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Lets say a boat is rated for a 75hp and I want to put on a 15hp kicker, can I still put on a 75 and be legal.

I have heard different views some say it's the 2 motors added to a max of 75.
I have looked for info on this but I cannot find anything.

I never taught about that one,,,,

i gues ...it those not mater,because you dont use them at the same time....i think.. .

would be the same for a little boat max.......20hp ex...then you put a 50pound trust electric motor on it.so you would be over powerd to. ,,because electric motor are tranfer in h.p to... ..and so on.. .hp.those not meen gas powerd...it could be electric to....so you would have to combine your electric kiker and the gaz ne together to...

mmm

Actually I found one article that says the only reason for the max HP is for the weight of the motor on the transom. But then they would have a different max hp for 2 strokes or 4.

But Joco I agree with you but you never know how a coastguard or a policeman or an insurrance company will think. I just want to have something on paper s my A&&%$% is covered

hi wallyboss......

even some boats are overpowerd and are still ok....

lets say that you got a 1995 boat rated for 75hp......and in that year they had only 70 and 80hp made in mercury ex......they say that you can put the 80hp............that is what i heard.....don no for sher..


joco

But wouldn't that give an out for an insurrance company to not pay if anything happens???

dont no about that........

but like you said if its about weight on the transom......a 4 stroke would be a lot more hevier then that little 5hp extra on that 2 stroke...mmmmmmmm .

good question.

joco

a boat lets say rated for 50hp, does not indicate if it can be 2 or 4 stroke... 2 stroke 50hp, and 4 stroke 50hp do not weigh the same. Another thing, a johnson lets say 50hp and a 50hp merc or something else may not weigh the same.. i do not think the boat HP rating got anything to do with the weight capacity of a boat.. in legal terms.

..lets say a boat with 70hp rating capacity and you have a 70hp motor and a 15hp kicker (trolling motor)::
i believe you can have both at the same time and not exceed the HP capacity of the boat, because u are not running them at the same time (one reason).

and another question...

How is a boat's HP capacity & weight capacity determined?

- is it internal boat volume, design ..?? there must be a formula. i see some small boats 14foot ski boats, can handle +100hp, and another boat, same weight, lenght can't handle 1/4 of it..

Hi guys...Here's an article I was reading a few weeks ago that should answer your questions:

Capacity and Horsepower Defined
The real meaning of two of the most frequently hyped words in boating

by Chris Caswell



All inboard and outboard boats under 20 feet in length must have a maximum capacity, listed in both persons and pounds, stamped or printed on a clearly visible plaque. In addition, there must be a maximum horsepower shown for the engine on outboard boats. But there are likely to hold several surprises for boat owners and buyers.

Most boaters (myself included) believed that a maximum capacity, such as " Four Persons or 530 pounds", is the point beyond which a boat is likely to become unstable or will capsize. It seems obvious that the maximum horsepower rating is to keep us from speeding out of control with an oversized engine and, since these ratings are mandated by the U.S. Coast Guard, it's a logical assumption that these capacities are the result of their testing.

Wrong on all counts.

First, the maximum capacity is actually the number of people (or their total weight) that the boat will safely support if it is swamped.

Second, the horsepower rating has nothing to do with speed. "Horsepower has only to do with weight," says Philip Cappel of the Coast Guard. "We're not so much concerned about the speed but that the boat will float upright if swamped so that people can hold on to it until rescued. That's the whole reason for the flotation standard and why we say how many people can be on board. Horsepower only has to do with engine weight. If you put too big an engine on a boat, you throw the flotation off."

Last, the manufacturers set the Coast Guard capacity maximum, which they reach using an accepted formula, and they also determine the horsepower since they know how much engine weight will still allow their boat to float level.

It should be noted that the NMMA is much tougher on calculating weight maximums, as well as increasing the size of boats requiring flotation from the Federal standard of 20 feet up to 26 feet. The NMMA also has a test where the driver must crank the wheel 180 degrees in a split second. If the boat is not capable of such a turn through 90 degrees at full throttle without the driver losing control, then the NMMA requires a "Maneuvering Speed" placard be posted warning that sudden turns may cause a loss of control above a certain speed.


© Copyright 2007 Dominion Enterprises. All rights reserved.

TroutHunter!! thats the article I had read about the weight.
It still doesn't tell us what that weight per HP is cause there is a big diff. between a 4 stroke and 2 stroke.

Wallyboss wrote:Lets say a boat is rated for a 75hp and I want to put on a 15hp kicker, can I still put on a 75 and be legal.

I have heard different views some say it's the 2 motors added to a max of 75.
I have looked for info on this but I cannot find anything.

WallyBoss!! I thought your original concern was max horsepower...The article we both read stated that HP is not an issue but weight factor is...so having said that, you're legal if the max weight does not exceed the limit of your vessel! A 15HP 2-stroke Johnson dry weight is 77LBS and the 4-stroke 15HP is 97LBS which isn't really a lot of difference...so instead of filling your cooler with 24pints and 2 blocks of ice....go down to a 12 pack and 1 block...there's your 20LBS!!

But the plate still says max 75hp!!!!! But I agree with you the difference in a 15hp 2 or 4 stroke is 20lbs, but the difference in a 75hp 2 or 4 stroke is more than 20.

i know that the author of that article is Chris Caswell but who is Chris Caswell . Is he the MNR or Police that will check me ??? Or is that his version of the rating?? If it is a weight issue then why is it not in Black and White on the plaque. i am not arguing I am just trying to find out the real thing about this.

Here is the reply that I got from Transport Canada

In response to your inquiry regarding pleasure craft Safety Compliance Notice capacity ratings.

First, I would ask that you please remove the contact information below should you decide to post this response on a public forum. Instead, I would invite you to post the following Web site (http://www.tc.gc.ca/BoatingSafety/Conta ... ontact.htm), which provides contact information for each regional area of Transport Canada.

The number appearing on the Capacity Label for maximum power is intended to stipulate the maximum for the vessel and not for each individual motor. So regardless of the number of motors, the total combined power should be no more than that listed on the Capacity Label. So, to answer your question, satisfying the the Capacity Label would mean fitting a 60 hp motor and a 15 hp motor so that the total power can be no more than 75 hp at any given time.

It is important to note that the maximum ratings on Compliance Plates are recommendations for operating in fair weather and not legal requirements. However, please be advised that a failure to follow the recommendations that results in death or injury may create civil liability or may form the basis of a charge of criminal negligence.

For further information, please visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca

Interesting discussion since I recently noticed that my Lund (1650 rebel dc) is max rated for 60hp and the transome will take a max of 360 lbs.

My 50hp honda 4s weighs about 200 lbs give or take but like many have mentioned different engines, different weights.

I realize one is Transport Canada and one is a manufacturers recommendation but they are probably equally important.