Sun Catcher Construction

There are as many ways to build a pontoon boat, as there are ways to build a house, and the quality of both depend on building on a solid foundation.

 

The best way to have a superior foundation when building a superior pontoon boat is by through bolting one-piece extruded cross members directly to the top of “U-shaped” flotation logs.

 

G3 follows this procedure and this assures unsurpassed strength and rigidity for the SunCatcher foundation.  This is a more expensive method of construction and very few pontoon manufacturers pursue this method.

 

“U”-shaped logs sit higher in the water with less drag on the side of the pontoon, resulting in more efficient use of fuel, and more performance, especially from tri-log models, than the low-volume round logs many manufacturers use to save cost. SunCatcher pontoons are “still the best value on the water” due to all of these factors.

 

Other manufacturers using short welded “M” brackets, are compensating for the lack of surface space on top of a round pontoon log, and are creating an artificial flat platform on which they place cross-members and attach a deck.  This spot welding makes the “M” brackets inherently weaker than Sun Catcher construction methods.

 

Sun Catcher construction not only through-bolts all cross members directly to high-volume “U” shaped logs, but also attaches all cross members 16” on center, for the full length of the boat.  Others often use 16” on center for their premium series or not at all.

 

This is easy to see, as all Sun Catcher decks extend right to the end of the pontoon log, and the very tip of each nosecone is through bolted directly to the cross-member.  Not only does this add to the overall strength of the pontoon foundation, but it also gives you the maximum deck space available.

 

When you buy a 25’ SunCatcher Pontoon Boat, you are getting a full 25’ deck, not a 23’ or 24’ deck and a foot or two of extended nosecone.

 

All Sun Catcher overall lengths are bases on Deck Length, not on pontoon length.

 

Along with the additional closed-cell foam flotation blocks inside the logs, Sun Catcher Construction always goes above and beyond the industry standard – even the Coast Guard does not require the additional foam flotation found in all Sun Catcher Pontoon Boats, we add it simply for your family’s peace of mind.  It is called “redundant flotation” and it means that you will always get back to the dock, regardless of the circumstances.

 

A word about nosecones.  Very few manufacturers go to the trouble of making nosecones out of a heavier gauge material than their logs.  It’s simply not very efficient, and again it is more costly.  We like the added durability, so all 20’ and larger Sun Catcher Pontoon Boats feature heavier gauge nosecones, and our Tri-logs feature full double-plated .100 + .100 gauge reinforcement in this extreme high-wear area.

 

The most critical area of pontoon boat construction is the motor pod.  Sun Catcher pontoons feature 12-point attachment of our all aluminum, welded, reinforced heavy gauge motor pods to the cross-members, which, you will remember, are tied directly to our pontoon logs.  There is not a superior construction anywhere in the pontoon boat industry. 

 

The stern area of our motor pods are tied directly to, and supported by, the entire boat structure next to the back corners of the pod.  This forms a solid transom across the stern of the boat, while many competitors attach their motor pods underneath the boat with six or eight small bolts and mount the engine directly to an extended and unsupported transom.  The next time that you see a SunCatcher, check out the motor pod, grab a hold and even give it a few hard pulls and then compare to our competition.  We rest our case.

 

There is an extremely easy way to compare pontoon construction.  Simply look under the trim band in the bow of the boat. Are the logs tied to the frame, are the nosecones an intricate part of the construction, are there cross members extended out to the trim band for support and are they reinforced, or welded to the trim band?  The answer to all, when you look at Sun Catcher, is yes.

 

It’s the attention to detail that add up to superior quality, and as a result, give you superior value in a SunCatcher pontoon boat.  Look closely at the anodized deck rails and trim.  Spacers under the rails allow rainwater to escape from the deck, welds are precise and well placed, and convenient lift-up gates have positive stops, open inward, and are reinforced with additional bracing.  Fence panels look good for years with our Dream White Krystal Kote protective coating.

 

All of our pontoon decking is top-quality 7-ply marine grade treated plywood, with a limited lifetime guarantee direct from the manufacturer. There is no cost to the consumer for labor or materials for the first ten years of ownership, should warranty work need to be scheduled on the deck of a Sun Catcher pontoon boat.  After that period, only labor charges will apply, replacement decking is covered for as long as the original buyer owns the pontoon boat.

 

The G3 advantage extended warranty covers all external pontoon boat welds for as long as the original buyer owns the boat.  In addition, the G3 five year bow to stern structural warranty is completely transferable to a second owner within five years of the original purchase date.  There is not a stronger warranty in the industry.

 

Once you compare, up close and in detail, you will easily see the difference that G3 construction methods make in the overall quality and superior durability of Sun Catcher Pontoon Boats.

 

Sun Catcher Pontoon Boats start with a superior foundation and finish with all of the amenities and value that you have come to expect from G3 Boats, A Yamaha Boat Company.