I dismissed party barges for a long time too. On Cape Cod with a Hobie 17 returning through the Orleans Inlet, the tide was going out while the wind was straight into the shore causing these 4ft. breaking rollers to just stand there! Well, gotta get home. Dropped the sheet and trapezed off the transom to keep the bow from digging in and say a quick prayer. Made it! Pull up to a beach to get my breath while a 28ft. pontoon pulls out, straight into the inlet. Man, this fool's gonna die. Nope, the skinny hulls just split the waves pushed through by the three Merc outboards.
New respect. 
At my parents' cottage on an island in Muskoka, Ontario, the water used to be ruled by aluminum utility boats and the typical outboard speed boats with seating for 6 or so. Now it's pontoons everywhere. It's not a "party on the lake" kind of place, the boats are transport that occasionally get used for tubing or skiing. The pontoon boats are easy to get in and out of and can carry heavy loads. You can pile them full of people and luggage. My relatives have one that's the boat equivalent of a battered F150 with mismatched fenders and a dented tailgate and used for the same purpose.
They're still goofy looking boats with no pleasure in driving one. Boats should plane. But useful!
As a guy who races Hobie 16's in their original form... You are going to have to beat this top speed (26+mph) with a motor by a significant margin to really be winning . 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6bg4scCfO0
And then there is this issue.. Those hulls won't plane even like the ultra fast pontoon boats. The asymmetrical design isn't... well... designed for it.. the "rocker" built into those Banana shaped hulls was so they will surf on big waves. When Racing them as sailboats this makes the platform VERY sensitive to weight for both speed and to avoid "hobby horsing". I am 200 lbs and can darn near flip the boat over myself just by grabbing a trapeze wire and walking to the stern and leaning back. There is almost no buoyancy at the back of the boat..
They will "float" just fine with 800lbs of cargo or people.. But keep in mind the Hobie Class minimum crew weight for racing is 285lbs. If your crew weight racing is much over 330lbs you are just barely if at all going to be competitive unless it is really blowing, and even then you have more weight to punch through waves so even if you can hold it down you may not be "faster". The boat platform is VERY weight sensitive.
That being said.. if the hulls are "soft" meaning you push down and hear crunching or it gives at all right in front of the front pylons.. What you have is no longer safe as a sailboat and I fully approve!
Think about powering it with a large kitesurfing kite instead though...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTJtYyiVBTU
Quickie update:
Time for wheels & tires. Wally World has 12" for ~$25.
Trailer cleaned up pretty well, it's a tilt.
I got $18 for the scrap mast, now it's a $62 project. Started making cross members for the floor to sit on, snap up old bed frames whenever you see them.
In reply to 914Driver : what you’ll feel nd out is a sailboat makes a slow motorboat. A twin hull designed for sailing is lousy under power.
While there are twin hull power boats and they are fast, sailboat hula well not be. Enjoy the lessons you learn. Or you can put the sails back on and have a great sailing experience.
I'm just bored. let the next owner worry about hull speed.
In reply to 914Driver : Well that makes all the difference. Have fun!
I used to race a Hobie 17, doesn't pitch pole like the 16s. In a perfect world, I'd buy a Stiletto. Saw a guy water skiing behind one!
