Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Ran into a guy on the beach Sunday with a smaller E-tec. I know it was a smaller hp motor, looked like the inline 4 cowl so maybe 90 hp tops , but he had 250 HO stickers on it for shits and giggles I guess. I figured he may have some issues with the lake patrol because his boat was obviously not rated for a 250 and hey if they have a reason to check . He said he has never been stopped , did it as a joke and never changed it back. Was kinda funny seeing some people fall for it. Whats your thoughts , it was funny seeing some people looking but I wouldnt chance a pull over.

I don't think there is a law in overstating the horse power of a motor unless you try and sell it to someone under falls pretense. Under stating a bigger motor might get you in trouble in case of an accident and insurance company finds out.

Yeah , I dont think so either but with all the drinking his crew was doing and him being an inebriated captain, I wouldnt think he would'nt chance it . Nice guy but he should have started drinking when he got back to the dock .

The requirement for HP is on manufacturers, not the end user consumer.

Most state laws prohibit overloading a boat with persons or equipment, with no mention of engine HP. (Check your local laws)

That being said, the HP and loading requirements are for outboard powered boats, less than 20'. An inboard boat of any length and outboards 20' and over are not subject to USCG HP and Capacity requirements and don't even need to have the Capacity placards. However, most boat manufacturers still put them on anyway for liability and insurance reasons.

Most water patrol officers couldn't care less what the cowl says. I would hope that they would have enough experience to tell the difference between the physical size of a 90 and that of a 300. (I've been wanting to put a Merc 300 label on my 90)

As far as putting a larger engine than manufacturer's recommendation/certification, you'd be opening a can of worms in an accident. The other guy or your passengers (and their lawyers) would have a field day in court. Especially in blow-overs or a capsizing. Not to mention your insurance company would deny all coverage and the manufacturer would void any warranty.

^Yep.

I've asked every watercop I've seen and also every coastguard and game warden about overpowering a boat and they all say the same thing, we don't care. We only check for safety equipment and overloading... However insurance would be a different story, but my insurance agent didn't ask a thing about my capacity or even what size engine I had, she only wanted a couple pics of the boat!

When I had my Party Cruiser courtesy inspected by the Coast Guard, first thing he asked to see was the capacity plate...

Maybe Ill put one of these on my 115 .

smoker62 wrote:Maybe Ill put one of these on my 115 .

mhp-rs-400.png

Why would you go so...small???

Thats as big as they make them. Maybe I should go with the 350 as Merc actually makes those . It will be more believable

Since it's too hot to toon, I upgraded my engine.

I bet I can get 50-60 MPH out of her now.

Nice, after reading all these replys, I ordered the 350 like the 400 I attached. We will have to race some day and see if the extra 50 ponies helps.

I'll trade you my 300 stickers for your 115's. I think it would be funner to go the other way! Passin bass boats with a 115 on a 25' toon would catch some eyes...

I should've waited to name my boat.

The perfect name for a 22' Sun Tracker with a 300 would be....... (wait for it).......





Double Take