Pontoon boat

Claim 1

A pontoon boat comprising: a pair of substantially parallel pontoons each made of a plurality of water-tight drums axially aligned in end-to-end alignment, each of said drums having a peripheral flange with a radial extending portion at each end thereof; a ring clamp for clamping together the two juxtaposed flanges of two abutting drums, said ring clamp having side flanges disposed at a diverging angle for forcing said peripheral flanges of said abutting drums axially toward each other; and a superstructure attached to said ring clamp; wherein said ring clamp comprises: a middle substantially flat portion in a spaced apart parallel relationship from said juxtaposed flanges of abutting drums, said side flanges extending inwardly from each side of said middle portion of said ring clamp and intersecting said middle portion at an angle of between 50 and 70 radial degrees; a segmental opening provided with outwardly extending radial flanges and a bolt threadedly engaged with said radial flanges in a manner such that turning of said bolt respectively tightens and loosens said ring clamp; a first means positioned on the top of said ring clamp for securing a horizontally extending structural element thereto for supporting said superstructure, a second means positioned on the iNward side of said ring clamp, displaced about 90 radial degrees from said first means and adapted to secure a first vertically extending structural element thereto for supporting said superstructure, and a third means positioned on the outward side of said ring clamp, displaced about 70 to 75 radial degrees from said first means and adapted to secure a second vertically extending structural element thereto for supporting said superstructure, wherein said first, second, and third means comprise an outwardly extending conical protrusion on said ring clamp extending through a receiving aperture in said respective structural element and an axially aligned aperture through said conical protrusion adapted to receive a bolt therethrough.