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Michigan Capacity Plate LAWS

Vandalizer

Vandalizer

Well-known member
I was just checking out the boating laws around here to make sure I didn't have to get an actual boaters safety license and pay for the course, and ran across this:

"Note: On outboard boats, the capacity plate also will display the recommended maximum horsepower rating of the boat. Your boat's motor should never exceed this rating."

Is it simply a recommendation as I'm reading this, or are there laws about exceeding this 'recommendation'?
 
All depends on where you are. I have heard stories on here about random checks, where they actually look at the capacity and HP ratings. However, I have been boating in Northern Michigan my entire life, normally the water police only check registration if that. They even advertised on the lake my parents live there would be no patrols due to budget cuts. But that is in a pretty rural area, so I assume it varies.
 
i have been borded MANY times and have never been questions once about the 200 on a 16' boat. i didnt have a capacity plate on it either. all the boat cops have been super cool. knock on wood;)
 
They never look at that plate. You have just as good of a chance winning the lottery as you would have your balls busted by water patrol over engine HP. You might get busted for to many people in the boat but a rare chance of being busted on HP.
 
thats funny you guys bring this up.....
a guy i work with was actually written a ticket for "over-horsepower" it was a small fishing boat rated for like a 75 horse, which he had, but he also had a 5 hp kicker for trolling.....so the "combined" horsepower exeeded the rating of the vessel...NO BS!!

he took it to court and it was thrown out, but seriuosly why would they really write this ticket?????
 
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Mr. Buss said:
thats funny you guys bring this up.....
a guy i work with was actually written a ticket for "over-horsepower" it was a small fishing boat rated for like a 75 horse, which he had, but he also had a 5 hp kicker for trolling.....so the "combined" horsepower exeeded the rating of the vessel...NO BS!!

he took it to court and it was thrown out, but seriuosly why would they really write this ticket?????
Click to expand...


And people wonder why they get shot. If that water patrol keeps that up it won't be long before he is patrolling the bottom of the lake
 
some water cops are really nuts. My buddy was telling about a time he was watching a police force practice boarding moving boats and jetskis repeatedly on a lake when it wasn't busy.
 
I'm not sure if the cops can write a ticket(probably can if there a dick) but the trouble you will get into is with your insurance and liability if you are involved in an accident. If your exceeding the coast gaurd tag thell hang ya and it wont matter what the decals say, it'l be the vin # they go by on the engine. That being said if you put a built power head on a proper sized vin# mid section it would be tuff to prove.
F150GT
 
I think (hope) that I'm covered there- I was honest with the ins co and told them that it would be a 150. They didn't bat an eye, and they knew the exact specs of the boat.
 
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Mr. Buss said:
thats funny you guys bring this up.....
a guy i work with was actually written a ticket for "over-horsepower" it was a small fishing boat rated for like a 75 horse, which he had, but he also had a 5 hp kicker for trolling.....so the "combined" horsepower exeeded the rating of the vessel...NO BS!!

he took it to court and it was thrown out, but seriuosly why would they really write this ticket?????
Click to expand...

He must have done something else, because I've delt with Macomb and Oakland County Sherifs as well as the Coast Gaurd on St. Clair before on the water and as long as you have everthing in order and arn't a true A#$ infact their cool about it.

Best thing to do if your on the Great Lakes is to find a Coast Guard Reservist and have them inspect your boat at the beginning of the season. They'l give you a sticker for the windsheld which signifies that you comply. Since I've been doing this I've never been stopped on the water. Now that I'm on an inland lake all the time I invite the county Sherif to inspect the boat and again I'm not bothered at all as well as receive welcoming hand waving gestures from them through out the season.
 
remlinger said:
Now that I'm on an inland lake all the time I invite the county Sherif to inspect the boat and again I'm not bothered at all as well as receive welcoming hand waving gestures from them through out the season.
Click to expand...

Do you trailer the boat to an office, or do you try and flag someone down to inspect it on the water?
 
jlehman said:
Do you trailer the boat to an office, or do you try and flag someone down to inspect it on the water?
Click to expand...

It sits in a slip for the season. Usually I'll pull up to the sherif on the lake and ask him to look it over and get it done and over with. At the public launch on St. Clair at the Clinton River there are usually Coast Guard on hand that come over and ask if you wuld like them to inspect and issue a sticker. It's been at least about 16 years since I took it out on St Clair.
 
That maybe be good their but no good here. We have the sheriff's and the wildlife which the wildlife has more authority then the sheriff on the waters. Plus we have day patrol and night patrol and different counties. I got pulled over 4 times last year. this is what they check here.

Life jacket for everybody on the boat

1 throw cushion

horn or whistle

fire extinguisher

all working lights if at night

a paddle which is useless on a boat my size

legal paper work

and a sober ACTING driver
 
Interesting discussion; I pulled this off the National Marine Mfg Assoc.(NMMA) web site.http://nmma.org I thought is might be of interest.


Maximum weight and persons capacities

USCG Applies only to monohull boats under 20' except sailboats, canoes, kayaks and inflatable boats.

NMMA Applies to boats under 26' including pontoon boats, sailboats canoes, kayaks, and inflatable boats. Persons capacity specified for fly bridges and upper decks.

Horsepower capacity

USCG Applies only to monohull outboard powered boats under 20' except canoes, kayaks and inflatable boats. No testing required.

NMMA Applies to all outboard boats under 26' including pontoon boats, canoes, kayaks and inflatable boats. Boats must be performance tested.

After having lived and boated in three different states(Mo. Ar. & Tn). Each state either uses NMMA or USCG regulations as the start for their boating regs. I think you will find most use USCG. I know the TWRA uses USCG.

Mfg. seem to use a mix master when it comes to capacities and hp ratings for example: Checkmate lists max hp on all o/b boats up to 21ft. The 24' pulsare has "unlimited single". Over the USCG guidelines and under the NMMA.

In a way, even that "unlimited" hp rating is moot due it's self limiting nature. You can only put on your boat what is offered in the market. It would interesting to know if Checkmate actually has a max hp rating for twins, triples, etc.:D

Hick
 
Occupancy number is usually a farce any way since it is a calculation. My enchanter is rated for 8 people, but can onle seat 5 total without laying anyone down in the nose. Heres how these number are equated.

Outboard:

Displacement weight of boat (wgt of volume of water the boat displaces) + Machinery (outboard motor) -weight of boat all divided by 5

I/O and inboard:

Displacement weight of boat -weigth of boat divided by 5

Basically your occupancy is one 5th of what it would take in weight to sink the boat, since items will float only if they displace more weight in water than what their weight is.

Horsepower for out boards is similar, it to is based on a calculation of overall length x transome width in feet. This factor is then compared to a chart provided by USCG and may need adjustment with another factor if it is higher then 52.5.
 
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