Capacity/Certificate of Compliance

SLOboat · Capacity/Certificate of Compliance

Each year, I try to get a safety inspection from the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and each year, I get dinged for not having a "Capacity/Certificate of Compliance" for my E-37. This is both in Boston and California, and the inspectors are clueless about how to get one or make one. Can anybody tell me how to remedy this, and what my "capacity" (for people and weight) is?
No aspersions here on the Coasties -- I am grateful for the great work they do as volunteers; I just want a perfect score on my inspection, and I guess most boats come with one of these . . .
Glenn Rogers
S/V Elva Ann
Port San Luis

endvr32

Hmmm, I've never heard of that. We've been boarded by the Coast Guard many times, have a Safety Inspection sticker (passed the courtesy inspection exam) and the capacity question has never been raised. I have seen those stickers on small boats such as canoes and kayaks though, but never on larger displacement boats.

JMadden

I've only seen load limit placards on power boats, mostly the run abouts and tenders.

I found this info on the web site refered to on the a Vessel Safety Check form. http://safetyseal.net/vsc_stats.asp.

"Recommended Items not Found: (Note: These items are not required to pass the VSC.)

Capacity / Cert. of Compliance 28.246%"

May be somewhere on the website it gives the a written explaination.

On my 35 the build spec is 13500# and my haul out is 22000#, and my summer cruising weight is 23500. I've never seen more than a couple of inches change in the water level.

ssteakley · Don't worry you can put more than you want aboard!

1. The first thing you can do is to check the owner's manual of the boat you have. It should say in there. Also, the law requires that a passenger count and weight be posted on a plate somewhere on your boat only if it is a Coast Guard inspected Commercial Vessel. This is the easiest way to check and verify the number of people you can take on your boating trip with you.

2. The next option is to calculate it yourself, with the following formula.

number of people = the vessel length in feet times the vessel width in feet divided by 15

For example if your boat is 30 feet long and 15 feet wide, your boat's capacity would be 30 x 15 / 15, which is 30.

I know this formula is a bit absurd for sailing vessels. for instance my (42' X 14) /15 = 39, I am sure I could stuff 39 on my boat but I would not attempt getting out of the slip.

Capacity/Certificate of Compliance

Don't worry you can put more than you want aboard!