soa loading

Proper Loading‣ Never load beyond a boat’s safe

carrying capacity

Reasons a Boat Rides Low In The

Water and Become Unstable: • Too many people

• Too much gear

• Too big an engine

Freeboard‣ The distance between the water and the

gunnel or top of the sides of the boat

‣ Every boat is designed to have a certain amount of freeboard

FREEBOARD

Capacity Plate‣ Follow the information on the capacity plate

and adhere to all limits for each

‣ Required on all motorized vessels less than 20 feet

Capacity Plate Information: • Maximum horsepower

• Maximum number of people

• Maximum weight permitted

Stay Under the Maximum Horsepower

‣ Outboard: the engine is attached to the transom, on the stern or back of the boat, and hangs over the back of the boat into the water

‣ The more horsepower, the bigger and heavier the engine will be, which will cause the stern or back of the boat to be lower in the water than it should be

TRANSOM

Stay Under the Maximum Horsepower

‣ To much weight on the transom will cause the bow to raise up quite high

‣ Slowing the boat down will cause the stern to become very low in the water

‣ A following ‘wake’ can easily come over the transom and ‘swamp’ the boat

Sample Capacity Exercise

‣ Older boats, and sailboats, might not have a capacity plate

‣ A simple formula can sometimes be used to determine the maximum number of people

Maximum #of Persons =

BoatLength

BoatWidthx

15

Sample Capacity Exercise

2.5’1

1

2

2

3

3

3’1

2

2

3

3

4

3.5’2

2

3

3

4

4

4’2

3

3

4

4

5

4.5’3

3

4

4

5

5

5’3

4

4

5

5

6

5.5’4

4

5

5

6

6

6’4

5

5

6

6

7

6’8’10’12’14’16’

BOAT WIDTH (feet)

BOAT

LEN

GTH

(fee

t)

Maximum #of Persons

Boat Length x Boat Width15=

Distribute The Load Evenly

‣ Distribute the load evenly fore and aft and from side to side

Keep the Load Low - Secure It

‣ Keep the load low and centered

‣ Secure it to prevent it from shifting

Passengers In Assigned Seating

‣ Make sure that all your passengers stay seated in the seats

‣ No bow riding

‣ No hanging over the gunwales

Stay Low – Three Points Of Contact

‣ Stay low

‣ Move slowly

‣ Always have three points of contact with the boat

1

2 3

Boarding or Disembarking

‣ Stay low

‣ Three points of contact with boat or dock 1

2 3

Proper Loading - important to safe boating

‣ Proper loading is important to safe boating

‣ It is not difficult

‣ Follow the information on the capacity plate

‣ Load your boat properly