Project rRaft - Building a Raft out of Water Bottles

Step 8 Attach it All

I used 8 one hole conduit straps and bolts to attach the frame to the plywood. They give enough leeway for tying stuff too, which is exactly what I needed.

Attaching the pontoons to the frame is a lot more complicated, as they need to be removable. You'll need a decent amount of rope, four hose clamps and four eye bolts to attach the three of them.

First, tie a length of rope around the pontoon about a third of the way in from the front and back of the outer pontoons. To prevent sliding, weave it in and out all the way around. It doesn't have to be every other square, but do it enough to prevent breakage. I tied to ends of the rope together using a Sheet Bend knot. Use these pieces of rope to attach the pontoons to the frame with a hose clamp at each one.

Next, drill and screw in four eye bolts, two on each side of the third pontoon. Use a length of rope through the two loops of rope on the other pontoons. Weave the rope in and out of the middle pontoon, making sure to go through the eye bolt when you reach them. This serves multiple purposes, tying to the outer pontoons keeps them in place. Two attachments points would allow them to flow outwards, putting the platform at water lever. If you tie the rope tight (I used reef knots here) the middle one will stay in place, and the eye bolts will keep it raised.

If you did everything right, the only knots you'll have to undo are reef knots. The loops around the outer pontoons stay in place permanently, while the loops that hold the middle pontoon in place will be removed for transportation. To remove the outer pontoons, just undo the hose clamps.