Pontoon Construction

Craftmanship You Can Count On.

Don't take our word for it, simply take a closer look at our fleet of expertly crafted pontoons. Decades of building exceptional boats have taught us that true quality comes from meticulous construction and attention to detail. Compare our hat-channel and cross channel construction with the foundations of other pontoons. Count the fasteners. Note the heft of the aluminum gauge. What sets us apart is in the details. To see our selection of Pontoon Boats, visit our Showroom.

Cross Channel Construction

DOES YOUR BOAT HAVE OUR CONSTRUCTION? Other manufacturers use C-channel designs which can require more cross members and provide less strength than Starcraft's hat-channel construction. And with imbalanced weight distribution, C-channel cross members are less able to withstand the forces exerted on the pontoon year after year.

CROSS CHANNEL CONSTRUCTION: Provides superior chassis strength. The transom area is supported with up to 3/16" hat-channel construction using twice the number of fixtures as other pontoons. This provides the strength needed to handle the high torque of today’s large engines.

 
Hat channel illustrationTheirs - C channel illustration
 
B Hat channel photo

CONSTRUCTED FOR ENDURANCE: 3/4", 7-ply marine treated plywood through-bolted and screwed to the hat channels to create the strongest seams in the industry. ("Heavy" hat-channel shown).

Fence and railing photo

FENCE & RAILING: Features foam backing to prevent rattling and fully welded and anodized railing to add strength. Anodized welds are never painted. It's all backed by a 6-year warranty.

Through bolted transom

THROUGH-BOLTED TRANSOM: Made of up to .190" gauge aluminum and supported with up to 20 stainless bolts to handle today's higher horsepower engines.

 
4-pt deck to hull fusion photo

4-POINT DECK TO HULL FUSION: Starcraft deck brackets have 4 points of fusion for an extended area of contact with the tube. In addition to providing increased strength and support, this reduces frame twist and racking in rough water and guards against tube fatigue.

Hat channel photo

HAT-CHANNEL CONSTRUCTION: It all begins with strength points of .250” (heavy) and .125” (standard) gauge extruded aluminum hat-channels that are 6" wide and secured with 8 bolts spanning our 6" wide deck risers. This creates the widest base in the industry and gives our pontoons greater stability without adding unnecessary weight. Combine that with a .190" gauge aluminum transom that's through-bolted with up to 20 bolts and footed deck risers that prevent tube fatigue, and you see why Starcraft backs its industry-leading construction with a Limited Lifetime Warranty on every product. ("Heavy" hat-channel shown.)