Canoe Capacity

[jem]

I received and excellent question via e-mail from Jim H. Here's what he asked:

Matt,

Is there a simple answer to a question I've had flutter around my brain from time to time? It is the seeming discrepancy between capacity ratings of commercially made canoes versus plywood pirogues and jon boats of similar size.

For example, a canoe like the Old Town Osprey, at only 14ft., has a stated capacity of a whopping 989 lbs. Similar craft of even longer length and similar beam in plywood are FAR less rated capacity like 250 - 400lbs or less. Even the JEM Pirogue 500, which I got the plans for is only rated at 555lb.

The "500" is 15ft 6in. - a full 1 1/2 ft. longer and even wider than the Osprey or other canoes. It doesn't seem to make sense to me. I must be missing something. Can you straighten me out?
Thanks.

Jim

Jim,

You don't need any straightening. You're spot on correct!

The major canoe companies state these ridiculous weight capacities. You could load the boat up that much, but then you only have about 3" of the side of the boat sticking out of the water. That is no safe way to paddle!

The weights listed in JEM Watercraft plans suggest the maximum weight to safely paddle with reasonable performance. You can generally load up to 20% more than what is listed if it's for a temporary, short time (like if you have a bunch of kids just playing around in the boat shallow water near shore).

We try to list realistic weights and capacities so you know exactly what you'll get. It bugs me to no end to see the "advertised" hull weight obviously fudged just to sell product. To get that weight, you have to sacrifice hull strength and long-term quality.

So please know that when you see something listed on our website, reality and safety have been pre-calculated for you!

Matt

[Oldsparkey]

The large companies state there load capacity at the max to make it sound good , not at what is a safe load capacity. A lot of them arrive at the weight by filing the boat with water and counting the gallons to learn the weight it takes to sink it and use that as the max weight.

Other manufactures do the same but only to the safe water line (free board) which is the max safe weight not the total weight the boat will take. Your job is to figure out which one is doing it right.

Everyone does it , take a look at the tent manufactures , they will list there tent for three people where in reality it is only fit for 1 1/2 persons , a two man tent is good for one and a four man tent is comfortable for two. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at. Again , it is your job to figure out who is doing it right.

I have found that with JEM Watercraft if anything Matt is figuring the weight low so a paddler can fudge and add a little more and still be safe ( it is called a safety margin) .
I know I have loaded down one of his boats to the max weight and still had a little more free board then he stated it would have.

Chuck.

[Kayak Jack]

An element that Matt alluded to is also a large variable - water surface conditions. Any boat can "safely" carry more on a calm day in calm water than if there is white water present or a strong wind.

Skill of paddlers enters into it too. VERY difficult to quantify that. Inches of freeboard and pounds of cargo are numbers, easy to deal with.

It has been a rumored standard that a canoe needs at least 6" of free board to be "safe". Like all else in Life - that depends.