Heavier people leads to new lower load limits for charter boats

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. - The fleet of fishing and sightseeing boats at John’s Pass Hubbard Marina are designed with fun and safety in mind. But now there is more focus on safety whether they like it or not.

New Coast Guard regulations means fewer passengers will fit on charter boats.

“As we know, the human has grown over time,” said Lt. Commander Eric Allen with the United States Coast Guard. “The last weight calculations on the average human was calculated back in the 60s, remarkably. ”

Going off a Centers for Disease Control study, the Coast Guard now considers the average weight of a passenger to be 185 pounds.

That’s about 25 to 45 pounds more than what the old weight limits calculated. The result is smaller passenger loads.

“The vessels are cut down by some 30 to 40 percent of what they can carry so they just aren't going to be able to carry those heavier loads,” said Capt. Mark Hubbard, Owner of Hubbard Marina at John’s Pass.

Hubbard says the new restrictions would have cut the limit on one of his dolphin watching boats by 20 passengers.

Due to the square hull design of that boat, he invested several thousand dollars in a professional survey and was able to get his weight limit cut by only five passengers.

Other boats with different designs aren’t as lucky.

“It’s going to affect a lot of people,” he said.

The new, tighter restrictions come on the heels of a water taxi accident in 2004 that killed five people in Baltimore.

An investigation revealed that the boat complied with regulations but was still overweight.

Now, the coast guard feels the limits are much more reflective of today’s society.

“It's going to vary how it impacts the mariner, but the biggest thing is it's going to increase the safety exponentially for the general public,” said Lt. Allen.

The coast guard tells us the new restrictions only apply to vessels where there are seven or more paying passengers.