BOATsmart! USA Knowledge Base
Module 01 - Boating Basics
Determining Your Boat’s Capacities
Determining Your Boat's Capacity
For mono-hulled boats that are less than 20 feet in length, boaters can use the following equation to calculate the number of persons that their boat can safely carry in good weather conditions:
Boat length (ft.) x boat width (ft.) / 15 = number of people
Calculating Your Boat’s Maximum Horsepower Capacity
To determine the maximum horsepower capacity for small, motorized boats, multiply the boat length (ft.) by the boat width (ft.) and compare the resulting value to the following chart:
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