Pontoon effect Pontoon effect The pontoon effect refers to the tendency of a vessel whose flotation depends on lateral pontoons to capsize without warning when a lateral force is applied. The effect can be sudden and dramatic because pontoon boats usually cannot rely on the righting effect of a keel (which contains ballast). The vessel is stable and self-righting up to the point that the centre of gravity shifts past the centre of buoyancy of the ship and the vessel rapidly capsizes. The pontoon effect is theoretically possible whenever the vessel's entire weight exceeds the buoyancy of the pontoon(s) on either side.
Navy lighterage pontoon wedge pins. The flotation blocks came in two types: The principal type of unit was a rectangular prism; the majority of NLPs were constructed using these. The second type was similar but curved upward on one side, and these boxes were used to make bows on the front of NLP barges when required. Navy lighterage pontoon The Navy Lighterage pontoon (NLP) was a type of pontoon developed in World War II by the US Navy and used by naval construction teams (Seabees) and specialized US Army combat engineers, on invasion beaches and shallow harbors or harbors where the facilities had