US Coast Guard Re-Weighs the 'Average' Boat Passenger


by KYW's Lynne Adkins

The US Coast Guard is studying how many passengers should be allowed on boats, with proposed changes reflecting that Americans are getting heavier.

The US Coast Guard sets boat capacities based on an average weight per passenger.

Spokeswoman Angela McArdle says changes are being considered in reaction to passenger boat accidents in Baltimore and New York which were caused in part by too much weight on board:

"For oceangoing or open water vessels, it's usually 160 pounds per person. If there are children in the mix, men and women and children mixed, and it's in a protected waterway, the standard can be as low as 140 (pounds)."

Those figures date to 1960, and Americans now weigh more, so the Coast Guard may increase the weight per person. And that could mean boats would be allowed to take fewer passengers.

Folks getting off a sightseeing boat in center city Philadelphia liked the idea:

"Anything that's going to increase safety is a good idea. I was a little scared on the boat, saying, 'What would happen if it tilted over? Are there too many?' "

I know I weigh more now than I did in 1960

The FAA did the same thing a few years ago. It was 170# per person, and now it's 190.