Over powered boat

[ShawnD]

Hi guys, to those who have had over powered boats or have heard stories, can you get in trouble with the law by having too much HP for the boat??
Trying to find out more about them but it doesn't seem to be a topic that is very discussed...
Boat equipped with outboard surpassing the Horse Power Rating plate.


Thanks
Shawn.D

[Jimmy_1]

Doubtful

There are 400+HP cars on the roads and they aren't getting fined for the HP....just the speed.

[cgates]

Hi guys, to those who have had over powered boats or have heard stories, can you get in trouble with the law by having too much HP for the boat??
Trying to find out more about them but it doesn't seem to be a topic that is very discussed...
Boat equipped with outboard surpassing the Horse Power Rating plate.


Thanks
Shawn.D

The only problem you may get is with the insurance company and any warranty the boat may have like lifetime on the hull or something. One thing is your transom my not be able to handle the weight so you may want to beef it up. My boat I rated for a 55 but I would put a 60 or even a 75 if I beefed it up a bit but I'm sure you get my drift
Chris

[smitty55]

Not sure if it was here or OFC but I recently read that the coast guard will allow you to go ONE step up in horsepower over the size on the plate with no consequences. After that you can be fined. So like 50 to 75 or 90 to 115 hp if you get my drift. The poster seemed positive of this but it's always better to check with the authorities.
Cheers

[moonshine]

This is an area where a person needs to be careful. My brother recently received a notice of a drop in horse power rating for his boat. if you are not the original owner you may not get this notice if it happens. The horse power ratings are not in regards to power but in relation to engine weight. A boat that would be rated for a 50hp 2 stroke would be equivalent to a 40hp 4 stroke. this was the case for my brothers boat. if you decide to test the guidelines I would be interested on how it works out for you.

[ShawnD]

Time to let the cat out of the bag I suppose...

Going from a 150 to a 225, my transom is rock solid and I'm looking forward to seeing how it runs and sits in the water.
Some of you may be wondering why? Simple, after damaging my 150 I worked with a mechanic on a different 150 which we never found out why 2 out of the 6 cylinders weren't firing.
So before he left for the weekend he offered me the 225, OFF OF HIS OWN BOAT, installed it and left for the weekend to go to his cottage.
Trouper for selling me his 225 and rendering himself boat less for awhile...

I'm kinda anxious about the whole thing, just because I can go "that fast" doesn't mean I have too and after the install he said the boat can handle it.
My first test drive will be at the crack of dawn tomorrow seeing as I have to work tomorrow.
Still very happy to be back on the water and I'm looking forward to the test drive.
18 foot boat 225 hp. Seems legit.

[TheMaverick]

huummmmm

I don't think it would be wise to void your insurance to gain a few more mph.
But then again, that's your decision.

Have fun! Let us know how she handles.

[Pepe]

Uh oh .......................................

[Bassassins]

Something tells us this is a moment that you need a gopro set up for take off....... Just sayin!

[Bass Addict]

Go for it !!

[smitty55]

You got it right BA. Shawn, you are going to have some fun for sure. You may want to wait at least 10 minutes before wot lol.
Just make sure to not attract needless attention and I can't see you having a prob. Who enforces that on any of our lakes anyway? Maybe on the the great lakes and the larry .

Have a riot but be careful. Cheers

[beachburger]

Do what you want to do but if you plan on using that boat in a B.A.S.S. sanctioned tournament such as the OBN Qualifier, it would be considered an illegal boat.

[BradGuenette]

Do what you want to do but if you plan on using that boat in a B.A.S.S. sanctioned tournament such as the OBN Qualifier, it would be considered an illegal boat.

Exactly, also not sure if you could find insurance being overpowered ?

[bostonwhaler]

good luck Shawn. Please take a video of it. whatch your rpms, I think you will be playing with props for a while. be carefull of the chime walk to man. If it porpoises buy a hydrofoil for the lower end. I think you are gonna fly. don't forget, jumping out of a boat at 72 mph would hurt like hell

[scarkner]

I have a 70hp on a boat rated for 50hp. The boat actually came original from the factory that way, the rating plate was added later (it's an older boat).

1) Insurance was harder to get, but not impossible. I found several companies that provided full insurance at a good rate.
2) I did have to prove that the boat would not go over 40mph. There are online calculators that are surprisingly accurate, you put in your engine horsepower, prop size and pitch and boat size and weight and it spits out the max speed. I provided this to the insurance company and double checked accuracy with my GPS (it's an old fiberglass, and the prop is setup for waterski, so high torque, lower speed. I can go around 35mph).

That's it! I have never heard of getting fined or in trouble with the coast guard. As long as you have a boat license and insurance you are good to go, just like a car.

I cant comment on tournament rules for bass fishing, but I would expect it to be true that you may be disqualified, since the tournaments would want to discourage people being stupid about their motor sizes.