Is Pontoon Boat Capacity Important?
Pontoon boat capacity, (I.E. stated design capacity) is highly important. Boats are engineered just like bridges and airplanes to support a certain amount of weight, which is averaged out to a certain number of people. Exceeding this amount may not initially sink the boat, but it could dangerously alter its handling characteristics.
One doesn’t have to search long to find videos online of pontoon boats foundering in waves or boat wakes. This almost always occurs because too many people are aboard, or too many people are concentrated in one place (such as the bow).
You can find the theoretical maximum capacity of a pontoon boat on the capacity plate. This plate indicates the maximum number of persons (I.E. 10), along with the maximum weight capacity. Maximum weight capacity is a much more reliable metric to use, as people weigh different amounts and may exceed (or weigh less than) the designers predicted.
Maximum Weight Capacity
The maximum weight capacity, found on the pontoon boat capacity plate, isn’t just for people. You must take into account the weight of fuel, safety equipment, drinks, and anything else you may have on board. Fuel weight is easy to calculate.
It’s best to stay far below your pontoon boat’s weight capacity. This will increase your fuel efficiency, speed, and improve your pontoon boat handling characteristics.
How To Safely Maximize Pontoon Boat Capacity
Load distribution is just as important as maximum load. If a pontoon boat’s capacity plate says six persons maximum, that means six people spread evenly across the length of the boat–not all in one place.
A responsible pontoon boat owner doesn’t overload the boat. Instead, they stay at least 20% or so below the maximum weight limit, and don’t try to max out the amount of people that will fit on a pontoon boat. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have every seat taken. The weight capacity of boats sometimes includes an additional person.
It’s best to spread people out across the boat regardless of if it’s full or only partially full. Pontoon boats tend to list when weight is concentrated, so if people must sit together it’s best to get them as close to the center as possible and spread out evenly port to starboard.
How To Determine A Pontoon Boat’s Capacity
The technical passenger limit of a pontoon boat is on the capacity plate, but this isn’t necessarily set in stone. Often, the passenger limit overestimates the comfortable capacity of the boat, as every cubic foot of passenger capacity will be taken.
Generally, a pontoon boat will be safe and comfortable with one to two fewer passengers than the passenger capacity limit. For example, if a new boat is rated for 16 people, it’ll be comfortable with 14 provided that the weight limit is not exceeded.
Passenger capacity shouldn’t be pushed by adding more passengers, even if there’s leftover weight capacity. For example, a boat with a 4 passenger rating and a 6,000-pound maximum load should not be loaded with 10 people, even if they theoretically weigh less than the limit.
Does A Person’s Weight Matter?
If we wanted to find out exactly how many people could fit on a pontoon boat, we could calculate a number based on everyone’s weight. However, most practical situations don’t require this. Capacity plates can be used to determine the maximum limit of people on board, and one or two less is always a safe bet.
If you have a boat with a maximum capacity of ten people, squeezing ten aboard is possible–but it’ll be tight. It’s best to get a bigger boat with, say, a capacity of 12 people, to be safe and comfortable for the average person.
Hazards Of Overloading A Pontoon Boat
Pontoon boats with too many passengers are a common sight on the water during the summer. They make a great party boat, but pontoon boats are just as vulnerable to tipping as any other watercraft.
Accidents happen most often when deck space is crowded and the boat has more passengers than it can carry safely. It will start to list, especially if too much weight is concentrated on one part of the boat.
Even if an overloaded pontoon boat gets underway fine, it may run into trouble as soon as a boat wake washes over its pontoon tubes. Under these circumstances, water can wash over the deck and drag the whole vessel under.
Benefits Of Underloading Pontoon Boats
There are several advantages to keeping your pontoon boat under its capacity limitations. For one, the sitting room will be greatly improved and everyone will have enough space to stretch out. This is particularly important in choppy conditions, as people won’t be bumping into each other.
Additionally, less weight usually improves fuel economy and increases maximum speed. Pontoon boats certainly aren’t rocket ships, but a few extra knots can turn up airflow and reduce travel times.
Safety is the most important factor. Less weight means the boat rides higher in the water, and for a pontoon boat, every inch matters. Most pontoon boats handle better with less weight, despite the fact that they carry more than similarly-sized speedboats.
Where Is The Best Place To Sit In A Pontoon Boat?
Pontoon boats are more stable and pleasant in most conditions than other kinds of boats. This is due to their design, as pontoon boats spread out weight (and waves) across multiple hulls. Similar positive characteristics can be seen with catamaran and trimaran sailboats.
The best place to sit on a pontoon boat is in the middle. This protects you from the most violent up and down motion experienced in the bow. Given their wide beam, pontoon boats don’t roll much–which is why sitting around the edges is typically quite comfortable.
How Many People Can Fit On A Pontoon Boat At Anchor?
Many people anchor their pontoon boats to party and enjoy the water, often with many other boats nearby. Under these circumstances, it’s not uncommon to see a pontoon boat loaded down with people from nearby speedboats. After all, pontoon boats make an excellent floating platform.
But does the capacity change when the boat is stationary? No–in fact, the situation can be made worse when the boat isn’t moving, as the indicators of an overload are less apparent. Stationary pontoon boats may be loaded down far past capacity when stationary without anyone noticing until it begins to tip or sink.
It’s best to stay within the capacity of the boat even when tied up or at anchor, even if that means kicking a handful of people off the boat and back into the water. As a boat owner, you’re responsible for what happens on your boat–and what happens to it if you allow it to become overloaded.
