There has been some other discussion on this topic, check this link.

[url]http://www.c36ia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1963[/url]

As I recall it came down to weight and appearance, you can accepably have more slim attractive people on board than bulky homely ones. The weight issue is a physics issue to retain stability, the attractiveness quotient makes the mass more palitable. That said attitude is more important than either the size or attractiveness. This in mind it is still easier to throw the thin ones overboard if they have a bad attitude.

I think water coming in over the coming would mean you reached your limit. LOL :D

You are right about the capacity plate not existing. I have had approximately 12-15 guests on board for dinner and socials. Keep in mind that the boat is either moored or anchored and not in transit. The number of berths on board might be a good number, that would be 6-7. Much more than that while underway inhibits access to sheets, etc., unless they stay below.

Larger, uninspected boats (as opposed to inspected vessels which have very strict passenger carrying regulations) don't have, and are not required to have, capacity plates as do smaller boats. I forget the length where it changes, but check your dinghy and you'll see a plate on the transom.

This was a big issue with the boat that rolled after fireworks out of Oyster Bay on July 4th a couple of years ago. A number of people died as a result, a few who were kids in the cabin because the adults thought they'd be safer. There were something like 32 people on a 28' boat, or something close. The reaction of most people was "they had to be kidding... who would overload a boat like that", but it's up to the captain operate a vessel in a safe manner.

If I recall, that was a powerboat that rolled, with half the people on the flybridge. That would seem to be an accident waiting for a place to happen.

It takes 29 people on board a Martin 242 (2500 lb race boat) to make it start rolling over at the dock. I have crewed on race boats with 11 people on a light displacement 34 footer.

I have raced my Catalina 36 with a crew of 12 plus my 5 year old daughter. I think any time you have reasonable elbow room you are OK on the crew count.

The 375 has a capacity plate mounted in the cockpit, which from memory says 8 people. Of course we can get much more when at anchor. I think our water police would be happy if everybody had a life jacket available. And the boat did not look too crowded.

In the end, it's the skipper responsibility to ensure everybody onboard is safe.

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My wife is from the South and tends toward excessive hospitality. I've asked her to limit guests to five (thus a total of seven). I might be convinced to go higher in some circumstance. Are they experienced sailors? At least to the degree that they can predict the movement of the boom and the degree of heel. Are we just motoring on a calm evening? Are they actively imbibing? I enjoy a recreational beverage as much or more than the next guy, but I am sure that a vessel with occupants that are over served will more quickly find that they are overloaded.

My Yacht Club has a two week summer camp for kids 7-14 years of age. We teach the kids how to sail on 15 foot precission sailboats. On Thursday afternoons four of us sailboaters take the campers out in Charlotte Harbor for a big boat sail in our sailboats. The kids are small so they all fit in the cockpit including the instructor. Today I had nine kids plus an instructor and volunteer Club member for a total of twelve. The wind was under ten knots when we left the dock, then died.

The kids learn port from starboard, the names of the sails, halyards, sheets, mast, boom and some of the simple knots. There was almost no traffic on the water so all that wanted to got to drive the boat.

It is a nice experience for the campers and me even though we had to drop the sails and motor back.