Overpowered by 65 hp

[jay_merrill]

Re: Overpowered by 65 hp

used to work for an insurance company... i've seen all kinds of technicalities used to deny claims, but never once have heard of an overpowered boat being denied.

All this means is that you didn't see such a claim during the period in which you were an employee of an insurance company. It does not mean that insurance companies are not likely to deny a claim, based upon issues such as overpowering.

As a person who was in the insurance business for some period of time, I am sure that you are aware of the fact that there are typically exclusions for situations where laws are broken, or gross negligence on the part of the insured has occurred. Since many states have laws that specificly address overpowering boats, and prohibit doing so, these exclusionary triggers can be taken advantage of by the insurer. Further, even in states where there is no specific prohibition on overpowering, often times an operator can be cited for negligent operation, if the boat is overpowered. In such a case, the insurer can deny coverage under "blanket" exclusions pertaining to gross negligence.

Another very likely scenario from a liability standpoint, is a plaintiff's attorney establishing gross negligence in court, after an accident with injury and/or fatalities. Remembering that the rules of civil procedure are quite different than the rules of criminal procedure, and that lawsuits happen in civil court, the impact of showing a jury that a boat was highly overpowered, should be very obvious.

Added to this, is the issue of criminal responsibility. Once again, some states do actively prohibit overpowering, and other states leave a door open to charges of criminal negligence, including charges such as negligent homicide.

So, the OP must ask himself, "are those extra horsepower worth the potenial pitfalls associated with them?"

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Overpowered by 65 hp

Lol thanks guys but again I am not worried about the insurance or legal aspect of this topic just if the boat itself can handle the extra 65 hp that has been put on it. I can handle the boat at a lower speed where it is still stable but can the boat handle the motor.

If you look at the rating plate again, I think you will find that question has already been answered by a source that is better positioned to respond than any of us in here.
However, if I had to guess, I suspect that you are looking for affirmation for something that you are going to do anyway.

Someone has already suggested that there is not much weight difference between the two motors...it's the output that would be the major difference.
I'll ask the question ...could you change props with the express purpose of reducing performance?
Could this act as a governor of sorts or is it just another dumb suggestion?

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Overpowered by 65 hp

.
I'll ask the question ...could you change props with the express purpose of reducing performance?
Could this act as a governor of sorts or is it just another dumb suggestion?

I don't see how it would. The motor needs to be kept within the WOT rpm range to insure its good health. Within that range, a low pitch prop would increase rapid torque, while a steep pitch would push top end up. Pitch values between those numbers are going to do a little of both.

Sometimes you just can't fake your way around something.