max Horsepower rating

[WesNewell]

I've got a Lowe Stinger 175 boat. The max HP rating on the plate is 75. However, when I compute what the max could be according to regulations it's 175 HP. Boat is 17.5' x 7.5' transom. Lowe hasn't responded to my question on this. Now I don't want a 175hjp engine for this boat, but a 115 would be nice since it's the same weight as the 75. I've noticed many boats are way under rated since researching this and I can't figure out why for sure. Any reasonable explanations out there.
Ref:

Safe Horsepower Standards For Outboard Powerd Boats

Horsepower caculations for outboard boats with engines greater than 2 horsepower

newboatbuilders.com

 

[alldodge]

Not sure anyone can answer it on the legal side, but most comes down to insurance. Some say claims can be denied. I would suggest contacting your insurance company to see what they say

We all see these little boats with big HP on them

 

[GA_Boater]

The Coast Guard formula is rather generic to fit all boats. Lowe designers know more about the boat than the CG. A boat made out of Popcicle sticks or Legos with the same measurements would still say 75 HP - But is it safe?

 

[WesNewell]

Not sure anyone can answer it on the legal side, but most comes down to insurance. Some say claims can be denied. I would suggest contacting your insurance company to see what they say

We all see these little boats with big HP on them

Not concerned about insurance. Only legality. And reason for under rating. I suspect it's done to try and up sale.

 

[WesNewell]

The Coast Guard formula is rather generic to fit all boats. Lowe designers know more about the boat than the CG. A boat made out of Popcicle sticks or Legos with the same measurements would still say 75 HP - But is it safe?

Actually, it's not. It's only for boats under 20'.and there are 4 formulas for computing hp depending on size and type. And there are major differences in the type. For instance a boat of my size could have 3 different ratings depending on type. 50hp, 80hp, and 175hp. A boat of my type falls into the 175hp category...

 

[aspeck]

Actually, it's not. It's only for boats under 20'.and there are 4 formulas for computing hp depending on size and type. And there are major differences in the type. For instance a boat of my size could have 3 different ratings depending on type. 50hp, 80hp, and 175hp. A boat of my type falls into the 175hp category...

And those 4 different formulas are still rather generic. There is a lot more that goes into the strength and rigidity of a boat than length, transom height, whether the hull is flat or not, and whether the boat is tiller or remote steer. I would believe those that engineered the boat over the general formula of the CG.

I would also be concerned about liability. Whether insured or not, if something happens in the sue happy society we live, you will be held liable if the boat has an overrated hp motor sitting on it.

It doesn't matter if I feel the boat will handle more hp. It doesn't matter when nothing goes wrong. But unfortunately as a first responder I have responded to and studied many boating accidents that people never thought would happen. And the result was great financial loss even when hp had little or no part to play in the outcome.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Not concerned about insurance. Only legality. And reason for under rating. I suspect it's done to try and up sale.

because the manufacturer only designed the transom to hold 75hp and that is what they rated the boat at.

 

[racerone]

Any pictures of this boat ?-----Saw a similar boat and the very low freeboard might be an issue with big power.

 

[alldodge]

My (never finished) 105 Chrysler Conquor has a plate that says 105HP max. The Chy 105 was actually about 90HP, so upping to 105 would be quite a boost

 

[JimS123]

Not concerned about insurance. Only legality. And reason for under rating. I suspect it's done to try and up sale.

HAHAHA......that's the one thing you need to me most concerned about. If the Insurer inspects the boat and finds it over powered you might be left uninsured.

A buddy of mine had an accident and was underinsured...his judgement will leave him poor for life.....never own a boat or a house.

Any reputable boat company tests their product and will modify (reduce) the HP requirement vs. the USCG specs to meet what they consider safe. That's a pretty little boat with no freeboard and a near flat bottom. If it were to be my boat I would order it with a 60. Anything above 75 would be scary.

IMHO

 

[WesNewell]

I don't carry insurance, so I'm not worried about that. the boat is rated for 75 hp. The 75, 90, and 115 hp engines all weigh the same and use the same 2.1 L block, so there's absolutely no reason to limit the HP to 75. No one is going to convince me that's it's because the boat can't handle it. My old 1983 Kingfisher 15V was rated for 115hp and it was only 15.83' long with a 6.5' beam and only weighed 750#. It would do 60+ mph with a 115.

 

[jbcurt00]

I don't carry insurance, so I'm not worried about that. the boat is rated for 75 hp. The 75, 90, and 115 hp engines all weigh the same and use the same 2.1 L block, so there's absolutely no reason to limit the HP to 75. No one is going to convince me that's it's because the boat can't handle it.

Well there ya go...
your boat, your choices...
Good luck

Boat safely

Might check your local boating regs. Simply act of overpowering above the capacity tag, no matter how judicial you are w the throttle, is considered reckless operation and fineable.

 

[WesNewell]

Or I could just put a 75 hp on it. remove the intake air restrictor and reprogram the ecm to get 115 hp out of the 75 and no one would be the wiser. But that's not the purpose of my inquiry.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you wont get anyone on this site to advocate to over-power

not carrying insurance is reckless and stupid. The insurance isnt for you, its for the other folks involved in an incident so you dont loose everything .

 

[alldodge]

It's real cheap to add a boat to the home owners policy to cover liability

 

[JimS123]

If you look at all boating forums, there is one thread that comes up almost daily, and accounts for the most asked question. It is, (paraphrasing): "Can I grossly overpower my little boat?" The answer is always the same. In my 65 years as a boater I've witnessed some real doozies. Many of them didn't turn out too well.

 

[WesNewell]

I'm not asking anyone to advocate over powering, just what's legal.
As for insurance. I hate all insurances. IMO, it's legalized extortion when it comes to auto insurance. And if you think insurance will protect you, better think again. It's has limited payout. You will still be responsible for any amount over the policy limit.

 

[JimS123]

I'm not asking anyone to advocate over powering, just what's legal.

According to the internet it's illegal. If you want a second opinion, ask your attorney and/or the captain of your local marine police patrol. I was going to say call your insurance agent, but nix that. Just call up Geico marine and ask them.

 

[GA_Boater]

I'm not asking anyone to advocate over powering, just what's legal.

It depends very much on laws and regulations. Where is the boat registered?

 

[WesNewell]

According to the internet it's illegal. If you want a second opinion, ask your attorney and/or the captain of your local marine police patrol. I was going to say call your insurance agent, but nix that. Just call up Geico marine and ask them.

Yes, it's illegal to exceed max hp. My question is which. Gov. regulations or boat makers recommend max.Unfortunately, the gov reg only defines the max. That leaves it open to manufacturers to set any rating they want. Many of which imo are set low to upsell to a more expensive boat. My boat also has a minimum hp rating of 25 hp. then would it be illegal to use a 20 hp engine on it. Leaving it up to the manufacturer as to what rating to set is not a good idea. It opens up easy consumer fraud. Which i think is happening with some manufacturers. I'll be making some calls his week to hopefully get some answers