Horse Power Ratings: to comply or to ignore?

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Wistex

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Regarding horse power rating tags on boats, is this a federal thing or state?

don't get me wrong as i think the more horse power, the more fun!

could it be a regional thing, that is for example at a bowfishing tournament i have seen jon boats with double the horse power allowed by the rating tags.

or could it be if one totally customizes a jon boat he becomes the manufacturer and can put on whatever horse power he desires. dittos for the jet conversions going from 30 hp outboards to 120 hp jet ski drives....

it seems many boat customizers are ignoring the rating limits and putting on bigger motors.

is it a state by state law thing where some states leo's and warden types ignore it?

wistex
 
Hey Wistex, Im no expert but there ar most likly bth fed and stat laws.Let us kno were u are and som1 may hav the rgt awswer for u.

Can you tell Im learding to text message. .......River
 
during the summer months i am in a north west wisconsin campgrounds.

in the months nov through april i camp in north east texas.

re: fishing anything one cannot do in wis, one can do in texas!

well, one does have to have a fishing license in texas.

another example of ignoring hp ratings was in louisiana where one can put a V8 in a skinny jon boat and go through the canals in the boggy swamps/ lakes. the props sort of chew their way through the vegetation.

wistex
 
I would not be so worried about the HP as the weight of a larger motor


Just because you have lots of HP does not mean it is wise to use it - but too much weight and you get a fast submarine
 
Captain Ahab said:
I would not be so worried about the HP as the weight of a larger motor


Just because you have lots of HP does not mean it is wise to use it - but too much weight and you get a fast submarine

Those HP ratings are determined my the Coast Guard and are on there for safety reasons. Now I'm sure with customazation a boat could handle a bigger motor but judging whether it is deamed safe or not a officer couldn't make that decision so they would have to go by the plate. You might be able to contact the Coast Guard and see if they do revaluations of boat and issue new plates.
 
You might be able to contact the Coast Guard and see if they do revaluations of boat and issue new plates.

I doubt that the Coast Guard issues capacity plates.That would but them being libel not the manufacture. #-o
 
I asked a friend of mine in Iowa ( mississippi river) this a while back and his comment was as long as you don't go nuts about the size or act like an idiot with it the game warden won't bother you. But you know the old saying about assumptions!

My question about the whole deal is on my boat it's rated for a 60hp. It's a plain model, tiller steer if I put one on it. If I would have bought the side console version of the same boat, it's rated for 90 hp.

I might put a side console in my boat and I'll bet it's a real hassle to get a new sticker saying 90.
 
I would guess that it wouldn't be an issue until you were involved in an accident then it would probably be the insurance company that would have something to say about it. To much HP or to much weight or both and they refuse the claim
 
Captain Ahab said:
Has anyone EVER had their plate checked to see if they are in compliance with a HP rating


EVER?
This question comes up alot,on boating type sites.I guess somes states down your way do check but it's a state by state thing.Some states are pretty strict and will fine you,I'd check with your state regsfrom what I've read.I don't think Coast Guard gives a crap but if your overweight or your vessel seems unsafe,you may get pointed towards shore.
I've asked about the insurance issue and if anyone has ever had or heard of anyone being turned down because of overhorse power...havn't got any takers on that one yet.
I watch swamp people with their 115 tillers and think thats pretty neat and I know theres 200hp tillers that walleye fishermen use.I'd check with your state regs;up where I'm at,you can use whatever.
What really doesn't make any sense to me is why inboards can be whatever hp,in whatever length boat.
 
I have a friend who is a conservation officer and he inspected my boat before I bought it to make sure it wasn't stolen, and he told me "You'd better not get caught going over that rating..."
 
Insurance asked the details of both hull and motor, then verified hp was within manufacturer specs. Other than that, no
 
Some small and big fishing tournaments won't let you go over the manufactures hp rating either.
I think there might be a 5% rule?
 
i put a 35 hp on my old pos 12 footer once and ran it up the fraser river. :shock: ,this boat was a real klunker,flimsy and leaky weighed maybe 125 lbs.scared the hell out of me.ran it wot for a few seconds. it was rated for a 10 for a reason..that was the only time i've ever exceeded the rating on any boat.
 
bcbouy said:
i put a 35 hp on my old pos 12 footer once and ran it up the fraser river. :shock: ,this boat was a real klunker,flimsy and leaky weighed maybe 125 lbs.scared the hell out of me.ran it wot for a few seconds. it was rated for a 10 for a reason..that was the only time i've ever exceeded the rating on any boat.
Wow.
 
Most state boating regulations require you to operate your watercraft according to all manufacturers guidelines. Most states also require you to list the HP of motor on your registration, and won't issue a registration if your motor is overpowered.

If for whatever reason an officer decides to inspect your boat, I can guarantee you he will find some law that supports you getting a fine, or worse.

Just follow the law, and the manufacturers instructions and stay at or under the max. Why ask for trouble when the max HP for almost every boat out there is plenty.
 
I ran a 20 merc on a 12 ft rated for a 15 once.. 5 gallon bucket of rocks in the front and boy that thing flew!!
My new legend is rated for 30hp by Canadian coast guard, but 40hp by the u.s C/G.. I couldnt imagine my boat in tiller form with a 40, it would be nuts!
Although the same hull is available with a S/C, which might be ok.

When shopping for a new boat last year, one Lowe was rated for a 20 HP as a tiller, but 30 with the optional S/C.. I asked him if they could do a 25 tiller, but he said no ( liabity)
 

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