LOA Measurement Question

[rslifkin]

Of note, I've noticed that Beneteau (at least on newer boats) is one of the better builders about length spec. They typically list (for both power and sail boats) waterline length, hull length and LOA (including anchor rollers, etc.).

[MicHughV]

At the end of the day it's a bragging thing...my boat is bigger'n than yours, etc.

For marina's it's a $$$ thing, they'll measure from the most outward points on a boat to increase their slip fees.

Kinda like the horsepower car wars....but just because a car has 400 hp doesn't make it better or faster than one with 350 hp...ie, it's "sales talk"

Buy the boat you like and like the boat you buy !!!

[grube]

Manufacturer for my Coastal Craft 400 (2005) say it is 40’ LOA. However the pulpit adds 3’ and the swim grid adds 5’ — thus making it a 48’ LOA. Both pulpit and swim grid are integral and not bolted on. This is our first power vessel (2x370hp Volvo Penta D6 engines with many lovely pieces of tech in this boat) once we decided to go to “the dark side” (ie. not sailing).

[muthrtuckr]

To solve the measurement problem where we keep our boat, the paperwork asks for the LIS (LENGTH IN SLIP) with the following description on the the form:

PLEASE NOTE
LIS* (Length in Slip) is the total length of your boat and all its appendages in its slip. This includes bow pulpit, bowsprit, stern pulpit, anchor rollers, anchors, swim platforms, dinghy davits, attached dinghies, outboards, solar panels, or anything that extends beyond the specified boat length. This dimension is greater, often by a number of feet, from your boat’s hull length as specified by the manufacturer. SYC policy is that no part of any boat is allowed to extend beyond the outermost piling of the assigned slip.

[grube]

Originally Posted by muthrtuckr

To solve the measurement problem where we keep our boat, the paperwork asks for the LIS (LENGTH IN SLIP) with the following description on the the form:

PLEASE NOTE
LIS* (Length in Slip) is the total length of your boat and all its appendages in its slip. This includes bow pulpit, bowsprit, stern pulpit, anchor rollers, anchors, swim platforms, dinghy davits, attached dinghies, outboards, solar panels, or anything that extends beyond the specified boat length. This dimension is greater, often by a number of feet, from your boat’s hull length as specified by the manufacturer. SYC policy is that no part of any boat is allowed to extend beyond the outermost piling of the assigned slip.

Likewise with our slip. That adds a couple more feet as the anchor sticks out a bit from the pulpit and the raised dinghy on a SeaDavit also sticks out a bit at the stern. Thus making it over 50’ (vs the advertised 40’)��.

[sailorladd]

LOD (Length On Deck) I believe would be the hull/deck from stem to stern. Length Over All would include pulpits, bowsprits etc protruding (or not) beyond the LOD...

[Redboat]

Funny story:

Marina I worked at had a transient come in to rent a slip for a month. She said it was a Whatever 27 and should be charged for 27 ft. (I forget the exact make)

However, a quick look on Sailboat Data revealed a Whatever 27 is actually 28 ft LOA. Add on the various appendages the manufacturer and the owner added and it came to 32 feet.

Owner was pissed and insisted it was a 27 ft boat. So the Marina boss said, OK, and they marched out to the boat with a tape measure, which, of course read 32 feet. Boat owner did not win that one.

Sometimes the model name of a boat is just a marketing thing and not a reflection of reality!

[TabbyCat]

Originally Posted by Tcheairs

Would a 51' (LOA length overall) lBluewater Coastal Cruiser measurement include the bow pulpit (where the anchor is stored?) Or just the point where the bow vertically joins the deck? My bow pulpit is about 24" additional inches.

(Tried to insert a link to the builder's blueprint, but this post wouldn't take the link).

It might depend who is asking and for what purpose they need the measurement! If an insurance company, it is the longest length. Draw an imaginary vertical line at the farthest piece of your boat protruding from the bow, and the same for the stern. Measure the distance in between. That's your LOA as far as insurance goes. Given that you may added on dinghy davits, bow rollers, anchors, your LOA measured this way may be longer that what is in the builder's blueprint. But you certainly don't want to leave that bow roller uninsured - it is the probably most likely thing to contact another boat or the dock!

[Ike]

Boat Length depends on who is asking and what it is to be used for. Back before the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 boat manufacturers used various methods to measure their boats. Length was often measured around the sheer line, which of course made the boat a lot longer than it was, and that's what they used in their advertising. for instance my boat is a model 190 which implies it is 19 feet, actually it's a hair over 18 feet. Then sometime in the 80's the Coast Guard defined it as center line length which made a lot of current models of recreational boats several feet shorter. But as has been said the people selling the boat still exaggerate the length. So your boat may be model seaserpent 40 but if you measure it you find it is 38' 6". And as was said, length can depend on how appurtenances such as swim platforms and bow pulpits are attached. If they are bolted on they are not part of the length of the hull. If they are molded in and an integral part of the hull they are. Hull is the operative word. But for marinas, and some other purposes, the person asking wants to know how much room they take up on the dock, or if being transported, how much length they take up on the truck, or ship. So you need to know what is the purpose of the "length".