoon to shore made of nylon rope---planks or boards across three strands of rope 50ish feet long anchored to tree/trees on shore and secured to deck of pontoon--problem is to hold the pontoon out in the water when weight is on bridge.----all this is thinking/rambling out loud

 

[Todd_C]

You gotta post some pictures. I'm stumped on this one. Could you make a portable bridge out of wood and metal tubing like the top deck to utility trailers to place on the shore and on the boat?

 

[acs55812]

Is the camp on an island or opposite shore of lake? The 4100 looks to be subcompact size. Does it have a backhoe? I have seen excavators that will float and have pontoons in place of the tracks. They work in the lake and shoreline while floating. You said you have a ten foot beach to land on. Is the beach rocky? Will you have ballast to hold barge level while loading and unloading. Maybe make a pair of landing ramps with float drums underneath. A large barge could have a crane or tow truck to lift tractor off and on. We have a large lake in NH,with a colony of houses on an island. They have a barge to bring suppiles and delivery trucks or service trucks over. It isn't cheap to have this service. plowking

Is the camp on an island or opposite shore of lake?---OPPOSITE SHORE OF LAKE WITH NO ROAD ACCESS

Does it have a backhoe? I have seen excavators that will float and have pontoons in place of the tracks. NO BACKHOE, AND TRACTOR WEIGHS ABOUT 1500 POUNDS ITSELF

Compared to what you describe---scale the project back to a 8 X 16 foot pontoon deck and small tractor---remote cabin in the woods with no road access.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I haven't read anything yet (except the commercial barge comment) that isn't going to end in disaster.

Your one and only option as I see it is to beach the boat on the sand beach and drive the tractor down a ramp. Floating and ballasting a working pier is not a job for amateurs.

I'm pretty sure that you have a problem with your boat, too. Having sufficient flotation to float a tractor does not mean that you aren't going to capsize. Flotation and ballast (center of gravity) have to be carefully considered. Wait for the ice or get the advice of a pro.

 

[john_bud]

I would put a couple of the 2XL boat bumpers on the end of 50-70 foot of a wire rope strong enough to pull the sucker with. You don't want to pay for a frog man to swim down and connect a tow chain.

Not that I'm saying you are 100% certain to be in a great spot to mow the bottom of the lake.....

 

[EddieWalker]

First you need to post two numbers. Weight of the tractor, plus people and whatever else is on the boat, then the capacity of the boat. I'd be very suprised if these numbers add up for this to be possible.

If it is, then I would build a ramp from wood with allot of cribbing. Something that you can keep in place and tie the pontoon boat to, so that when the tractor gets it's front tires on the ramp, the boat doesn't do something funny, like go backwards. With enough wood, anything is possible.

Good luck and bring your camera!!

Eddie


Eddie

 

[acs55812]

My dock is 40 feet long, water depth at end of dock is approx 3 feet, sorry for not mentioning this earlier but we aren't talking about a 60 foot deep lake in this case.

I have considered but don't think it would work to drive the tractor off in 2 feet of water due to the size of rocks between there and shore--I think I need to reach shore from water without driving on rocks.

 

[ampsucker]

agree with eddiewalker. this is an engineering problem and the first two pieces of info you need are the total weight you will be carrying and the rated weight of the floating platform. if B is less than A, don't do it. if B is close to A, do it VERY carefully on a clear day with helpers with other boats.

i also agree the best and easiest way to unload is to beach the front of the pontoon on or near the shore and use some types of ramps to unload the tractor. make sure the lip where the ramps touch the boat is supported by good enough cross members to support all the weight of the tractor plus ramps plus rider. most pontoons are made of aluminum, and are not designed to carry a point load of 1500 lbs even if distributed over four tires. as you move the tractor onto the ramps, most of the weight will be carried by the lip of the ramps and transferred down to the pontoons by a single cross member. this must either be reinforced or make very sure it is beefy enough to do the job. if you tie the pontoon in close to shore so it can't move in, say, 6 inches of water, as you drive the tractor forward to the ramps, the front of the pontoons should sink down and stabilize into the lake bottom taking all the weight of the unit and minimizing the chance of flipping the whole boat or pulling the rear out of the water. (this is the reverse but similar danger when loading on the other side!) just be sure to clear away the big rocks and make a nice place for the pontoons to settle into the bottom and distribute the load over several square feet.

if the beach is soft sand, you might need to take some long pieces of lumber to drive the tractor on to keep it from sinking into the sand.

when loading or unloading and while the unit is on the boat, consider using 2x lumber under the wheels to help distribute the load.

good luck and definitely post up some pics!

amp

 

[acs55812]

In looking at the info on the hextoons, the weight they can carry is in the 2400-2700 pound range (that is on a boat with furniture, I have just plywood deck)

Tractor weighs approx 1570 pounds, now I just gotta be careful what attachments are on at same time.

I have no idea of the cost, but does anyone know the price of 3" 4X8 styrofoam sheets these days---this could be a stout "bridge" if it was solid from rocky lake bottom to deck of pontoon (a total distance of about 2-3 feet depending on water level.

 

[TexasSD]

I wouldn't drive your tractor on your sandy beach without something solid to drive on.

Burying a tractor to the axles in sand and mud isn't as fun as it sounds. Especially without a big truck to pull you out.

Even with the big truck it took me a couple of hours.

 

[SimS]

I also agree with Eddie Walker. With enough wood anything is possible. Have you thought about constructing an "A" frame boom/hoist to lift the tractor from the barge? 1570 lbs is not that much weight for a hoist made from timbers. With some of your nylon rope, I think you could tilt the "A" frame towards the water, beach the barge beneath the frame and with two winching operations 1) lift the load and then 2) winch the "A" towards the vertical lifting the load up and on to the shore. Just don't go over vertical obviously and back the barge out and lower the load onto the shore or into shallow water depending on how large/tall your "A" frame is constructed. Another thought is to take the tractor apart into manageable/luggable pieces and reconstruct it on the the distant shore. My $.02. Good luck.

SimS

 

[smitty9266]

If your pontoon is like most it has top and bottom plugs. Beach the boat, pull the plugs fill the pontoons boat will sink to bottom make ramps with landscape timbers screwed together with 2x4 cleats, you can also make mats to drive across the beach with. 4 timbers wide should do it. Unload tractor, put an air fitting in top hole of pontoon. Use a air compressor to pressurize and blow water out of pontoon.

Seems easy from here.

Jeff

 

[psj12]

Having unloaded M1 tanks and various trucks from LCMs the trick is to have the boat powered forward, or tied to the shore from both sides. If you don't do one or both of these things the forward momentem of the tractor and the tractive effort of the rear wheels, once the front wheels are off, will propell the boat rearward. Depending on the slope of the shore line this could leave your tractor in too deep water. I have seen it done incorrectly leaving only the gun tube of the tank above the water. I would also use some form of ramps. It far easier to do on a shore line than a dock.

Going from a vessel to a dock causes height problems between the two as the rolling load weight transitions from the vessel to the dock.

 

[Blagadan]

Geees guys, I'm getting flashbacks to another post that involved tractors and shorelines....

BX-24 too small for pulling boat (went in but wouldn't come out) - TractorByNet.com

.... That went on for like 12 pages!!!