Can someone help me locate the boat capacity plate on my 23.5? I just recently purchased the boat and I'm kinda new to all this, thanks.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
R
Rick Webb
J
Joe Dickson
Here in Texas...
there is a rough approximation that is used to determine the maximum capacity of a vessel. Don't know if this is also a Coast Guard formula. If you multiply the length of the vessel, in feet, times the width, in feet, and then divide that amount by 15 you will get a number that is an approximation of the maximum capacity. The result represents the number of 150 lb. passengers your boat can carry. So, a 30 foot boat with a 10 foot beam equals 300, 300 divided by 15 equals 20 passengers of an average weight of 150lbs. per passenger. Twenty times 150lbs. equals 3,000 lbs maximum capacity. As you can probably already see, 20 people on a 30 foot boat would be very cramped. That maximum weight of 3,000 lbs. also includes the weight of all gear... Joe s/v Charis
there is a rough approximation that is used to determine the maximum capacity of a vessel. Don't know if this is also a Coast Guard formula. If you multiply the length of the vessel, in feet, times the width, in feet, and then divide that amount by 15 you will get a number that is an approximation of the maximum capacity. The result represents the number of 150 lb. passengers your boat can carry. So, a 30 foot boat with a 10 foot beam equals 300, 300 divided by 15 equals 20 passengers of an average weight of 150lbs. per passenger. Twenty times 150lbs. equals 3,000 lbs maximum capacity. As you can probably already see, 20 people on a 30 foot boat would be very cramped. That maximum weight of 3,000 lbs. also includes the weight of all gear... Joe s/v Charis
P
Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
That formula only applies to powerboats, Joe
We just had a rather lengthy discussion on this same subject...quite a bit of information posted. Check the archives.
We just had a rather lengthy discussion on this same subject...quite a bit of information posted. Check the archives.
J
Joe Dickson
Actually Peggie,
no distinction is made between sail and power in the capacity requirements in Texas. The requirement states that if there is no capacity plate on the boat to use the formula, regardless of whether its sail or power. Is there some other formula or rule-of-thumb for use with a sailboat? I found nothing in the archives...
no distinction is made between sail and power in the capacity requirements in Texas. The requirement states that if there is no capacity plate on the boat to use the formula, regardless of whether its sail or power. Is there some other formula or rule-of-thumb for use with a sailboat? I found nothing in the archives...
P
Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Joe, whether the great state of TX makes any
distinction or not, that FORMULA only applies to powerboats and should not be used for sailboats. I could safely, if not necessarily comfortably--carry 20 people on my 32' twin engine powerboat...and did, but only to ferry 'em to a picnic on an island. Powerboats run flat...all that matters is that weight be pretty much evenly distributed--and even that can be compensated for to some extent with the use of trim tabs--and that the boat keeps sufficient freeboard to prevent it from swamped. As long as the boat isn't overloaded, it can run safely in any conditions at any speed safe for those conditions. A sailboat, however, is an entirely different "breed of cat"...there's no place to put 20 people on a 30' sailboat that won't interfere with the boom and the skipper's ability to pilot the boat. You MIGHT be able to do it under power on calm water with the sails down and people scattered all over the foredeck as well as stacked like cordwood in the cabin...but you can't use a capacity formula for only certain situations and conditions. A capacity formula determines the maximum load a boat can carry in ANY conditions. So while I suppose you COULD apply the 3000 lb result to cargo below decks on a sailboat (and without knowing enough about hull dynamics to know how 3000 lbs would affect trim and other sailing characteristics, I'm not even sure you can do that), translating it to 20 people on a sailboat under sail is a good way to hurt the boat and/or people. Furthermore, I'll bet you a nickel that the TX reference doesn't specifically mention powerboats or sailboats...it just says "boats." And if you ask 'em if the same formula applies to sailboats, they'll just tell you that sailboats aren't required to have capacity plates. When this subject came up last time, I called Hunter and asked them the max number of people on a 23'...they told me 6 max, 4 is better.
distinction or not, that FORMULA only applies to powerboats and should not be used for sailboats. I could safely, if not necessarily comfortably--carry 20 people on my 32' twin engine powerboat...and did, but only to ferry 'em to a picnic on an island. Powerboats run flat...all that matters is that weight be pretty much evenly distributed--and even that can be compensated for to some extent with the use of trim tabs--and that the boat keeps sufficient freeboard to prevent it from swamped. As long as the boat isn't overloaded, it can run safely in any conditions at any speed safe for those conditions. A sailboat, however, is an entirely different "breed of cat"...there's no place to put 20 people on a 30' sailboat that won't interfere with the boom and the skipper's ability to pilot the boat. You MIGHT be able to do it under power on calm water with the sails down and people scattered all over the foredeck as well as stacked like cordwood in the cabin...but you can't use a capacity formula for only certain situations and conditions. A capacity formula determines the maximum load a boat can carry in ANY conditions. So while I suppose you COULD apply the 3000 lb result to cargo below decks on a sailboat (and without knowing enough about hull dynamics to know how 3000 lbs would affect trim and other sailing characteristics, I'm not even sure you can do that), translating it to 20 people on a sailboat under sail is a good way to hurt the boat and/or people. Furthermore, I'll bet you a nickel that the TX reference doesn't specifically mention powerboats or sailboats...it just says "boats." And if you ask 'em if the same formula applies to sailboats, they'll just tell you that sailboats aren't required to have capacity plates. When this subject came up last time, I called Hunter and asked them the max number of people on a 23'...they told me 6 max, 4 is better.
J
Joe Dickson
I agree...
that I probably could not, and more importantly, would not, load my boat to the maximum capacity yielded by the formula either (maximum being the key word). So, back to the question in my previous response. The status of the statehood of Texas aside, what formula or rule-of-thumb would you use as a more conservative guide? Is there any Coast Guard, ASA, or manufacturers guideline that will give us an objective, and more conservative answer?
that I probably could not, and more importantly, would not, load my boat to the maximum capacity yielded by the formula either (maximum being the key word). So, back to the question in my previous response. The status of the statehood of Texas aside, what formula or rule-of-thumb would you use as a more conservative guide? Is there any Coast Guard, ASA, or manufacturers guideline that will give us an objective, and more conservative answer?
- Status
- Not open for further replies.