max Horsepower rating

[jbcurt00]

Good luck w that ^^^

As far as I know there is no regulation of how much LOWER you can power a boat from its min/max ratings, only regards to Max & overpowering.

Seems a lot of ta-do w little to no possibility of getting meaningful info beyond whats already been provided.

Consumer fraud? Really?

As before, good luck w your quest.....

 

[racerone]

Wow !!-----Keep us posted on your theory of boat max power.----Almost like reading the comic book.

 

[JimS123]

That leaves it open to manufacturers to set any rating they want.

The manufacturers test the boats they sell and set the HP based on what their engineers / safety experts tell them. They want you to buy their boats, but they also know that if its unsafe and you have an accident because of speed you will sue the pants off of them. Sure, its partly weight on the transom, buoancy, etc., but if a boat chine walks and gets squirrely at full speed there are lives at stake.

I looked at the specs for your little boat. IMHO, it does not have a hull compatible with going too fast. I realize that there are people that chose to abandon common sense and do all kinds of things that are illegal (not just boats), and that's why there are so many lawyers around and why they make so much money. You should see the yacht OUR lawyer owns....and airplane, and...

 

[Scott Danforth]

international law, policed by the USCG and the boat manufacturer.

 

[roscoe]

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.

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So if you want to know if its legal, or not, tell us where you boat, and what state its registered in.

I can tell you that it is illegal in many states, and have the state statutes for several. Every year more states pass laws regarding this due to issues on the water and in the courts.

Whether or not it is illegal under USCG rules is another issue.

The USCG rating placard installed by the manufacturer is "the law".

In some states, it is illegal to even sell a used boat that is powered above the rated hp.

 

[topgun3690]

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

Hate to admit it, but until I read this thread I had never even thought about getting liability coverage for my old bass boat. I have insurance on everything else I own, except the boat. Pretty sure my Auto policy covers it while towing, but need to verify that too. I will be calling my agent soon to check it out. Thanks alldodge for bringing that up.

 

[Chris1956]

Wes, I think you are wrong about how OEMs set max HP ratings. IMO, they set them based on the hull design, the strength of the boat and transom, and most importantly for a margin of safety, so they do not get sued, if you crash the boat. A lot of boat/motor combos are set to perform with a max top speed in the low 40s or lower, as that is fairly safe for even novice boaters.

Setting a low HP rating to "upsell" doesn't make sense, as most boaters do not choose a boat, solely based on HP, again IMO.

 

[JimS123]

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

The requirements may be state specific. My homeowners insurance will only cover boats with an outboard of 25 HP or less, and a max boat speed of (I think) 35 mph. So, I have free riders covering my little boats, but all the others need separate policies. And of course, my PWC is a case all in itself.

 

[alldodge]

The requirements may be state specific. My homeowners insurance will only cover boats with an outboard of 25 HP or less, and a max boat speed of (I think) 35 mph. So, I have free riders covering my little boats, but all the others need separate policies. And of course, my PWC is a case all in itself.

Never know what a given state may or may not do. All mine in my sig are covered under home owners