overpowered boats debate

[Shizzy]

Re: overpowered boats debate

So is ALL of the boating that almost ALL oif us do by the strictest standards...

Sorry to get on a soap box here, but you guys are making me feel like we're waiting outside k&w cafeteria at 4:30...

Please take this in the friendly context it is intended... it's about enjoying oneself and taking advantage of being part of a free society... I know people at risk, etc... cost of insurance, etc... blah, blah, blah... all valid points I spose... OK, lets mandate healthy diets for everyone, ban red meat, outlaw drinking and smoking, require exercise every day, set max distance one can live from work and mandate the use of bicycles only.... etc...

many of the boats I see on the river run 90 plus, some of the little guys up river are probably closer to 150 than 100, and those are boats that weigh well under a thousand pounds and are sporting built merc outboards My 18 foot i/o has over twice the max rated horsepower and has nice manners, etc... and it's FUN TO DRIVE! my 72 ford pinto would do 110+ (don't ask, was 20 years ago)and the last couple of motorcycles I sold would do throttle wheelies at way over highway speed. Does that mean I have to drive like an idiot? nope

I like it that way... I pay attention to what I do and I have yet to kill or even injure anyone... (knock on wood), I'm generally very safety conscious and pay a lot of attention... lighten up a little...

OH and stop wasting all that gas, time and money poluting our environment with your wasteful boating... shouldn't we all be in kayaks? or better yet, sitting peacefully on the bank enjoying the undisturned waters...

it all depends who is at the tiller. some folks shouldnt be trusted pedaling a bicycle

I guess im at a place in my life where a 6HP on the back of my 14' is plenty to get me out to the fishing hole.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: overpowered boats debate

Nobody is saying you "cannot overpower" a boat. Obviously it is done frequently and people get away with it. What's being cautioned about is the fact that there may be state and municiple laws that puts you in a very unfavorable legal situation should something happen and unfortanely for that person, it is not a pleasant situation. Whether or not you convinced your insurance company that your boat complies with the capacity tag will not hold up in court in the event you have a personal injury, death, or serious property damage accident. Your insurance company will likely hang you out to dry if they determine you lied on the application. As for high powered bikes, cars, trucks etc., they are "legally sold". If modified, they no longer comply with the standards under which they were manufactured in the eyes of the insurer. Yes, most of us modified all sorts of vehicles (many of them) in years gone by. Life was a lot simpler back then. Insurance companies and the legal profession have also become a lot wiser in those years. It is simply financial suicide to overpower anything (insured or not). The long and short of this is that some folks are willing to take a lot bigger risk than others, and they generally underestimate the consequences. Talk to your insurance agent about the numbers of people driving cars, bikes, trucks and yes, boats without insurance these days.

 

[Kev144]

Re: overpowered boats debate

Some of you act like 650 is alot of hp on a boat! or that 60 mph is fast! HEHE I am fortunate enough i get to play with boats at work that are fast, some of which sporting triple 1075CI motors. Each motor has over 1200 HP. We just had the boat here about a month ago that broke 171.5 mph. Now that is fast!!!!

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: overpowered boats debate

the whole point is what makes it legal the plate on the boat doesnt exist for an I/O so they get to do whatever they want and in court it would hold that they are perfectly legal. but if you have a 175 on a boat thats rated for 150hp they take your house..

 

[QC]

Re: overpowered boats debate

Still not "illegal" as in criminal (depending on state regs), but it would be a bummer in civil court . . . That was my only point back a ways. You could find a jury that would hang you for running 650 bhp in a family 20 foot bowrider . . . Not rare where I boat though.

 

[The Great Escape II]

Re: overpowered boats debate

I saw this on You Tube. 600HP Pontoon boat top speed 71mph. This would turn some heads this is being delivered to some folks here on Lake Lanier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCEF6zOFj2o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW69k7Y-QFM&feature=related


This link has some pictures of the motor. WOW
http://www.nutsandboltsfishing.com/...=76f38e5b4873cc9388d61ba069a562eb&topic=488.0

 

[sidechoke67]

Re: overpowered boats debate

When I was a kid, a friend of my dad's had a boat that was way overpowered. He took some people for a ride one evening, gave the boat too much gas, and flipped several people (himself included) out of the boat. The boat came back around and ran a guy over, paralyzing him, and cutting a big chunk off his leg. Lawsuits followed, and the boat's owner ended up moving away.

Knowing the boat's driver, this incident probably had more to do with alcohol and stupidity then the HP on the motor, but I do remember hearing that the boat being overpowered came up during the lawsuits.

 

[Johnny_Law]

Re: overpowered boats debate

the whole point is what makes it legal the plate on the boat doesnt exist for an I/O so they get to do whatever they want and in court it would hold that they are perfectly legal. but if you have a 175 on a boat thats rated for 150hp they take your house..

I disagree. Every boat I looked at had a maximum hp that was sold with the boat. This maximum combination is the maximum hp that the manufacturer deems safe. Therefore, if an owner in one of these hulls modifies their boat so that the maximum hp is above that, they are legally liable. I believe the reason there is no placard on an I/O boat is that it is not easily verifiable to determine hp on an I/O boat.

Ask your insurance company what they would do if you put a 350HP engine on a boat I/O boat that was sold with a maximum of 260HP. I'm sure they wouldn't insure it.

My 0.02 cents.

 

[marine4003]

Re: overpowered boats debate

Law..That depends on the hull...My Scarab is carrying 2 750HP motors,stock it came with merc 454 rated at 300hp each...difference = 900HP am i insured??....yup. BUT try that with a bayliner,and you'll get laughed at.