A reminder about weight capacities on the data plate
With all of the recent questions about buying the proper canoe or kayak for a given load I think a little reminder about data plate weight capacities is in order. Data plate weights indicate the amount of weight that the boat will support while fully swamped before it sinks. My Rogue River 14TK has a listed weight capacity of 700 pounds. This is the maximum amount of weight the canoe will support while fully swamped. It is not the maximum amount of weight you can put in the boat. The maximum weight one can actually put in the boat may be much higher but you do so at your own risk!
According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission neither the state of Pennsylvania nor the United States Coast Guard have any regulations limiting the maximum weight of the boat with gear and occupants. However, both strongly urge us not to exceed the maximum weight listed on the data plate and I agree.
Here is how I figure out how much capacity I will need. Being a U.S. Army aviator I am very attentive to weights and balances. Overload the aircraft by too much or distribute the weight unevenly around the center of gravity and you will crash. Same with the boat. I add my weight, the weight of all gear and accessories that are needed for boating or have been added on and the weight of another occupant (say 250 pounds). I then add on another 100 pounds for a safety margin.
While boating solo I sit in the center of the boat (canoe in my case) and distribute the weight of all other gear and accessories fore and aft of my position as evenly as possible. When going with a partner I use the gear as ballast and move the appropriate amount of ballast toward the lighter occupant. This helps keep the boat balanced and in trim. After awhile you will be able to accurately guess how much gear needs to be moved where.
Sorry to ramble so much. Have fun and be safe![/b]
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