Maximum People Capacity

[Ben Levitt]

I'm in a negotiation to purchase a 2013 240 Sundeck. The manual says 10 people as a maximum capacity. However, the on board builders plate says 11. Which is it? Thanks.

 

[skibum]

I believe that he affixed plate is the record of reference, so 11.

 

[northern]

Every boat I have seen gives you a max weight including gear and equipment. Our bridge has a not saying 1,100 pounds when under way.
Dinghy says 750 pounds including equipment.
Never seen a max weight or people on a canoe.

 

[Woody]

My 280DA says, 10 people + stuff = 1,180kg(2,596lbs)

 

[Lazy Daze]

Go by what it says on the yellow, Coast Guard capacity plate.

 

[TitanTn]

If your boat has a placard then that's what you have to go by. The interesting thing is that boats over 20' are not required to have a placard. Manufacturers put them there to earn NMMA certification. It's not a legal requirement (Coast Guard). I have 3 boats. Two of them are over 20' so they don't have placards. The 10' dingy does have one and I go by it.

 

[Ben Levitt]

Thanks everyone! Very Helpful!

 

[MonacoMike]

My 280DA says, 10 people + stuff = 1,180kg(2,596lbs)

My 270 has Yacht Certification, the 280 does not?

MM

 

[northern]

Question
On all the cruises I have seen there is black or blue bottom paint then white or other colour fiberglass. I was always under the impression that you never loaded the boat so the bottom paint was completely submerged. Is this correct.

 

[TitanTn]

Question
On all the cruises I have seen there is black or blue bottom paint then white or other colour fiberglass. I was always under the impression that you never loaded the boat so the bottom paint was completely submerged. Is this correct.

Not correct. The height of the bottom paint is a completely subjective thing that is determined by the painter. There is no calculation of weight put into how high up the hull the paint goes.

 

[Bt Doctur]

A 24 footer with 11 persons should be named "butts 2 nuts"

 

[wrvond]

Question
On all the cruises I have seen there is black or blue bottom paint then white or other colour fiberglass. I was always under the impression that you never loaded the boat so the bottom paint was completely submerged. Is this correct.

The purpose of bottom paint is simply to retard the growth of plants and animals (depending on the environment). Many boats don't have bottom paint - as a rule, those boats are trailered.

 

[Leardriver]

The 2010 and newer 240 SD's are much smaller. Are you sure that you can't find a cherry older one?

 

[Gunn]

My 270 has Yacht Certification, the 280 does not?

MM

Yes, the 280DA's of the early-mid-2000's do have Yacht Certification...

 

[Woody]

My 270 has Yacht Certification, the 280 does not?

MM

Yes it is, but 'Yacht Certification' is not a replacement for capacity labels if they exist, or capacity recommendations that might be in an Operators Manual. It is also not a free pass for what might otherwise be seen as improper loading or reckless operation through the eyes of LEO.

Yacht Certification simply..... 'NMMA Boat & Yacht Certification helps manufacturers ensure their boats are built to applicable standards set by the American Boats & Yacht Council (ABYC), and to promote their compliance to the public.'

There is no 'law' requiring a capacity label on our size boats but this is in my Owners Manual. While it is affixed to the International Models that doesn't diminish the fact that it's a reasonable recommendation for the same boat here in the USA.

 

[MonacoMike]

I do not believe that tag has any bearing on what is permitted in the US it is up to the captain to be safe as I understand it. That said, if the unthinkable happened and the captain was in court defending the loading practices it likely would be used against them.

I was taught to us the following capacities for all private vessels.

6 for cocktails
4 for dinner
and 2 to go to bed...

Generally when I exceed those capacities I regret it. LOL!!!

MM

 

[northern]

Nothing to do with capacity of people
Once I had run one tank to almost empty. The other had 1/4 I wanted to see what fuel capacity was on the almost empty tank. I filled the 1/4 full tank and went out. Boat was extremely unstable. I returned and filled the almost empty tank. Point is boats are designed to run with an even load. If you have a lot of people on a boat and they move around it can be a problem.

 

[MonacoMike]

Nothing to do with capacity of people
Once I had run one tank to almost empty. The other had 1/4 I wanted to see what fuel capacity was on the almost empty tank. I filled the 1/4 full tank and went out. Boat was extremely unstable. I returned and filled the almost empty tank. Point is boats are designed to run with an even load. If you have a lot of people on a boat and they move around it can be a problem.

On a "yacht certified" it has nothing to do with people, but on my Monaco 10 people, 2 over the plate will get me a ticket and 2 friends taken off my boat. LOL

MM

 

[Steve in Minneapolis]

I'm in a negotiation to purchase a 2013 240 Sundeck. The manual says 10 people as a maximum capacity. However, the on board builders plate says 11. Which is it? Thanks.

I know this is an old thread but I'm doing research on this. My guess is that a previous owner often had 11 on the boat. SO, they had a new sticker printed that says 11 instead of 10. You may be able to pull the sticker off, and see the original one. I know this because I have a friend who did just that on her pontoon... and it could be unsafe.

I talked to SeaRay about it. What is in the manual is what the boat is certified for. In your case, 10. Go by what's in the book, and you are safer.