Ballast Capacity

[Bozboat]

"Well this will be my first time using the boat with the ballast and I will be cramming the boat down with close to 2000lbs of ballast ...

I copied that part of a post from another issue regarding a Sunsetter. I guess I don't understand how you can safely exceed the boats 1850 pound maximum capacity?

Does a grossly overloaded boat raise an insurance coverage problem after an accident?

In the discussions of tow vehicles, many crew members point out that liability insurance may not cover someone who overloads the tow vehicle, many good points about not overloading the vehicle's tow capacity.

Maybe I don't understand the ballast load correctly. I am assuming that adding 2,000 pounds of ballast to a boat rated for 1850 pounds, then adding fuel, equipment, ice, drinks, crew members would at some point become a problem.

Edited April 6, 2011 by Bozboat

[Malibuzer]

Yes, I do overload the capacity when adding extra surf ballast. I am sure that you are correct on the loading maximums. Has anyone ever heard of a boater being fined, or ticketed for having an overloaded boat due to balllast?

[Malibudude]

We regularly added 1,500-2k of ballast in our SLXI + people + wedge, while there maybe some insurance issues, I never felt that the boat was unable to preform or keep from taking any rogue waves over the gunwales.

I would be that many on average exceed the weight capacity. 10 people in a SSLXI would be 1,500lbs + 212.5lbs for gas + gear + towers + ice chests alone would exceed the 1,850lbs arbitrary weight number on the placard. If the boat feels unsafe than most likely it is or is beyond the drivers ability to control it. Just as on land it's rarely enforced, even chatted w/ the CHP about overloaded vehicles. His response was it has to be soooooo bad where it appears to an eminent threat to safety before they would even think of it, and even then really not something they are equipped to handle affectively in the field. I know a Chevy 1/2 from the 70's that regualrly pulls a 40' travel trailer and the rear bumper can't be more than 2-3 inches from the ground, clearly imho this is so unsafe it isn't funny but still on the highway and I've watched CHP roll right by him. So I doubt the water popo would do it much differently. Usually the actions of the boaters themselves are what gets attention.

[pocman]

I have a question with the factory ballast full does that count towards your max people/ max weight you can have on the boat. We have a 2010 247 max people is 17 max weight can not remember right now. We are having installed one of Bakes 1100 piggyback systems so I have to be very carefull with the amount of people I put in the then with that extra ballast bag is this correct.