U.S. Coast Guard Maximum Capacities and floatation foam

Do U.S. Coast Guard maximum capacities matter? Obviously, at some point too much weight is too much. It seems as if they are sort of like the 55MPH speed limit . . . . yet at some point too much speed is too much.

What about the weight that we add with our modifications? and are we overloaded when we then put two or three people and their gear into our modified boat?

Is there a rule of thumb? 150%?

Also, what about removing that inside the seat floatation styrofoam? In my mod, by volume, I replaced more styrofoam than that that I removed. I replaced it with sheet styrofoam glued under the new fore deck, facing the seat bulkheads, and by placing it below my new floor boards. What about the fact that much of the new replaced foam resides lower, relative to the center of gravity of the boat, than before?

JUST MY OPINION, OF COURSE...

What about the weight that we add with our modifications? and are we overloaded when we then put two or three people and their gear into our modified boat? ..... If your mods add more weight AND your two or three people and gear exceed the tag...then you are overloaded....

Is there a rule of thumb? 150%? .... My rule of thumb would be 100%...

Also, what about removing that inside the seat floatation styrofoam? In my mod, by volume, I replaced more styrofoam than that that I removed. I replaced it with sheet styrofoam glued under the new fore deck, facing the seat bulkheads, and by placing it below my new floor boards. What about the fact that much of the new replaced foam resides lower, relative to the center of gravity of the boat, than before? .......My understanding of the CG requirements say that the boat should be floating level at the gunnels...and stable when the correct amount of foam is placed in a boat with no more than the maximum weight on the plate is added.

In all of the above cases, if there was an accident and injury or property damage was caused...or even death(s)...then I don't see much of a defense for the one who added the weight and then captained the boat.

Rich

Foam has nothing to do with the flotation of your boat. You can fill it full and it will still only float as it did with the same weight of anything else....Foam only helps with keeping your boat afloat when it is swamped. It doesn't add floatation and offset what weight you added to the boat when you built the decks etc.


In other words
The displacment of your boat will not change no matter how much foam goes into it. All it adds is running weight. But it will keep it afloat if you swamp or rip a hole in the bottom etc, provided you have enough to offset the weight you have.

As for the rated weight... I would figure on when you add decking your reducing the amount you can carry. With your tag thats 895 lbs... Motor, decking, carpet, gear, people, and even the foam....

JasonLester said:

Foam has nothing to do with the flotation of your boat. You can fill it full and it will still only float as it did with the same weight of anything else....Foam only helps with keeping your boat afloat when it is swamped. It doesn't add floatation and offset what weight you added to the boat when you built the decks etc.


In other words
The displacment of your boat will not change no matter how much foam goes into it. All it adds is running weight. But it will keep it afloat if you swamp or rip a hole in the bottom etc, provided you have enough to offset the weight you have.

As for the rated weight... I would figure on when you add decking your reducing the amount you can carry. With your tag thats 895 lbs... Motor, decking, carpet, gear, people, and even the foam....

Click to expand...

+1

Your maximum capacity is your maximum capacity... And the 55 mph speed limit is the speed limit.

My tracker, when we took it out, It was riding really low in the water, and We had three people on it. But, now when I tore up the plywood, and found the foam on the floor was waterlogged, well, Lets just say each piece seems like it weighed 50 pounds. We were told by a Marine owner, if you don't plan on swamping the boat, you don't need any foam. My boat still has some foam still in it, the Sides and the front. I'm just not gunna add any below the floor because when it rains the water gets down in there and water logged it, That's what I think happened to the foam that was in mine.

Basically if that Foam gets wet and waterlogged, that takes up the weight of a whole person right there.

Kochy said:

We were told by a Marine owner, if you don't plan on swamping the boat, you don't need any foam.

Click to expand...

Haha...now that's a statement.

If you don't plan on it you don't need it? I know I plan on swamping my boat every chance I get? Seriously though...who does that?

Methinks he should stick to owning a marina and quit the advise game.

X2!!!!! Freakin tards, Its like putting you kids in a car seat. You dont plan on getting in a wreck but..... A boat without flotation can go down in seconds. :shock:

hey wait ..thats what the bilg pump is for ... to keep the water OUT ! if you don't have water in it, it aint gonna sink .

flatboat said:

hey wait ..thats what the bilg pump is for ... to keep the water OUT ! if you don't have water in it, it aint gonna sink .

Click to expand...

Yeah unless the battery gets swamped too...lol There was an article on here not to long ago where a guy was in Lake Erie I believe..way to small a boat and the batteries got covered and no more bilge pump. The boat floated because of the foam and they got lucky when someone found them...chances are if the boat had no foam they wouldn'y have survived.

Granted they were stupid to be out there, but yes I am sure they did not plan on swamping their boat.

In most situations you would have more than seconds and even if your battery dies you still have the option of using a manual bilge and/or buckets...but foam is definitely not intended only for those who plan on swamping. I am yet to meet someone like that.

Here's how I have it estimated -

6 Gal Gasoline 6.073 lbs/gallon
6 x 6.073 = 36.44 lbs

TohoRig Livewell 30 lbs
Livewell Water 8.340 lbs/gallon
14 gal x 8.34 = 116.75 lbs

4x8 1/2" plywood 48lbs
9.8 Mercury 65 lbs
Gasoline 36
Livewell 30
Livewell H2O 117
Plywood 48
Bimini top 25
Seats 15
Tackle 20
Anchor/Chain/Rope 15
Trolling Motor 40
Trolling Battery 65
Foam & Misc 20

Sub Total 496

People
Me 260
Passenger 180
Sub Total 440

Total 936
Max 895
Overload 41

Bottom line - If I'm fishing, I'm fishing alone, or if I have a passenger, then we're not using the livewell.


Plywood weighs 20-25 pounds per 1/4" of thickness or
3 pounds per square foot per inch of thickness per Amer Plywood Assoc.

Yup weight limit is a limit. I do the same thing in aviation. If I do my weight and balance and I'm overweight I use less fuel, or take out luggage, sometimes even a passenger. [-o<