Then and Now, History of the Pontoon

Where did the pontoon boat first come from? Who first decided to reinvent the boat and when did it happen? These are the historical questions that we will be discussing in today’s article. The basic idea of a pontoon boat can be traced back to various ancient civilizations, but modern day pontoon boats are only about 50 to 60 years old. While both of these types of pontoon boats, ancient and modern, had the same idea behind them their operation, they had some differences as well.

Ancient pontoon boats were much more primitive across the board, some of them just making it into the category. Some of them were simply a platform on top of logs, others were made from inflated animal skins. They served the same uses as normal boats, transporting people and cargo across the water and while useful, were nothing too spectacular compared next to normal boats of the time. They were mainly designed to fulfill a single purpose.

The modern style of pontoon boats however, was designed with a single goal instead of a purpose. Ambrose Weeres, who lived on the Horseshoe Chain of Lakes near Richmond, Minnesota, wanted to create a more stable kind of boat. The first prototype was a wooden platform on top of two columns of steel barrels. The idea turned into a success, and being he lived so closed to so many lakes that he decided to start marketing it. With the help of local dealers, the modern day pontoon boat took hold. Eventually Mr. Weeres had to open an entire industry to help with the unexpected demand for his pontoon boat design.

It was Ambrose Weeres’s pontoon boat that created the world of pontoon boats that we see today. They have evolved, improved, and expanded into all forms of businesses. The technology behind the pontoon boat can be found in normal pontoon boats, commercial catamarans, even large boats like ferries. It is this basic technology that Fiesta Marine uses. For your own custom pontoon boat, fiestamarine.com puts quality behind all of their products. For something a little larger, sightseerboats.com builds commercial catamarans for all kinds of purposes and businesses. Contact them today at (727)-856-6900 for Fiesta Marine.