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Message: <blockquote data-quote="onthewater102" data-source="post: 355288" data-attributes="member: 13702">The absolute max would be based on the displacement of the boat - measure the volume in cu ft and multiply it by 62 lbs, then subtract the weight of the boat. However, you need clearance to the gunwales, so you should probably remove the estimated volume above the waterline from your calculation...every boat is shaped differently. Straighter sides will give it more of a rectangular shape - however if your sides flare you'll have to figure the volume based on the top area and the bottom area and average the two (this is probably your easiest off-the cuff calculation to get fairly close.)Of course if the boat swamps you've only got the displacement of any foam in the boat to keep it floating. If you're measuring marine foam it's usually a 2lb per cu.ft. density, so measure the volume of foam and multiply by 60 - that will be how much dead-weight (motors, batteries, gear) the boat will support. People are ~+/- 70% water by weight, so only factor in 30% of the combined body-weight of the people in the boat as needing to be supported upon swamping (ie a 200 dude will be 60 lbs worth of weight dragging the foam down.)</blockquote>