Over loading boats above the capacity plate max?

[Vicseek]

On rare occasion I find myself close to the Max 15 people my boat is rated for.
The sticker says 15 people "or" 2445lbs
This Fourth of July I may find myself with 16 people; 8 adults, 8kids (ages 2-13)
If I itemize our body weights and add them together I'm still 550lbs shy of the 2445lbs; add in a couple hundred lbs of gear (anchor, life jackets, no wakeboards) and I'm still prolly a few hundred pounds shy of the max weight but still over the passenger limit.
I don't mind taking this to a judge if I'm pulled over and showing him my analysis however another question is...does this 2445lbs allow me to also fill up 1600lbs of ballast per the boats standard operating capabilities? I'm leaning on the NO side but wanted to spark up this conversation.

I'm not an unsafe boater but it sucks that a 35lbs 2yr old kid is going to make my boat illegal to operate.
In the past I've had 14 on the boat and it actually wasn't as crowded as my old 17' well craft bow rider w/7.

[cbath]

Unfortunately, the coast guard placard that states 15 people or 2445 lbs will net you a ticket if you have 16 people even if you're under the weight limit.... It's due to the seating capacity set by the manufacturer. Also, if you have 15 people in your boat and 2 on a tube behind, you will also get ticketed due to over capacity, found that out the hard way in Lake Powell.


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[lee]

Sometimes those stickers fall off the sides of boats.

[Bryan]

^^^ x2.. Mine did long ago. As long as you've got a place to sit and a life jacket per person.. Whose to say your over cap??

[Dandy]

This is not something that I would test over a holiday weekend. You for sure would be over capacity and if you take it to court you will not win and be out additional time and money. If there a place you can swap people from, someone's cabin, a beach.... Honestly having that many people in the boat would make things tight.

I have also wondered about ballast and am waiting for someone to chime in. I believe water ballast is "neutral" so it may not count, lead would for sure.

[sandm]

lots of grey but here ya go.
if they are bags, they don't count unless full. hard tanks do. betting if you are at the max with just peeps and you fill ballast, some will never give you a second look and some will ticket. as Dandy comments, betting your odds are much better on a holiday weekend to get the ticket.

http://www.boatingmag.com/wake-sport...afety-0#page-3

[lee]

Any mono-hull over 20' is not required to have a capacity plate.

[whiteflash watersports]

My daughter and I have taken Coast Guard boating classes with the Coast Guard instructors. We asked about the weight and number of people and they told us the plate is a "guideline" and as long as everyone has a seat and a life jacket you are ok.

We have been stopped many times by the coast guard and the FL fish and wildlife commission and they have never brought up that plate.

Just my experience.

[Stingreye]

^^^ I have heard the same. Guidelines that are provided by NMMA, not the coastguard. I don't think MB boats even have a placard because they are not part of NMMA.


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[skibumsd]

the 07 rz4 i bought has a blank sticker. No capacity weight or anything on it? I have never seen this before and kinda wondered what would happen if we where stopped and had a very full boat?

[ChrisBarnes05-12-84]

I went to lake havasu once and my 20v said 9 people and we had 10 people so I peeled it off the first day.

[Vicseek]

I would like to keep the sticker just for SA however; if in fact it is ONLY a recommendation I may be okay. These RZ2's have plenty of room, especially if most of the people are kids. We're simply going to cruise directly to the cove, it's not like we're going to be wakeboarding/surfing with this many people in the boat, that would be a pain in the butt!
I feel okay with the weight and space for people, I just wanted to do the research and at the end of the day see if risk level is acceptable or not. Simply put, i'm not going to intentionally endanger my kids/family nor any other family if in fact there is an unacceptable danger of overloading this boat.
Thanks everybody for your inputs! This is a touchy subject and I've heard stories of hulls breaking/separating under extreme stress, worse yet, kids falling into the water when the driver doesn't see a huge wake/roller. Boating is inherently dangerous however, there is always an acceptable risk one must analysis when going out on the water.

[355spider]

That sticker is for the lawyers. The true capacity of your boat is much higher.

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[River Runner]

Any mono-hull over 20' is not required to have a capacity plate.

This is correct^^^

Under the U.S. Coast Guard Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971, boats less than 20 feet powered with an inboard, outboard, or stern drive engine manufactured after November 1, 1972, must display a capacity plate defining the safe load limits. This plate must be mounted where you can see it when preparing to get underway. Sailboats, canoes, kayaks and inflatable boats are exempt from this standard. States do have statutes prohibiting the carriage of people and gear in excess of the stated capacity, or the installation of a motor that exceeds the recommended horse power limit. Also, you may void your insurance policy if you are found to have exceeded the limits stated on your capacity plate.