How many of you obey or ignore motor ratings on your boats?

[CodyPomeroy]

I was just curious about how common it is that people exceed the motor ratings on your boats? Where did these ratings come from? A friend of mine is a Iowa DNR officer and told me not to exceed it, but I know of some other people who do.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

The ratings are not a law you have to follow. I have an older 1436 jon that has no rating plate, I'm sure it would be rated to 15hp. I rebuilt and reinforced the transom to run a 25hp motor, I have a 12gallon fuel tank mounted in the front of the boat to balance the load.

 

[Skidz]

Like was stated above, I don't think most places have laws that would prevent you from over-powering, but, if you did and had an accident or mishap involving another boat/er, their insurance would eat you alive with liability. Depends on if it's worth the risk to you or not.

 

[Skidz]

Oh, and the rating are placed my the manufacturer, who knows how the boat was built, and is following a set of calculations to determine maximum safe hp. Of course, it's highly likely they have built in a safe margin for error, in case someone ignores the recommendation.

 

[DanMC]

When i went to insure our 2010 Lund WC14 our insurance company actually looked up the model and year of the boat and checked the Hp rating...so when i added the motor to the insurance policy they already new that our boat could not have a motor higher than 25 Hp (2011 Honda BF25) the maximum rated by the manufacturer, we respected that otherwise if anything happens i was told we will be held liable and insurance will be cancelled... [-X ,i don't know how is in the States but i would't take a chance.I have heard that some place stickers on their outboards that read lower Hp than the actual factory rating...not recommended [-X .
Dan

 

[flatboat]

mine are comercial hulls ..with no rating . kinda run what you have the pecans to more speed / more miles = more fish
* i don't think i'd be puttin a 40 on a 14 36 beer can thick flat ....... but a 25 ...btdt

 

[LonLB]

Oh, and the rating are placed my the manufacturer, who knows how the boat was built, and is following a set of calculations to determine maximum safe hp. Of course, it's highly likely they have built in a safe margin for error, in case someone ignores the recommendation.

Sometimes a HUGE "safety" margin is built in.

Alumacraft builds boats with the exact same hull, everything the same except one tiller, one console steer.
The tiller boat is rated for 1/2 the HP as the console steer (75HP vs 150HP)

To me, it's obvious that boat is built for a 150hp engine, and I would want the 150 in a tiller as well

 

[CodyPomeroy]

You guys keep mentioning insurance. Is it required to have insurance on a boat, like it is on a car?

 

[LonLB]

You guys keep mentioning insurance. Is it required to have insurance on a boat, like it is on a car?

I don't think that it is. I know you do not need proof of insurance to register a boat in MI.

Would be state dependent I would imagine. To fish almost any tournament, you do need insurance.

 

[Deadmeat]

I had a Grumman 1542 that was rated for a 25-hp motor but had a 30-hp Evinrude on it for 16 years. I was creeled a few times and had the boat registration checked but was never asked about the motor. But then I almost never go anywhere close to WOT so it wouldn't matter much unless, as some of the above posters have said, I had an accident, which I never did.

 

[fender66]

When i went to insure our 2010 Lund WC14 our insurance company actually looked up the model and year of the boat and checked the Hp rating...so when i added the motor to the insurance policy they already new that our boat could not have a motor higher than 25 Hp (2011 Honda BF25) the maximum rated by the manufacturer, we respected that otherwise if anything happens i was told we will be held liable and insurance will be cancelled... [-X ,i don't know how is in the States but i would't take a chance.I have heard that some place stickers on their outboards that read lower Hp than the actual factory rating...not recommended [-X .
Dan

Insurance companies differ from one to another. So do state laws. In Missouri, you can put whatever motor you want on whatever boat you want. There are no specific laws governing this. In our neighbor state of Illinois...there are such laws. It depends on where you live and who you insure with. My policies cover me no matter how stupid I want to be. :wink:

And....no, it is not a federal requirement to insure your boat.

 

[earl60446]

I pay attention to the ratings plate. In regards to what one poster said about tiller vs console boats, I saw a formula used by authorities and console boats do usually end up with higher outboard ratings when comparing "apples to apples".

 

[randolph49]

As long as you reenforce your transom and the back of the boat doesnt sink you should be ok. I have done this many times and never had any problems.

 

[aeviaanah]

Ive reinforced my transom, I am rated for 10 and use a 15.

 

[TNtroller]

Depending on the boat, I would try and be close to the max hp rating of the boat. I have a 60 2 stroke on my pt175 which is rated for 75hp. The 60 gets me where I want to go pretty good at around 35 per the gps but that was not trimmed out well. Never been one to see what it'll do, it goes fast enough for me.

I'm not sure I would want to hang on to a 150hp tiller, I know what kind of torque steer my 60 has, so a 150 would be a handful imo.

I don't think insurance is required on a boat in TN, but I have full coverage just like on a car so if I do have an accident, I hopefully won't lose my house and everything else due to some lyin' $%^$ who said it was my fault when he drank all his beer to fast and was haulin' @@s back to the ramp for a beer run.

 

[LonLB]

I pay attention to the ratings plate. In regards to what one poster said about tiller vs console boats, I saw a formula used by authorities and console boats do usually end up with higher outboard ratings when comparing "apples to apples".

That isn't an end all be all.

If you compare a 1975 Pro V Lund (19'8" 97" wide) to the 2010 Pro Guide (20'2" 90" wide), the HP numbers are VERY comparable.
The Tiller boat-the Pro Guide is rated for only 25HP less. But it's also a 7" narrower boat (and only 6" longer)

The key is the hydraulic tiller steering available. That same Pro Guide rated for a 200hp Tiller, is only rated for a 115hp tiller, if not using the hydraulic steering.

 

[flatboat]

if you put the 'big tiller' from mercury on the 150 , it has less input than your 60 does it . there was a demo with a 8 year old kid runnin a 115 like it was a 2 hp !
i want one of these
https://www.enginesteer.com/jackglass.shtml

 

[bassboy1]

I often see that guys beef up the transom to hold a larger engine, but in reality, the ratings, as recommended by the USCG, are based solely on boat dimensions.

Basically, they have a formula that factors in length, beam, and hull design (hard chine or soft chine). As far as the ratings go, the transom actually has very little influence.

I'm not going to give my opinion on motor ratings, but I will say that I have had a few boats where the placard was missing....

 

[LonLB]

I often see that guys beef up the transom to hold a larger engine, but in reality, the ratings, as recommended by the USCG, are based solely on boat dimensions.

Basically, they have a formula that factors in length, beam, and hull design (hard chine or soft chine). As far as the ratings go, the transom actually has very little influence.

I'm not going to give my opinion on motor ratings, but I will say that I have had a few boats where the placard was missing....

That doesn't mean that the manufacturer 'has' to place that HP rating on the boat. That is a guideline, not a requirement.
I used to have a Hydrasport bass boat that was right at 17'. It was rated from the factory for a 150, and had a Evinrude XP150 on it.

Now, the same size boats are being sold, and rated for 1/2 the HP. The low end glass Stratos is a perfect example, but there are other boats of similar size with much lower HP ratings than they were in the early 90's.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

I'm not going to give my opinion on motor ratings, but I will say that I have had a few boats where the placard was missing....

I have one of those, myself.

But, in general, most of mine have them and meet them.