Conference vicki::boats

    Re:403.0
    
        If you over power the boat and you have the misfortune of
    having a mishap, you are in a world of SH!!!!!!T. You will have
    more headaaches than carter has pills as they say. Bottom Line
    DON'T OVERPOWER YOUR BOAT
    
    Jim Duffy
    FSO/VE
    1003

    >> small boats often carry a rating for a maximum horspower motor.
       What does this mean exactly? 
    
    I believe large(r) boats carry a similar rating. The rating is 
    coupled with the design of the hull. Far exceeding the rating on
    a particular hull may tend to affect the handling characteristics
    at maximum speed. ......But........depending upon the boat AND the
    motor, I'm sure in some instances you can get away with 'a little'
    more HorsePower. I have an aluminum skiff with a capacity plate
    which states a maximum of 450 pounds (people & gear) and a maximum
    of 3 hp. I tried a friends 10 hp.....tough to steer with the tiller
    and it was a bit scary. The insurance companies pay a great deal
    of attention to the size(HP) of the motor and the boat size as well.
    If 'they' believe the boat you're insuring is over powered, =$$$
    to insure.
    
       >>> What if you put a 10hp motor on a boat rated for 5hp? 
                          ======HYDROPLANE     
              
    P.S. Where's the Hats Ed!?
    
    /MArk

    
    
    The Coast Guard,the Police, and your insurance Co. get very upset when
    you exceed the maximum HP ratings- it's basically against the law.
    
     A friend of my son's decided to put a 115 merc on a baot ( 14'
    High performance) that was rated for 90 H.P. He was involved with an
    accident with the boat( bothe baots went out of control, and the other
    baot drove across his bow, with the prop tearing up the
    windshield,forward deck and hull. 
    
    Result:
     INsurance company informed him that  in the fine print of his policy-
    boat insuarance invalid ( Hull insurance, property damage) if rated HP 
    exceeded. Resulted in cancellation of insurance.
    
     Police fined him for operating unsafe boat ( I'm not sure of charges)
    
     Other operator's father sued for damages, based on boat being
    overpowered- won the case .
    
     Boat warranty voided when boat was hauled in for repairs, once dealer
    found engine too large for boat( transom had started to crack and was
    in imminent danger of total failure).
    
     This character had bought he baot and trailer, and knowing a dealer
    wouldn't overpower a boat ( at least one that retained all his
    marbles), so he purchased a year old 115 HP and installed it himself. 
    ( This "kid" was 20 yrs old and a pretty good mechanic)
    
    Just prior to the crackup- He gave me a ride in this booat and it was
    absoluteley terrifying. I've been around the water in everything from 
    a 100 yr old schooner to a WW II PT boat, and this boat was so
    overpowered and uncontrollable at wide open throttle that it was hard
    to beleive.
    
     This character is probably still paying for his lack of good sense. He
    ended up with boat payments on a useless boat, a ruined engine( it was
    running hard when it went under), a fine, damage payments to the other
    guy, and an irate parent ( boat was in the father's name and his
    liability insuarance went through the roof).
    
      Even on a small boat, overpowering can cause some interesting
    failures. Ever seen a guy in a dinghy 200 yds offshore in Novemeber,
    and see the transom collapse( in 50 /55 degree water it can be
    exciting)
    
     The C.G. regulations were put into effect because people began
    overpowering boats that were designed for low HP outboards. Back in the
    50's and 60's the largest o/B motors were around 75 HP. when those
    motors wore out, 100 and 135 HP motors were piyut on some of these old
    boats and they used the old cable/pulley steering. Some frightening and
    fatal accidents occurred and resulted in legislation to keep delaers
    from selling replacement motors and original motors too large for the
    boats the were intended for.
    
     The bottom line is that if you put on a motor larger than the boat was
    designed for-you risk losing the boat , motor, yourself and put others
    at high risk. Even with a low HP motor as in .0, I wouldn't exactly
    look forward to getting introduced to the business end of a 10 HP
    motor when it came into the boat as a result of structural failure.
    
     On eother problem on overpowering- even on small HP motors- is that
    the engine, not pushing the load it was inteneded for , can easily over
    rev. I had a friend who had a 14' Amesbury skiff with an old 18 HP
    Johnson- nice combo. The Motor finally died and this Rocket Scientist 
    Beefs up the transom ( it was a wooden Boat) with some 1"plywood, and
    puts an old 40 nHP JOhnson on it , one of the very first 40's made- the
    one with a CAST IRON ( read brittle) crankshaft.
    
     Well- he took off one day( never checked the prop size), and this
    engine would scream because of the light load. All of a sudden - Wham!
    the egine literally exploded! Blew the cover to shreds and pieces all
    over the place- and there was this BIG frisbee skipping across the water
    right behind the boat. From what we could tell of the remains, the
    overrevving caused the crank to snap off just below the flywheel and
    this 20+ lb toothed "Frisbee" took off - luckily behind the boat. If
    that thing had gone forward, I would have been buying flowers.That
    thing could have sawn somebody in two.
    
    Next time I saw the boat, he had a new 15 HP on it-
     
    
    
      
     
    
    

    This is an extraction from the USGAUX CME MANUEL section 3.28
    
    "Advise the boater that the horsepower rating on the capacity label
    is advisory in nature, but some states have laws prohibiting such
    overpowering. Outboards in excess of the capacity plate are possibly
    in violation of these laws. In addition most manufacturers will
    void the warranty if the boat is overpowered. Some insurance companies
    may cancel policies because of the over powering. Suggest that CME's
    check the state law for aplicability. If the vessel is overpowered,
    i.e., if the limit as stated on the capacity plate is exceeded.
    
    DO NOT AWARD THE CME DECAL....."
    
    
    

    WQhere is the Capacity Plate located ?
    
    Lloyd

    It varies boat to boat. But in most it is in the front, some where
    in the vacinity of the controls.
    
    JD.

    if the capacity plates states maximum of 10 hp and
    2 people or maximum weight of 510 lbs. people and gear.
    
    (1) Does gear include the weight of the motor?
    
    (2) My 12' alumumni boat is 12 years old and the cap. plate was
        a piece of plastic that has since vanished. Where can one find
        a list of boat manufactures? 
    (3) Has anybody ever herd or see a dealer of "Delcraft"?
    
                           
    
    Thanks for any insight.
    

    
     The max weight rating for a small boat, (like a car-topper) DOES
    include the weight of the motor. From what I remember, it is stated
    so "max load rating XXXX lbs. for persons, motor, and gear". Generally
    a good dose of common sense will keep you from overloading or
    overpowering a small boat. For instance: a 12' cartopper, unless
    it seems built extra-light, should be able to handle up to a 10HP
    motor, 3 average build guys or two heavy guys, and a small to medium
    amount of gear. Of course things can really add up fast. A 10HP
    motor weighs around 60lbs. but then add 6 gallons of gas for almost
    50lbs. more, another 40-50 lbs. for fishing gear and the 2 or 3
    fishermen(women) and you've pretty much maxed out the load rating
    of the boat. Now add an electric trolling motor ~30lbs., a battery
    for it-40lbs., and a cooler of beer 40-80lbs. and you could be in
    REAL danger of capsizing from a wrong move or a wave from a passing
    boat!!
    
    				Happy fishing!
    				Kenny
    

    >408.8
    Thanks for the information I guest since I don't drink beer or 
    carrie a cooler or electric motor I am safe with two medimum
    size people and a 9.5 HP Johnston (Great little motor)
    
    got my first bass of the year saturday. 3.5/4 lbs

    The horsepower ratings are caculated based upon the boats
    dimensions,ie: length, transom width & height, etc,  there is also
    a safety factor included in the calculation which has been widely
    adopted by the boat manufactures, coast guard, etc.
    
    Dave