Ufloat 3.0 pontoon kit

A look at the assembly drawing of your pontoon boat, raft, jetty or floating dock would be pretty cool. It is also highly recommended to watch the installation tips video for assembling your pontoon boat or raft on our homepage, as the products may be different, but the steps and logic remain the same.

If you have a pontoon based project in mind we are happy to assist in choosing the right pontoons and design this customized project together with you. of course, we are always happy to advise you on your DIY project.

For special pontoon projects, we clarify the customer’s requirements and submit a quotation. Once the quote is confirmed, we provide the assembly drawings to make sure we are “on the same page”. The next step is a pro-forma invoice, and once this is paid, delivery is made within 2 to 6 weeks of payment, depending on the complexity of the project and delivery location.

Ufloat 3.0, 3.0 L and J240 jetty floats have been purpose designed for timber deck. The crossbeam spacing is too large for WPC boards, and if these are installed they would deform over time. This is why we recommend deck made of WPC (wood-plastic composite) for these plastic pontoons.

We will be offering WPC decking material with our new Ufloat System kits from Spring of 2025. The reason is the Ufloat System is specifically designed to be suitable for virtually any type of deck material, including GRP grating for chemically aggressive environments.

All our products are designed to be handled safely by a single person. You can assemble a Ufloat pontoon boat, Ufloat raft, bathing platform or jetty all by yourself. Of course, it’s much more fun to do it with friends. Our products can even be conveniently assembled on the water!

When looking for the right plastic pontoon or complete kit, you do indeed have plenty of choice. For example, on the German market you can choose between “Perebo Schwimmsysteme”, “Technus Schwimmsysteme” or “Tom Sawyer Boats”. Each company specializes in its own field.

What definitely sets Ufloat apart is our short delivery times for pontoons. Furthermore, our pricing model for our complete kits and plastic pontoons is easy to understand. There are no hidden fees or additional transport costs that are added to the product prices listed in the shop.

Ufloat must be doing something right, because our pontoon sales are growing year on year – despite the competition. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to all our clients and regular customers!

The most important first step is to determine the desired dimensions of the pontoon boat and the total weight of the “house”, as this determines the overall buoyancy required and the choice of floats.

In our experience, this important step is often taken too lightly, so that in the end there is “too much house” on pontoons that are too small.

Even if you love life on the water, it’s important to know how often you can use your newly built houseboat.
Perhaps it makes more sense to quench your thirst for life on the water by renting a houseboat in France for a few weeks in the summer and exploring the canals.
Here are some considerations that may help you make that decision:

Lifestyle:
Do you enjoy living in nature and being close to the water? Houseboats offer a unique way of life that promises plenty of freedom and adventure.

Space requirement:
Do you have enough space? Houseboats are often smaller than traditional houses, so consider whether you can make do with less space.

Mobility:
Would you like the opportunity to change your place of residence? A houseboat allows you to change your surroundings, which many people see as an advantage.

Maintenance effort:
Are you prepared to carry out regular maintenance work? Houseboats require maintenance, especially with regard to the hull and technical systems.

Financial aspects:
Do you have the budget to build or buy a houseboat? Consider not only the initial costs, but also the running costs (e.g. mooring fees, maintenance).

Advantages:

Unique way of life:
Close to nature: Directly on the water, often with beautiful views and access to nature.
Freedom: ability to change location and experience different environments.

Less space required:
Smaller living space: Lower operating costs and less space for superfluous things.
Minimalism: Promotes a simpler lifestyle.

Community:
Neighborhood feeling: Many houseboat communities are close-knit and offer social interaction.

Disadvantages:

Maintenance:
Houseboats require continuous maintenance (hull cleaning, systems, etc.), which can be time-consuming and costly.

Space restrictions:
Limited space: Limited storage space and smaller living areas can be inconvenient, especially for families.

Seasonal challenges: Extreme weather conditions (frost, storms) can make life on the water unpleasant or risky.

Germany, for example, has an extensive canal system that can be explored. There are also many interconnected waterways and lakes around Berlin. Some travel down the Danube and explore different countries, others prefer to stay in one place. The possibilities are almost endless.

Notes:

Permits: Check the local regulations and permits for sailing and mooring with a houseboat in the respective waters.

Navigation: Find out about navigation in the waters you have chosen, especially about possible restrictions or special challenges.

Safety: Pay attention to the safety regulations and equipment, especially in confusing or busy waters.
With a houseboat, you have many exciting opportunities to enjoy nature and the surrounding area in a very special way!

As a rule, a boating license is not required: Boats that have an engine with a maximum of 15 hp may sail without a license. There are also many areas internationally where no boating license is required.

To operate a houseboat on certain inland waterways, such as rivers, canals and lakes, an inland boating license (SBF-Binnen) is generally required. On maritime waterways such as the North Sea and Baltic Sea, you will need the Sportbootführerschein See (SBF-See). For more information on the specific requirements and prerequisites for obtaining a license for houseboats in Germany, we recommend checking with the German Motor Yacht Association (DMYV).

The size should be optimally matched to your ideas of the cabin dimensions.

In our experience, with careful planning, it is possible to build a comfortable summer house on floats with a width of 3 m to 3.6 m and a length of 7.2 m to 8.4 m.

There is no one size fits all answer.

For some, the largest possible open space and shelter in bad weather, e.g. with very basic sleeping facilities, is enough.

Of course, there are also people whose dream is to own a fully-fledged floating house. In this case, the width would be 4 m or more and the length more than 10 m.

The weight of a houseboat varies greatly depending on size, material and equipment. The load capacity must be calculated. This is not rocket science, all the figures are available online. An example: Wood has a relative density that depends on the type of wood. Steel or aluminum pipes have a weight per meter.

Of course, it makes life much easier if the houseboat is built close to the mooring, but we’re not sure many people will be so lucky.

One thing to bear in mind is that the rental cost of a shed that is close to the water can be higher than the rental cost of a cheaper shed and the additional cost of crane hire and special transportation to the mooring.

As with any other oversized item, you will need to use the services of a freight forwarder who specializes in transporting oversized items. The freight forwarder will obtain all the necessary permits, draw up a route plan and accompany the shipment.

If you are willing to pay for the services of a specialized freight forwarder, they will take care of everything. However, you should make sure that a crane is available at the berth when the houseboat arrives.

You can also be adventurous and do as much as possible yourself, e.g. hire cranes directly and only commission the transportation. In this case, however, you should have a sunny outlook on life and good nerves, because things often go wrong at the worst possible moment.

The satisfaction of our customers is always our top priority. Thanks to my many years of experience, I find the optimum solution for every project – even if this means resorting to alternatives outside my product range. My advice is always honest, non-binding and without sales pressure. Do not hesitate to contact me – even if you are still in the orientation phase.

Yes, it can make a lot of sense to take out supplementary insurance for a houseboat. Supplementary insurance can cover damage caused by accidents, storms, fire or other unforeseen events. Liability insurance protects you against financial claims from third parties if someone is injured or property is damaged by your boat. Supplementary insurance can also cover theft and vandalism, which is particularly important if the boat is moored at a public berth. Supplementary insurance can not only provide you with financial security, but also increase your peace of mind when living on the water.

This answer is regulations in Germany, but we would assume that same common – sense approach will also work in other markets: If you have then completed your watercraft yourself, you will generally have to apply for a license plate from your waterways and shipping authority (WSA) before using it, in accordance with the Small Inland Watercraft Labeling Ordinance.

See §7 of this regulation:
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/klfzkv-binsch/BJNR022600995.html. Alternatively, you can apply for an officially recognized registration number from the ADAC, DMYV or DSV.

If you want to rent out your boat, you need a technical license. This is issued by the WSA through the boat certificate. See §3 to §7 of the Inland Waterways Sport Boat Rental Ordinance (BinSch-SportbootVermV).

The cost of a houseboat can vary greatly depending on various factors such as size, type of construction, equipment and condition. It is advisable to carry out comprehensive budget planning before building a houseboat and to take all possible costs into account.

A houseboat usually floats on a pontoon system or a similar floating structure that provides stability and buoyancy.

Pontoons are floating structures that are typically made of plastic. They are hollow and filled with air, which gives them buoyancy. Pontoons are often attached to the sides of the boat or under the hull to ensure even weight distribution and stability. A houseboat floats because the pontoons create buoyancy equal to the weight of the displaced water. As long as the weight of the boat (including passengers and equipment) is less than the buoyancy, the boat will stay afloat.

The maintenance costs of a houseboat can vary greatly depending on the size, equipment and intensity of use.

Insurance, utilities, energy, service and maintenance as well as fuel and, of course, mooring costs can amount to between 350 and 1000 euros per month.

Many owners also offer their houseboats for rent outside of their own usage times in order to finance the running costs. There are various models here, such as renting out as a pure vacation home on the water, as a houseboat for vacation tours or as a location for events.

The choice of material you use to build your houseboat depends not only on the design of your new home, but also on your budget and intended use.

Steel profiles: So-called shipbuilding steel is most commonly used for houseboats. Steel is heavier than other materials, but scores highly in terms of stability on the water. The use of steel is recommended for mobile houseboats and pontoon construction.

Timber: The classic building material is a renewable raw material that is comparatively inexpensive. Waterproofing can be ensured by applying protective coatings. However, its resistance to environmental influences is lower than that of other materials.

Aluminum profiles: Aluminum allows you to save weight without losing strength. However, as the material is more difficult to process than steel, you will incur higher material costs.

Plastic: glass fiber reinforced plastic are currently used in houseboat construction. They are very light and durable, but their strength can suffer with larger dimensions.

Safety on a houseboat is crucial to avoid accidents and damage.

Mandatory: Have enough life jackets for all passengers on board, which are clearly visible and in good condition.

Lifebuoy: A lifebuoy or lifeline should always be within reach.

First aid kit: Keep a well-stocked first aid kit on board, which is regularly checked and replenished.

Correct anchoring: Make sure that the boat is securely anchored to prevent it from slipping or tipping in wind or current.
It is important to carry out regular training and check safety equipment in order to be prepared for emergencies.

The right engine should be selected depending on the size of the houseboat and individual preferences. It is therefore advisable to find out about the performance, maintenance and fuel efficiency of the drives. In any case it will be an outboard motor with external tank

The CE certificate for pontoons is one of the most misunderstood topics. Our customers often ask questions about the certification of pontoons, bathing platforms or pontoon boats.

Many people believe that there are pontoons on the market that have a CE certificate. There are suppliers in the pontoon business who claim that the plastic or steel pontoons they manufacture have a CE certificate.

Modular pontoons made of plastic, steel or tube, as well as pontoon floats of any kind, are not subject to CE marking. Likewise, to the best of our knowledge, floating platforms, floating piers or stationary floating objects built on pontoons cannot be CE certified.

An exception to this rule is the pontoon boat which can be certified for CE compliance. A self-propelled floating structure can be certified as a “pleasure craft” under Directive 2013/53/EU. The notified body inspection checks stability, freeboard, buoyancy and buoyancy in accordance with EN ISO 12217-3:2017.

Our most popular products, the Ufloat Classic and the Ufloat Large, are CE certified, however when you build your own pontoon boat or raft from our kit it is a self built boat and should be registered as such if the local regulations make this necessary.

Please consider the following recommendations:

• Plastic pontoons expand and shrink up to 0.5% depending on the ambient temperature. Therefore, when assembling a Ufloat Kit, or building your custom project the outside temperature at the time of installation should be taken into account.
• Avoid contact of the pontoons with fire and extreme heat.
• Pontoons have UV protection, so no special care has to be taken with regards to exposure to direct sunlight.
• If there is a possibility of ice drift, care should be taken to ensure that the pontoons are berthed at a sheltered location. If such location is not available you should consider removing the floating platform, boat or raft fron the water to avoid damage.
• It is also important that the maximum weight of your project is taken into account when establishing required buoyancy.

Ufloat pontoons are made of polyethylene, a polymer material that is lightweight, has very good impact properties and is fully recyclable.

Without special additives, plastic materials degrade and become brittle and even crack when exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time. We only use materials that are UV protected.

As a matter of fact some of the floats we sell do have EPS foam filler. Having said that we have designed Ufloat 3.0, 3.0 L, J240, J700 so that there is no benefit in having these plastic pontoon elements filled with EPS (expanded polystyrene) or closed cell PUR (polyurethane) foam.

Pontoons with foam filler are hard to repair as there will be residual water inside them, making welding complicated. Reecycling floats with foam filling at the end of their useful life is also a lot more complicated and costly.

Ufloat sells two models of pontoons for pontoon boats and rafts, the 3.0 and the 3.0 L model, both of which are designed for easy do it yourself building of your own pontoon platform, pontoon boat or raft. This is why these models are designed for timber frames.

3.0 is perfect for a catamaran or a trimaran without cabin or with a small cabin to spend a lovely summer night.

3.0 L will be perfectly suited for heavier cabins, such as a large floating sauna project, for example.

There is a new, patent pending, Ufloat System modular pontoon range designed for aluminum or steel frame which will be available in our shop from March of 2025.

Both models are modular pontoon systems, made of a rear pontoon, a middle pontoon and front pontoon.

We also sell several models of jetty pontoons, which differ in terms of buoyancy and intended of use.

There are many original ideas that have been designed into our floats, to name a few: All Ufloat pontoons are optimized for transport, from delivery by truck to our dealers to individual orders to our customers.

All Ufloat System pontoons are modular and the dimensions and weight of a single item make them comfortable and safe to work with.

All parts needed to add the frame and deck to our pontoons are available at your nearest hardware store. That’s right – no custom mumbo jumbo parts are needed. This means significant savings for you.

These are the advantages of Ufloat:

Do it Yourself: Ufloat System elements are custom designed with wood frame construction in mind, as timber is the easiest material to work with for the do it yoursef enthusiast.

Easy handling: The pontoon floats are designed so that they can be carried and installed by one person. The assembly of the floats is self-explanatory.

Flexibility: Floats can easily be added at a later date if you want to expand your project or add buoyancy.

Design: Thanks to their design, Ufloat 3.0 remain stable on the surface of the water. The shape of the bottom arch of the pontoons is designed so that it remains stable regardless of weather conditions and does not deform.

Lightweight: Polyethylene pontoons are lightweight which makes transportation and installation easy.

Corrosion resistance: Polyethylene pontoons are resistant to chemical influences and UV radiation.

Low maintenance: Polyethylene pontoons require little maintenance