?'s for Boatcop or anyone familiar with USCG regulations

[eKolbe]

Hello Sir,
I e-mailed the same question to Boatcop, but thought I'd try here also.
This weekend I was boating on Saguarro Lake in Phoenix and instructed by the Maricopa county sheriff that I was over my vessels capacities limit. I have a 1981 20' Omega open bow and was carrying 4 adults(including me) and 4 kids, seating was plenty . I do not have a plate normally found next to the throttle and as I'm not the originally owner, I do not know what happened to it. I suspect during a repolstry it was removed. The sheriff instructed me that my boat should have no more then 4 people in it at one time and I was to leave the lake immediately, which I did. My question is, is there a Coast Guard formula that I could use to determine what my capacity is and am I able to get a new plate made to avoid future situations? I would just like to know for sure what the hull capacity is and if need be, I could show future LE's to avoid problems.
As I said, I left the lake and did not get a ticket or anything, but he did take a picture for future reference if I was caught with more then 4 people in the boat.
thanks in advance for any help that could be given.
Eric kolbe

[lost boy]

try to contact the hull mfg. of even another owner of same type boat hull?

[lost boy]

i think omega is still around. riverside? the guy's name i think is forrest?
i will try and look it up later if you need

[Big Warlock]

Apparently this Sherriff hasn't seen many of the Vatos with 20 people in an 18 foot Bayliner huh? If you see him again, suggest he comes over to Pleasant and takes a look around. I don't understand why the patrol Sahuaro so tightly??

[eKolbe]

i think omega is still around. riverside? the guy's name i think is forrest?
i will try and look it up later if you need
If you could do that, that would be great. I'd greatly appreciate it. I didn't think omega boats were around anymore, so I was just hoping and original owner or someone that maybe worked on them could chirp in. I know I've seen a formula in the past for determing capacities, but I don't know where?
Yeah, I'm not sure why they patrol that lake so hard. Although from last year to this year, the crowd does seem to be getting worse. It's like a newbie training ground or something, so it's probable justified. I know someone had to be flown out of there on Saturday.

[coolchange]

I call BS. 20' with seating for 8 with 8 in it. I'd have a hard time with that. Maybe you didn't have PFDs for everyone? How come my old 19' NOT bowrider sat 6? I'd be all over that guy.

[HocusPocus]

(951)685-9607
8845 main st.
cross streets are limonite and van buren and the guys name is Forrest.
i use to have a bayliner 1950 open bow, the sticker in it said seating capacity of 7. a 20 footer would allow at least that??

[Cas]

Capacity tags usually use total weight, the amount of seating doesn't matter. My first 18' Tahiti had a capacity of 600lbs including gear, not much when you think about it.

[eKolbe]

I call BS. 20' with seating for 8 with 8 in it. I'd have a hard time with that. Maybe you didn't have PFDs for everyone? How come my old 19' NOT bowrider sat 6? I'd be all over that guy.
Not sure what your saying, calling BS on me?
Nope, sheriff didn't even ask to see PFD's or anything. Although I did have them. He just asked to see our capacity place because he could tell a boat like this shouldn't have more then 4 people in it. When I asked him how does he know that, he just said he did because he's been boating all his life. And we were to leave the lake. And yes there is seating for 8 as it's an openbow can fit 2, then the passenger and driver seat and directly behind each is a bench for 2 along each side.
Just FYI - if anyone esle is wondering. So far this is what I found, vessel's 20' or more are not required to carry a capacity plate. And the general formula for a boat's capacity is - length x width(in feet) divided by 15. Provided there is seating. Doing that, my boat's capacity should be 9 or 10(I'm not real positive of the width). I got that from a Boating safety website, I'm still trying to verify if it's up to date.

[eKolbe]

(951)685-9607
8845 main st.
cross streets are limonite and van buren and the guys name is Forrest.
i use to have a bayliner 1950 open bow, the sticker in it said seating capacity of 7. a 20 footer would allow at least that??
thanks for the number, I'll give him a call.

[coolchange]

Not on you, on the whole deal. Like I said, I'd be all over that guy.

[Froggystyle]

Just FYI - if anyone esle is wondering. So far this is what I found, vessel's 20' or more are not required to carry a capacity plate. And the general formula for a boat's capacity is - length x width(in feet) divided by 15. Provided there is seating. Doing that, my boat's capacity should be 9 or 10(I'm not real positive of the width). I got that from a Boating safety website, I'm still trying to verify if it's up to date.
That formula is only for boats 19ft and under best as my memory serves.
Over 20ft, the rating of a boat has everything to do with weight of boat, prismatic co-efficient, freeboard, how many pounds it takes to move how far to get it to change one inch in attitude, (our boat for example needs a 750 pound shift one foot to change attitude one inch), what the designed waterline is, what the max capacity of all seating areas are if A) fully loaded and B) partially loaded, static center of gravity, dynamic center of gravity, max speed, how your loading chart affects weight and balance, how much fuel you have capacity for and what is the nominal fuel load etc......
There are great reasons for all of these things. I would doubt heavily that a 20' Omega is rated for eight people. If you had four in the bowrider section and only a driver in back, you would likely bowsteer heavily and be unsafe.
The "formula" is a series of inputs based on the above parameters. The coast guard has a bunch of folks that rate boats for insurance and liability purposes. A lot of manufacturers have never been through this rating system as they have little idea what any of those parameters are. We have already been through it, so I have a little bit of information to share obviously. Our boat is rated for 14 folks BTW...
If you have specific questions, I can give you the folks to talk to at the CG and you can go from there.

[eKolbe]

Froggy,
Yes I would like a number for Coast Guard contact if you have one. Good or bad, I would like to get a capacity plate and they seem to be the only resource capable of issuing one at this point.
Overall, I'm not trying to show up the deputy. Just looking for the correct answer and protect myself in the future. And if pulled over have documented proof. I surely don't want a bullseye on my back. And the best way would be a capacity plate, rather then quoting some reg which could come off wrong if done if front of a crowd.
thanks,

[Froggystyle]

Froggy,
Yes I would like a number for Coast Guard contact if you have one. Good or bad, I would like to get a capacity plate and they seem to be the only resource capable of issuing one at this point.
Overall, I'm not trying to show up the deputy. Just looking for the correct answer and protect myself in the future. And if pulled over have documented proof. I surely don't want a bullseye on my back. And the best way would be a capacity plate, rather then quoting some reg which could come off wrong if done if front of a crowd.
thanks,
Stupid sexy double post...

[Froggystyle]

Froggy,
Yes I would like a number for Coast Guard contact if you have one. Good or bad, I would like to get a capacity plate and they seem to be the only resource capable of issuing one at this point.
Overall, I'm not trying to show up the deputy. Just looking for the correct answer and protect myself in the future. And if pulled over have documented proof. I surely don't want a bullseye on my back. And the best way would be a capacity plate, rather then quoting some reg which could come off wrong if done if front of a crowd.
thanks,
I will look up the guy we talked to for you. You won't likely get an answer out of him for your boat. It took a lot of time, math and information for him to give us our rating. That includes blueprints, weight and balance (how much do your seats weigh, and at what station? Battery? Drive? etc...) and technical information that is provided to them.
Maybe they can get you some information regarding a like-kind boat.
I will get you a number though.

[Lake Ape]

Just a note from a f*%@ing wakeboard boat owner, MB Sports, the folks who made my boat went to court on this last year. If your boat is over 20' the capicity and weight limits don't apply, at least in California. MB Sports make the B-52 wakeboard with the only 2500# ballast system. They do this by simply not rating the boat with the coast guard. They were taken to court by Correct Craft and it was found that being Coast Guard rated is not required inland off of coastal waters. I will try to find the exact case for you all.