Loaded boat weight and towing total
The towing total is the boat with its engines, fuel, water and gear plus the trailer; people ride in the tow vehicle, so they are left out. Compare the boat on the trailer with the trailer’s carrying capacity and the towing total with its GVWR. Fuel and water weigh 6.18 lb per US gallon for gasoline, 7.01 lb for diesel and 8.34 lb for fresh water, as on the Fuel and Water Weight Calculator.
How much does a boat weigh? The seven 19- to 22-foot boats in the table below are listed by their builders at 1,699 pounds (an aluminum fishing boat) to about 5,400 pounds (a wake boat), before fuel, people and gear. The type of boat matters as much as its length: among the 20-footers, a pontoon is listed at 2,155 pounds and a jet boat at 3,043 pounds. The calculator above adds the engines, fuel, water, people and gear to the dry weight for the loaded weight, and the trailer for the towing total.
Loaded weight = dry weight + engines + fuel + water + people + gear. Towing total = loaded weight − people + trailer weight.
How Much Does a Boat Weigh?
| Type | Example (length) | Listed weight |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fishing boat | Alumacraft Dominator 175X Tiller (19 ft 2 in) | 1,699 lb |
| Fiberglass bass boat | Phoenix 919 Elite X (19 ft 8 in) | about 1,800 lb |
| Pontoon boat | Starcraft EX 20 R (20 ft 10 in) | 2,155 lb |
| Center console | Stingray 20CC (20 ft 1 in) | 2,700 lb with a 140 hp engine |
| Sport boat | Stingray 20 SBX (20 ft 3 in) | 2,800 lb |
| Jet boat | Yamaha AR200 (20 ft 1 in) | 3,043 lb |
| Wake boat | Malibu Wakesetter 22 LSV (21 ft 11 in) | about 5,400 lb |
These are the weights the builders list on their websites (October 2026). Starcraft and Yamaha call it dry weight, Stingray an average dry weight that varies with the installed options, Malibu an approximate dry weight, Phoenix an approximate weight and Alumacraft simply weight. Only the Stingray 20CC listing says the engine is included, so check the spec sheet or ask the dealer whether yours is. Malibu’s wake boat can also carry up to 4,160 pounds of factory ballast, and Yamaha lists the AR200 at 3,948 pounds dry on its trailer.
Where to Find Your Boat’s Dry Weight
Dry weight is the boat without fuel and water. Look for it in the builder’s specification sheet, brochure or owner’s manual, or ask a dealer for your model and year; builders differ on whether the engine, batteries and options are included. The Coast Guard capacity plate is not the place to look: it shows the maximum number of people, the maximum weight of persons, motor and gear the boat may carry and its horsepower limit, not what the boat itself weighs.
How Much Does an Outboard Weigh?
| Outboard | Listed weight |
|---|---|
| Yamaha F9.9 (9.9 hp) | 87 to 93 lb |
| Yamaha F115 (115 hp) | 377 to 386 lb |
| Yamaha F150 in-line four (150 hp) | 509 to 522 lb |
| Yamaha F200 in-line four (200 hp) | 516 to 525 lb |
Yamaha’s weights are for the shortest shaft, without engine oil and gear oil, and without the propeller except on models of 25 hp and under; each range covers the versions of a model. Use your own engine maker’s figure, and multiply by the number of engines. For flotation tests the Coast Guard deliberately assumes heavier engines: its table in 33 CFR 183.75 takes the heaviest model in each power range plus 10 percent, such as 105 pounds for 7 to 10.9 hp, 526 pounds for 105 to 144.9 hp and 561 pounds for 145 to 194.9 hp.
Fuel, Water, People and Gear
Gasoline weighs about 6.18 pounds per U.S. gallon, diesel 7.01 pounds and fresh water 8.34 pounds, so 30 gallons of gasoline add about 185 pounds and a full 40-gallon water tank about 333 pounds. For any amount, use the Fuel and Water Weight Calculator. For people, the calculator starts at 185 pounds per person, the average weight per person the Coast Guard uses for passenger vessel stability (46 CFR 170.090); enter your crew’s real weights if you know them. Gear is everything else aboard: anchor and line, coolers, life jackets, tackle, and batteries if the dry weight leaves them out.
Boat Trailer Weight, Carrying Capacity and GVWR
The trailer’s own weight counts in the towing total. Karavan, for example, lists these boat and pontoon trailers:
| Karavan trailer | Trailer weight (lb) | Carrying capacity (lb) | GVWR (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-axle bunk, boats to 18 ft 5 in | 420 | 1,800 | 2,220 |
| Single-axle bunk, boats to 18 ft 9 in | 550 | 2,400 | 2,950 |
| Tandem-axle bunk, boats to 25 ft 6 in | 1,020 | 5,400 | 6,420 |
| Single-axle pontoon, boats 18 to 22 ft | 750 | 2,700 | 3,450 |
| Tandem-axle pontoon, boats 18 to 22 ft | 903 | 4,500 | 5,403 |
In each case the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) is the trailer’s own weight plus its carrying capacity. Keep the boat with its engines, fuel, water and gear within the carrying capacity and the whole rig within the GVWR; EZ Loader’s owner’s manual says the GVWR is printed on the VIN decal at the left front of the trailer, and to have the rig weighed if you don’t know what it weighs. Part of the towing total rests on the hitch, and boat trailer makers give that share in percent: work it out with the Tongue Weight Calculator.
Worked Example
A boat listed at 1,800 pounds dry, with one 400-pound outboard, 30 gallons of gasoline (185 pounds), two people at 185 pounds (370 pounds) and 100 pounds of gear, weighs about 2,855 pounds on the water. Take the people out and the boat on the trailer weighs about 2,485 pounds; with a 600-pound trailer, the towing total is about 3,085 pounds.
Loaded Weight on the Water
On a boat with a Coast Guard capacity plate, the maximum weight covers persons, motor and gear on an outboard boat (persons and gear on an inboard or sterndrive), so fuel in portable tanks and the gear you load count against it. The Boat Capacity Calculator explains the plate. The loaded weight also sets how fast a planing boat can go: try it in the Boat Speed Calculator. Afloat, the loaded weight is the boat’s displacement: the Boat Displacement Calculator adds the load to a published light displacement and estimates how much deeper the boat floats.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 20-foot boat weigh?
Builders list the 20-foot boats in our comparison at 2,155 pounds (Starcraft EX 20 R pontoon) to 3,043 pounds (Yamaha AR200 jet boat) dry, and a 22-foot wake boat, the Malibu Wakesetter 22 LSV, at about 5,400 pounds. Add the engine if it isn’t included, plus fuel, people and gear.
How much does a boat trailer weigh?
Karavan lists its single-axle bunk trailers at 420 pounds (for boats up to 1,800 pounds) and 550 pounds (up to 2,400 pounds), and a tandem-axle bunk trailer at 1,020 pounds (up to 5,400 pounds). Your own trailer’s weight is on its spec sheet.
How much does a bass boat weigh?
Phoenix lists its 919 Elite X, a 19-foot 8-inch bass boat rated for 200 to 225 hp, at about 1,800 pounds; the listing doesn’t say whether that includes the outboard. Yamaha lists its 200 hp in-line four outboard at 516 to 525 pounds.
What is a boat’s dry weight?
The boat’s weight without fuel or water, as the builder lists it. Builders differ on what else is included: Stingray lists its 20CC at 2,700 pounds with a 140 hp engine, while many listings don’t say whether the engine, batteries or options are in.
Is the boat’s weight on the capacity plate?
No. A Coast Guard capacity plate shows the maximum number of people, the maximum weight of persons, motor and gear (persons and gear on inboards and sterndrives) and the horsepower limit, not what the boat weighs. Find the dry weight in the builder’s specifications or owner’s manual.
Do people count in the towing weight?
The calculator assumes people ride in the tow vehicle and leaves them out of the towing total. Everything left in the boat, such as fuel, water, batteries and gear, counts toward the trailer’s carrying capacity and GVWR.