can i get in trouble for this?

so i have a 10 foot jon and a 7.5 hp gamefisher. the boat is only rated for a 3 hp but i have rebulit the transom so i know the transom will handle the motor. my question is if i get pulled over by the police or coastguard, can i get in trouble for the motor being too big? i dont think so because i have seen a guy on here run a 40 horse merc on his 12 footer. my father thinks i could get in trouble so i would really be greatful if you all told me your opinions. thanks everbody. btw im in virginia if that matters.

free jonboat said:

so i have a 10 foot jon and a 7.5 hp gamefisher. the boat is only rated for a 3 hp but i have rebulit the transom so i know the transom will handle the motor. my question is if i get pulled over by the police or coastguard, can i get in trouble for the motor being too big? i dont think so because i have seen a guy on here run a 40 horse merc on his 12 footer. my father thinks i could get in trouble so i would really be greatful if you all told me your opinions. thanks everbody. btw im in virginia if that matters.

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They will be dredging the bottom of the lake looking for your body after the boat swamps.

Too truthfully answer your question, Yes you could get in trouble. Will you get in trouble, probably not. I'm not from your area, but I've never seen anyone get in trouble for this unless you were in an accident or being stupid on the water. I do Know that almost no insurance companies will write a policy on a boat that is overpowered.

A 40-horse on a 12-footer? Now that I'd like to see!

I wouldn't worry about it as long as the boat handles it fine and you operate it in a safe manor.
I don't think they write citations for this or even can.
I've seen too many boats that have a huge weight or HP capacity that look like they can't handle half of what its rated for and then i've seen boats that look like they could be used as freighters have the same rating as a small boat.

You can drop any size engine in a car and its ok so I don't see what the difference would be.
I have heard of local laws on some lakes or rivers that might enforce this so you might want to check on your local waterways.
My USCG rating plate has been lost in the many modifications I have done so they would have to do some research if they want to find out what my boat is rated for. Just remove your plate and operate it in a safe manner and you will be ok.
If you get caught in some nasty weather or large swells then you will be glad you have the extra HP.

Well, I have a 17' jon boat that is fully decked like an aircraft carrier! The boats plate says its rated for up to a 40HP, or at least it used to say that until it mysteriously disappeared from the boat :mrgreen: The 1st 2 years we ran a 35HP 2 stroke that would barely push the boat thru the water. Last year, we upgraded to a 70HP Tohatsu/Nissan with remote steering and power trim (we got it off Craigslist for $300 and it runs new). Now the boat screws!! Our friends said we're crazy, but as long as you take off and slow down on a controled manner, you'll be fine. As far as the game warden, they are really looking for licenses, life vest, and alchohol.

Where are you located?

As far as I know I have yet to see any law, rule or regulation that you are violating. You might not pass a safety check because you are operating outside your limits. the HP rating on such boats deals with maximum load capacity (weight) more then the power of the outboard. So you would not get in any more trouble then if you put to many people in the boat or added too much weight.

Short quick story:

My uncle did the same thing as you are planning back in about 1960, he lost his life that day when the boat capsized and hit him in the head. The motor was far to big for the stability of the boat..

IMO, You likely would not have a problem depending on speed, the width and length of the 10' will not be very stable on a plane..

My Grumman 1542 was rated for 25hp but I got a great deal on a 30hp and ran it on that boat for 16 years. I've creeled on the lake many times but was never asked about the motor but then again I made a point of never running it at high speed or in a dangerous manner either.

This has been a debate on just about every boating website. I was right and wrong. I was bored and decided to research this. There are NO federal laws on this subject. There are some states that have laws on this. You would need to research your states boating laws where ever you reside.

The United States Coast Guard has an opinion on this frequently asked question, and their answer from their website is reproduced below:

Can I use a bigger motor on my boat than what it's rated for?

It is not a violation of Coast Guard regulations to install or use an engine larger than specified on the capacity label, but there may be state regulations prohibiting it, and restrictions from your own insurance company regarding this.

There are no Coast Guard regulations against exceeding the safe loading capacity, however, there may be State regulations or restrictions from your insurance company which prohibit this. There is a Coast Guard regulation that gives Coast Guard Boarding Officers the power to terminate the use of a boat (send it back to shore) if, in the judgment of the Boarding Officer, the boat is overloaded. There is no fine for this, unless the operator refuses the Boarding Officer's order. We certainly hope that you will abide by the rating, as overloading may lead to capsizing or swamping of the boat.

NOTE: The Coast Guard Capacity Information label is required only on monohull boats less than 20' in length. The label is not required on multi-hull boats, pontoon boats (catamarans), or on any sailboats, canoes, kayaks, or inflatable boats, regardless of length.

As the Coast Guard mentions, local regulations may apply. For example, in the state of Ohio one should be guided by this regulation:

Capacity Plates
(ORC 1547.39 & ORC 1547-40)

No person shall operate or permit operation of a watercraft in excess of any of the stated limits on the capacity plate. When no capacity plate exists, no person shall operate or permit operation of a watercraft if a reasonably prudent person would believe the total load aboard or the total horsepower of any motor or engine presents a risk of physical harm to persons or property.

You can't compare a 10' jon boat to a 15-17', there's a huge difference.

Bottom line is you can do whatever you want and under most conditions you will be fine. There will be that one time if you fish enough that you will wish your boat was bigger even if you are in a 20 footer. That is when the overloaded boat will not do well.

More than likely no problem,unless something goes wrong.
My luck is if it can go wrong it will!!



I will tell you this,My uncle over powered his bass boat(bullet) many years ago all was well fastest boat on the lake.
Then one day he got in some rough water and went for a swim so did his partner.They were OK but the boat wasn't.
Long story short insurance wouldn't pay.........Good side no one died or was hurt.
He never did that again!!!



No one can answer that? for you because in the end it is your tail in the sling....................

caveman said:

...No one can answer that? for you because in the end it is your tail in the sling....................

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Good point caveman, and that's why occasionally, as a friendly reminder, we re-post the site disclaimer (excerpted from the Site Rules)

Site Disclaimer: Any modifications to personally owned or other boats, trailers, motors, etc, are the sole responsibility of the owner of that particular item. TinBoats.net accepts no responsibility for personal harm, property damage, or other extenuating circumstances incurred due to a modification or recommendation by a member or members. Members or non-members who make or attempt modifications accept full responsibility for their actions.
te]

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Here are the complete rules: https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1954&start=0

I don't think you will will get into any legal trouble on overpowering your boat. Weight is an issue however. My boat, an 82 Alumacraft MV 17' is rated for a 70 hp. The motor weighs in around 300 lbs. If I was to buy a new motor, i could increase the hp and still shed some excess weight as a most newer motor are lighter. But...

The HP rating on a boat has a little to do with the weight but more to do with at open throttle how much tilt the boat has in a turn. More HP = more thrust in a turn. Too much thrust in a tight turn will cause the side you are turning into to dip. When turning the inside (direction your are turning) your aft gunwales come very close to water. As the thrust pushes the opposite side from the turn up. Too much thrust due to over powering or lover loading will definitely result swamping your boat.

There is a formula for calculating this some where. I just can't remember.

That being said I have seen a lot of 10', 12', and 14' mildly overpowered and they all make it back to the boat dock. Common sense if you careful you will be fine. But I would hold of on getting anything larger unless you upgrade your boat.

Hello all. Im new to this site and have been lurking for some time now. This thread prompted me to register. Being up in Canada I cannot speak as to US laws. But I`d like to weigh in anyway, as I have some experience with this type of tinkering. I operate on the premis that if you are able to get to full throttle and feel good about the structural integrity of the hull, then thats good. Also, if the boat sits pretty level in the water and doesnt look unbalanced, then you`re ok. Of course, If you grossly overpower the hull, then you are irresponsable and putting your life in danger, more importantly the lives of others. Legally speaking, if you were to exceed the rating of the hull, you are unisurable and will not be able to make a claim (assuming got insurance by falsely reported a lower hp rating). I think i boils down to common sense.

Good first post, BassRaider, and Welcome Aboard! 8)

Here in North Carolina I think all the Game Warden boats have oversized motors on them. I have a friend that buys state owned boats at an auction every year, and all the boats have oversized motors on them. I guess in my opinion it would be a common sense thing, you wouldn't want to go out and act crazy in a over powered vessel, you would get a ticket for sure here. Not for it being over powered, but I'm sure they could come up with plenty of other things, they are creative. But if you think about it, they are paid to protect our resources, and keep us all safe. I know that if you had an accident with another vessel and you were over powered, you would have a problem.

yea i plan on using it in coves so i couldnt go too fast even if i wanted to and i dont think i would ever take it full throttle unless... well i cant think of a reason!!! also a motor question. the thing wasnt run in 20 years until about 5 to 6 months ago and it was only run in a trashcan but when it was running, it sputtered alot so that clearly tells me that it has a dirty carb. the other thing is it smokes like a steam enging out of the 2 holes where a mist should be coming out. so do i need to change the water pump/impeller or what? comments would greatly be appreciated 8)

If it has not been run in that long,Don't start /run again...................

Not untill you rsplace the inpeller/water pump.

If it was me change lube oil in foot,new plugs and wires,new fuel lines,and all felters.

Rebuild/clean carb.Then see how it runs.

Make sure gas ,oil rato is correct.

Hope this helps.
MIKE

free jonboat said:

yea i plan on using it in coves so i couldnt go too fast even if i wanted to and i dont think i would ever take it full throttle unless... well i cant think of a reason!!! also a motor question. the thing wasnt run in 20 years until about 5 to 6 months ago and it was only run in a trashcan but when it was running, it sputtered alot so that clearly tells me that it has a dirty carb. the other thing is it smokes like a steam enging out of the 2 holes where a mist should be coming out. so do i need to change the water pump/impeller or what? comments would greatly be appreciated 8)

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Listen to Caveman...
Replace that water pump impeller at the very least!

I replaced:
water pump impeller
choke and carb linkage
rebuilt carb
thermostat
thermostat gasket and seals
plugs
fuel lines
kill switch
choke plunger
link and sync
and cleaned everything up

for under $200 and about 3 hours time, well worth it. Mine is a 1971 18 HP Evinrude and she now runs like a champ.