Overweight?

[oldgrowth]

I don’t want to make this too detailed because I am afraid it will bore you.

I have a 16’ CD cruiser my wife (Terri) and I use for camping. So far the longest has been four days and nights. I am concerned about weight and I don’t know how much the little cruiser will safely carry. I didn’t know how much weight I had in it, so I weighed every thing in and on it. That includes everything I have attached permanently and options the factory installed plus the previous owner. The only thing not weighed or estimated was the swim platform, swim ladder and table in the cabin. The weight in the boat, on our last outing came to 1,340 pounds. About 230 pounds more than I had estimated. I divided the boat into thirds and figured the weight as loaded for each section.

The front which includes every thing on and under the V-Berth and bow is. . . 254 lbs
The back which includes every thing beginning 12” behind the seats is. . . . . . 491 lbs
The middle which is every thing else is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 lbs
Add Terry and me in the middle, where we are most of the time is . . . . . . . . . 300 lbs
Total weight more or less is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,340 lbs

As I use gas and Terri moves around, I move some of the Items around to keep the boat balanced.

This is my first boat and I have only been out four times on it, so I don’t have any experience boating and nothing to compare it to. Looking at the numbers it looks like I am overloaded but it does not feel like it to me.

The boat doesn’t seem sluggish or unresponsive with this weight and configuration. Under good conditions I can get it up to 28 knots. In choppy and semi rough conditions (small whitecaps), I can comfortably cruise in the 14 to 18 knot range. In 4’ rollers with 12” wind waves on top, it seems to handle OK doing 7 to 9 knots.

Sorry about making this so long, but until I weighed everything, I had planned on adding another 85 to 100 pounds to the boat. Now I don’t know.

My question to those of you with experience in or knowledge of the 16’ cruiser, would you feel safe in these conditions in this boat?

[MichaelOnTheClaraMae]

Hi Dave. What does your capacity plate say? It should be located near the helm or on the transom.

[Chuck S]

Website says the maximum legal load is 700 pounds. That plus the empty weight of 925 pounds is 1625 which I assume includes the weight of whatever engines are on the boat.

Substract 203 pounds for the motor and you get a maximum load of a couple of fish less than 500 pounds.

Are you saying your total weight is 2468 pounds?! (925 hull + 1340 cargo + 203 motor)?

-- Chuck

[oldgrowth]

Michael,

[MichaelOnTheClaraMae]

In the strictest interpretation of the law, the capacity plate rules. Having said that, it really boils down to two things for me, both of which are related. First, are you so grossly overloaded that by mere sight, it gets the attention of the coast guard or other authority? Second, is there any noticeable difference in the way your boat safely handles carrying 1150 pounds as opposed to 1388 pounds? (And personally, I would not count your bow rails, table and swim platform as equipment/gear.)

As a practical matter, the coast guard is not going to ticket you for being overloaded unless it is grossly obvious. In other words, they are not going to stop you and weigh your gear. Put 6 people in there, however, and that will likely get their attention.

So if you are reasonable with the weight, that leaves how your boat safely handles. With this being your first boat you said you didn't have anything to compare with, but consider this. Get your load down to 1150 pounds or so and make a short run. Note how the boat does planing, turning, and handling through your own wake. Then add the weight you think you would like to have as a maximum and do it again. Ask yourself if there is any noticeable difference.

Don't get me wrong... lighter is always better. But as long as you are reasonable and confident in what your boat will handle, I say take what makes your outings enjoyable.

It will be interesting to hear some of our experienced 16 footers "weigh-in" here.

[Byrdman]

Great work Dave !!!

Yes, I too have done much of this when I had my 16' Cruiser..Jabez. Oh I miss her.. Great vessel....and you can very easily forget you are on a 16' boat.

Gear is like the check book...it aint the big ones that get ya....it is all those little ones. But we love our little ones.


That 16' boat can stand a lot....

[thataway]

What C Dory model do you own? We have always felt that "private space" is very important in a boat, especially if on long trips. Even on our 62 footer, we each had "private space" (of course we spent weeks at sea, and often had several guests up to 10 extra people aboard).

In the 25 C Dory, one can make one area for the kids--ie the cockpit with a camper back--and the adults have the main cabin. We used this type of division when our children have been aboard.

If you don't own a C Dory--and have an express cruiser--I don't see thant any of the C Dory boats willl be of much help--but with an express, the under the bridge deck bunk will often be one private space--one can make curtains more "sound proof and also use a camper canvas on an express.

Not sure how this relates to boat weight...Of course Dave has solved this by making his boat longer! Maybe another lengthening is in order!

[mikeporterinmd]

Andrew, is that spam? If not, why do you have a link to a drug website
at the end of your message?

[C-Hawk]

Must be spam--- C-Dory doesn't make a 26' cruiser

[Da Nag]