The Capacity Plate, as the name suggests, tells a lot about the managing limitations of the boat and is a very crucial part in maintaining the stability of the boat and its boaters. It tells the basic and useful information such as the weightage a boat can carry (basically the carrying capacity of the boat), the number of people allowed on the boat etc. The Capacity Plate is either made up of metal or of plastic. It is located at either at the part where other controlling instruments of the boat are present or at the end of the boat. It also shows the maximum power of the engine in terms of Horsepower.
- A Horsepower Rating:
The Capacity Plate provides a Horsepower Rating that shows how much is the engine power that can be managed by the boat easily. Exceeding this limit can be very dangerous because it can make lose control and eventually can get out of hand. So, for proper handling and safety measures, this rating is provided to give the clear cut warnings and capacity of the engine’s power.
- Its relationship with the engine:
If one uses an engine that surpasses the limits set by the capacity plate then it can be really dangerous for the boaters to handle the situation and the boat may not function properly. Overpowering the boat with the use of higher power of engine can make the boat stress out and eventually leads it to potential damage and loss. Whereas using an engine that go well with the set parameters of the horsepower provided by the capacity plate can be very beneficial for the proper functioning of the boat. Just as a specific key works for a specific lock so is the case with the engines. Not all horsepower ratings get along with all the engines rather there are specific engines that must be looked for if they have to and only if they can function in a specific horsepower rating.
- Significance:
The rating (powerhorse-rating) provided by the Capacity Plate is of much significance. Some of the points to illustrate its significance are written below:
- Guarantee passengers safety. While boating, the very first thing that the passengers demand is the safety. After that comes the other recreational activities and joys. The horsepower-rating can make boat more safer for boating purposes.
- Good for the health for the boat. With the health of the boaters, the health of the loat also matters. Just as a boat cannot be handled by a weak boater, same is the case otherwise (a boater cannot boat on an unstable boat).
- Over-weightage or over-stressing is hindered. The boat is made stable for the boating.
- Conclusion:
In conclusion, a boater must be made well aware of the ratings before getting into the boating thing. Also he must be made well aware of the limitations that his biat has to follow. He must be also to read all the instructions carefully and give importance to the horsepower rating on the Capacity Plate to ensure safe boating.