Overweight?

O

oldgrowth

New member
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?
 
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
 
Michael,
What does your capacity plate say?
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Thank you for that question. I had seen it before but forgot about it. It says 700 lbs or 4 people, and then in smaller print it states the maximum capacity is 1150 lbs. That would include everything on the boat, equipment, motors and people. I would think this includes all items that have been added such as radios, fish finders, compass, horn, battery combiners, switches and so on. Now the questionable items, swim platform, bow-rail, electric wipers and so on. If you don’t count the questionable items, why not? They are not standard equipment on a 16 footer and the portable potty is, however I am sure you would count the 28 lbs it weighs as part of the load.

I am trying to get the weight down to no more than 10% over the rated maximum capacity of 1150 lbs. Trucks, trailers, planes all will safely carry more that their rated capacity, so I am assuming boats will also. I am guessing 115 lbs over the 1150 pounds will not overload it. That is why every pound that should be, or not be counted is important.

In my previous post, I forgot some things I always take on the boat when we go, like our cameras, pistol, binoculars and some smaller items. Add another 23 lbs. Then if I add the swim step, bow-rail and electric wipers (I would guess at 25 lbs for the four items). Now my loaded weight is 1388 lbs or 238 lbs overloaded. That is more than 20% overloaded. Now add a few fish, if I am lucky. :wink:

Chuck,
Are you saying your total weight is 2468 pounds?! (925 hull + 1340 cargo + 203 motor)?
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Honda’s web site shows the 50HP is 205 lbs. dry no prop. Add motor oil, gear oil, a prop and a hydrofoil I made for it and you are at 217 lbs. All these little pounds eventually add up until you are overloaded. The 1388 includes everything except the 925 lbs for the hull. Total weight 2,313 pounds, maybe more.

:?: How many of you C-Brats run overloaded and by how much? :?:
 
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.
 
Great work Dave !!!

Yes, I too have done much of this when I had my 16' Cruiser..Jabez. Oh I miss her.. :cry :cry 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....
 
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":2y745jn2 said:
Andrew, is that spam? If not, why do you have a link to a drug website at the end of your message?
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"Andrew" and his post have been crotch-kicked to the spam pit.
 
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