Max. Hp rating question

[krawler]

A friend who works at a marina told me that the max hp rating on boats is for the US only and does not apply to Canada. therefore u can put almost any size motor on the boat and it wont affect insurance meaning the boat will have no problem being insured. The reason i brought this up with him is im thinking of putting a 75 hp motor but noticed the 90 hp are the exact same weight so why not go with a little more power.

 

any thoughts??

[Pigeontroller]

To my knowledge there's two rating plates on a boat, one from the US coast guard, and one from Transport Canada. I've never noticed a boat that these two plates didn't have the same power rating.

[irishfield]

TC always wimps out and puts a lower rating than the USA coast guard plate. Covers their ass that way. As far as I know though..it's strictly a recommendation for HP as I've seen many Lund and Mircro-craft boats pre-rigged at the marina with the full US plates HP rating mounted on the transom....which is always an engine one "step" above the Canadian capacity sticker.

[Terry]

you can put any size you want, but in most cases your ins. company will not pay if anything happens

[lookinforwalleye]

best check with your insurance company.

[Garyv]

For some reason my Lowe has a lower US HP rating than the Transport Canada plate which is unusual. A dealer is required to not overpower a boat but you can if you want to, but you insurance will probably not cover any damage/accident you may have. Best to check with them.

[Zib]

As far as any US ratings go. The max ratings that are displayed are usually about 80% of what that particular boat test for at it's max before it failed. They do this to give a little cushion for those Tim Taylor's out there that want more power.

[lew]

My Crestliner came with a 90 HP which is what it's rated for by USSC, but the plate also says maximum 50 HP by Transport Canada, so I called TC and they said Canada normally under rates them compared to the States, or safety's sake.

 

They did say however, that the HP ratings are only a recommendation basically, and that legally you can use whatever size motor you want, but as others have stated, it may compromise and insurance claim.

[grt1]

My insurance company only has a requirement the boat I have doesn't go above 50 mph. If I had put the max rating for my boat on it (it is rated for 175 hp) I would have been above the speed allowed. Maybe you should check your policy to see if there is a speed requirement.

 

I can do about 45 mph with the 150 I have on the boat.

 

However, let me qualify the insurance by saying this is not my household insurance policy since they wanted $300 more than the boat insurance company I found to insure me.

[FISHINGNUT]

The reason i brought this up with him is im thinking of putting a 75 hp motor but noticed the 90 hp are the exact same weight so why not go with a little more power.

 

any thoughts??

I dont think its all based just on weight it also has to do with the added stress on the transom due to the increased torque of a bigger motor

Edited March 28, 2007 by FISHINGNUT

[mdej]

I know that my Lowe Sea Nymph has a lower US rating then Canadian. Canada plate is 50hp, US plate 40hp. At first I thought it was a misprint that the Canada plate should be 30hp (based on my understanding of Canada being lower) but that does not appear to be true in all instances.

 

That being said I think a 50hp on my boat would be too big.

[Guest Trophymuskie]

I believe HP ratings are converted from Kw and Canada and US use difference conversion rates.

 

I think the main worry about going over your HP rating is the weight as well as torque so not to rip the transom off your boat.

 

Most boats I have seen have a lower HP rating on the Canadian tag but normally just one motor down.

[Cast-Away]

Fishingnut has it pegged correctly with the horsepower torque on the transom above and beyond the insurance issue. Never over-power a boat beyond the recommended rating. You also take a risk of being pulled over by the police, RCMP or Coast Gaurd and receiving a fine for over powering your vessel.

[lookinforwalleye]

I ran a boat for 4 years with an overpowered motor,rated for 25 mine was a 40 and the previous owner ran it for 4 or 5 years as well with no ill affects on the transom as far as the weight issue the 40 weighed 23 pounds more than 25 to compensate for the weight I moved the gas tank to the front of the boat.My boat was a tiller and had the 25 HP max rating yet the console version of this boat with the same specs. was rated if memory serves at 40 HP the transoms are the same so I don`t think the torque is an issue you are not going to "rip your transom off" if you go up a little in horsepower.

 

As far has being written up for being overpowered i never had that experience and I have been pulled over numerous times.Your main concern should be with your insurance company check with them before you decide.

[sirfish]

This question brings back a bad memory. My buddy was being towed on a tube behind his buddies fathers boat and there was an accident in which my buddy was left a quadrapalegic. Turns out he was going to fast .In the ensueing investigation it was discovered that the motor was to big for the boat. The driver was charged and then sued by the parents for negligence for an undisclosed amount which they won on the grounds that the boat was dangerously overpowered. Had the boat had the proper HP motor this probably still would have happened as it was still capable of the estimated speed but the driver new he had exceeded TC limit and was found at fault. Back then there was no insurance on most boats and it financially ruined the family. It is probable that they are still paying 25yr later.

 

So is it worth it, I think not.