Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

[Steve91T]

I've got a 20 ft Mariah bow rider with a 5.7 Merc, 260 hp. Max number of peeps is 9. I don't remember the max weight off hand. Anyway, this weekend was a big weekend for us. We've had 4 people on the boat before, and I could hardly tell a difference between my wife and myself, and 4 people. This past weekend we had 6 people, plus 2 coolers and the built in cooler full. I could feel the weight, but that was it. This was on Saturday. On Sunday, we had 9 people, plus one cooler. The weight was very noticeable. It took more effort to get on plain. Once it was there, it still cruised comfortably at 30 MPH. I was even at 40 at one point, and no where near WOT. That impressed me. But what didn't impress me was the handling. There was obviously a little more weight on the left side of the boat than the right, but not by maybe one person. While on plain, it was leaning to the left by quite a bit. Because there were so many people, I really couldn't ask anyone to move to the right. If I did a left turn, the boat would lean over to such a great angle that I felt the left gunnel would go below the water line. If I turned to the right, the it was better, but not by much.

Here's another example. Cruising at 25 MPH, I needed to make a slight right turn. I turn the wheel and the boat leans over, by a lot, but really doesn't make much of a heading change. I have to turn the wheel more, then it leans over a lot, then will turn.


I do have smart tabs, which are amazing for up to 6 people, but with 9, I didn't like how it handled.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I'm just wondering why this is. I'm guessing that some of the listing to the left has to do with the torque from the prop. Because there was so much more weight than I'm used to, it takes more power to more the boat, producing more torque on the boat.

But as far as the leaning so far to make a turn, that I'm not sure of.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

I would bet dollars to doughnuts that you weren't actually loaded to max capacity but were actually overloaded.... I suspect that if you look at the max weight of people and gear and subtract the weight of your gear including coolers, anchors, ropes, food, speakers and any other accys that may have been added to the boat you will find that the 9 people may have to weigh as little as about 85 lbs each to fall under the limit.

 

[relocyo]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

I agree smokeonthewater, plus that is your "MAX" capacity, not youre "OPTIMUM" running capacity, I mean you got everyone home safe, and were able to turn enough to get where you were going and back... The trim tabs obviously work great under normal operating conditions for you... Dont ditch em! They work... I would suggest nexy time you got near max. Cap. Just take her slow and easy and everyone will get home safe... Plus isnt a "normal person" supposed to weigh around 150-175? Im 6'4 220... And I look "normal" just some stuff to think about before you sell your boat lol....

 

[rallyart]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

I too agree with smokeonthewater. The weight capacity is related to the loaded weight. The person capacity is related to the list the boat can handle with everyone on one side and those people are based on 150# per person. The calculations for these two are not the same.

 

[Steve91T]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

Never selling the boat! 6 people is more than enough anyway.

I was actually thinking about the weight. I weigh 180, brother 170, the other two guys were something a little less. Then we had 5 women. I'll be honest about their weight since I know they wouldn't be. My wife 112, and the other girls between 120 and 140. Other than that, I had little in to cooler and just the normal safety stuff.

So I really don't feel we were overloaded. I was just wondering about the odd handling.

Thanks Steve

 

[45Auto]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

Your boat handled different because the center of gravity (CG) was getting closer to the center of bouyancy (CB) with it heavily loaded the way it was. In engineering talk, you had a low metacentric height (GM).

With the weight offset to one side, it leaned drastically to that side in a turn because the CG had a bigger moment arm in relation to the CB. In the opposite direction the CG has a smaller moment arm in relation to the CB so it rolls less.

Wiki article on stability:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacentric_height

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

But what didn't impress me was the handling. There was obviously a little more weight on the left side of the boat than the right, but not by maybe one person. While on plain, it was leaning to the left by quite a bit. Because there were so many people, I really couldn't ask anyone to move to the right. If I did a left turn, the boat would lean over to such a great angle that I felt the left gunnel would go below the water line. If I turned to the right, the it was better, but not by much.

My boat does the same at what is normally the typical cruising speed. Solution is to either speed up or slow down, either will take care of that handling issue.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

My lighter/ 1 foot smaller boat is rated for 8, I call 6 my limit. Even though I'm only 150 and most my friends are very similar or lighter, not only does the cockpit get tight, handling does get sloppy. I'm always asking people to move/ re-distribute their weight.

We had 3 Kayaks in the rear on sunday so 3 guests were in the bow, I trimmed up a bit to pull the bow up, but didnt push it hard either knowing I was so oddly distributed.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

So 5 women and 4 guys, one must be single...
lol

I had my 16 ft runabout loaded down and in some rough weather before. That thing prob should have sank a few times, but she toughed it out and pulled thru it.
One time i was out at night in a nor-easter rain storm in november. We went down the bush river into the bay. And on the way back we had a ft of water in the back of the boat. I remember the dry storeage box floating around back there.
But We just motored thru it, back to the boat ramp.

I could have stopped to fix the bilge pump, but i figued i better keep moving.

Some boats just have that character that gives you confidence when they are loaded down or in rough seas.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

Never selling the boat! 6 people is more than enough anyway.

I was actually thinking about the weight. I weigh 180, brother 170, the other two guys were something a little less. Then we had 5 women. I'll be honest about their weight since I know they wouldn't be. My wife 112, and the other girls between 120 and 140. Other than that, I had little in to cooler and just the normal safety stuff.

So I really don't feel we were overloaded. I was just wondering about the odd handling.

Thanks Steve

You really have no idea until you look at the max weight posted on the uscg plaque and add it all up.... There have been plenty of folks here that were VERY surprised....

Here's a possible example: 9 people or 1100 lbs.... 100 lbs of added batts and a 50 lb cooler plus 150 lbs of random gear leaving 800 lbs. If the average weight is 150 then after the first 5 people only 50 lbs are left for the other 4 combined....

Not saying that is your case but you have to do the same math to know.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

this is why I like trim tabs instead of smart tabs--I'm smarter than the tabs and can level the boat!

It's just a matter of getting used to your boat in different conditions, but it's not a problem. If it does affect your handling, don't be timid about shifting the ballast. Just don't call a girl "ballast" if she has a paddle in reach.

You've also seen that the "max persons" in many boats, especially bow riders, is right cramped. People who are new to boating go by those plates and assume they can fill the boat every trip, and later wish they had bought a bigger boat.

 

[QC]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

this is why I like trim tabs instead of smart tabs--I'm smarter than the tabs and can level the boat!

Doesn't solve the overloaded part, but YES!!!!!

Now for the disclaimers: I LOVE SmartTabs, but they cannot do this. And, there is no way you can know unless you have operated a boat with helm adjustable tabs. They make all of this listing discussion, including offending women, go away.

 

[Steve91T]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

I remember seeing the max weight, but I can't remember what it was off the top of my head. It was a slightly different situation where we were taking people out for rides from a party. We just went out to a quiet cover, threw some rafts and noodles in the water and went swimming. It's not like we were planning the day with all those people. My plaque actually spells it out, max weight (people and gear). I believe it was 1500 or so.

Anyway, it seemed to handle better the faster we went, but unfortunately it was so choppy we couldn't keep our speed up.

At one point we had 9 people, and one guy wanted his wife to come on. That would make 10 people. I explained that I'm sorry, we only have 9 life jackets, and I can't take any more people. So, one dude jumped off and then wife got on.

I'm not going to risk getting a ticket just so someone can go for a ride.

Like you guys said, 9 people is too much. It really wasn't even that fun.

Hey, one more question I just remembered. I had a harder time docking while loaded than normal. I had no steering while backing. I tried at one point to back up next to another tied up boat at the dock. I approached making a left hand turn (boat I'm docking with to the right), popped it into neutral, then when the time was right, wheel full right and reverse, to pull the stern into the other boat. When I did this, it just went straight back. I had this happen to me one more time before I finally got it.

Is this just a factor of being heavy again?

I guess I'm just asking these questions so I can be more prepared the next time I'm this loaded down.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

you can get that many people and exceed the max capacity but you won't be running the same as if your self were just on board. i mean iv'e gone over max capicty a few time just runs diffrent. like this weeked on a jon boat max capacity 450 we had well over 800lbs on the boat because were had a 200lb mooring on the boat. just be safe when you do stuff like that. you have 9 people on board drive slower. watch out for weather and other boaters wake's

 

[kailec00]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

iv'e gone over max capicty a few time just runs diffrent. like this weeked on a jon boat max capacity 450 we had well over 800lbs on the boat because were had a 200lb mooring on the boat. just be safe when you do

I am not sure that I would recommend to someone exceeding the max weight of their boat. There are a lot of things that can be done, but that does not mean you should do it. You exceeded the weight limit of your boat by 80%. I would not agree with that and sure would not post it in a way to give advice out.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

My boat has a person capacity of 8, and a maximum weight capacity of 1160 pounds. If you do the simple math, that means the average weight of my 8 passengers must be less than 145 per person, and at that weight, there would be no allowance for gear and stuff, so call it 130 pounds per person. Not many adults I hang with are that light! In my boat there are seats for 8, but that's squeezing in like sardines.
I equate it to camping- I have a tent rated for 4, but I'd really want to call the shots on who the other three occupants would be!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

this weeked on a jon boat max capacity 450 we had well over 800lbs on the boat............... just be safe when you do stuff like that.....

It isn't ever possible to be SAFE when doing stuff like that.... You needed a bigger boat or a second boat.... besides even without the xtra 200 lbs you were still over weight.


That would count as taking a huge risk and not being at all safe.... I'm not gonna say I've never taken a chance but you just CAN'T responsibly tell others who might not know any better "it's ok, just be careful".

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

Steve, it is harder to dock or otherwise manuever a heavily loaded boat. A lot of momentum going forward to stop with reverse; a lot of inertia to overcome from a stop, particularly backing, where all your hydrodynamics are against you; more boat in the water so more resistance. If you aren't used to it, you will bump the pier!

As for whether one can be "safe" while over capacity, yes you can, if you know what you are doing and are in the right conditions, just like you can be "safe" driving over the speed limit or driving with one headlight out. You just have to know enough to be able to assess the risk. Carrying too many people on a joy ride is not worth the risk. One man carrying "too much" gear in a work boat out to a hunt club on protected water can be safe.

Obviously a boat isn't going to sink to the bottom an instant one extra pound is loaded in; there is a margin of error on the plates and they are set for rough conditions. It goes back to the question of "can two 60 pound children count as one adult?" Legally, no (if it puts you over the limit) but safety-wise, maybe. Depends on many factors.

Smokeonthewater has the right perspective, though, when he says he won't tell others who don't know any better "just to be careful." As captain, you have that responsibility for passengers who don't know better. A couple of experienced boaters, however, can know what they are risking.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

imho. just plain don't overload your boat. your time on the water will be much more fun... not to mention safer...

these folks learned the hard way about overloading this last weekend.. http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/122870814.html blurb, blurb, blurb...

 

[sschefer]

Re: Had my boat at max capacity, I have some questions...

Your boat was handling poorly and turning badly becuase of something simply known as chine walking. One chine was buried in the water while the other was out and the keel was no longer guiding the boat because it was now secondary to the chine. The key, if you can't load the boat better, is common sense. Just slow down to a safer speed where handling becomes less of a problem if manuvering is required.

One of the things that's most dangerous is that given the right conditions, your boat, loaded the way it was, could suddenly dip that chine in deep enough to turn the boat wildly. This has been the cause of many boating accidents where people are thrown from the boat.

Be safe and try to avoid loading it like that again.