Trailering a bowrider boat is not something that every car can do, so it’s a good idea to check the weight of your bowrider boat before you hook the trailer to your car.
The average weight of a bowrider boat is 4,500 pounds (2,041 kilograms). If you add the fuel and a few equipment on board a bowrider boat will have an average weight of 4,700 pounds (2,132 kilograms). The average weight of a trailer is around 500 pounds (227 kilograms). And on average a bowrider can hold around 2,000 pounds (550 kilograms).
While this is not a definitive rule, in general a bowrider boat will weigh more, the longer it is. But as the materials that are used for a bowrider get lighter with each new model, this “rule” is getting very outdated. So let’s take a look at some bowrider boat models made in the last year and see which is their average weight.
Table of Contents
The Average Weight of 23 Different Bowrider Boats
| Bowrider Boat Model | Weight (pounds) | Weight (kilograms) | Length |
| Bayliner 160 | 1,332 lbs | 604 kg | 16 feet |
| Bayliner 170 | 1,753 lbs | 795 kg | 17 feet |
| Monterey 385SE | 16,000 lbs | 7,257 kg | 37 feet |
| Bayliner VR4 Outboard | 2,422 lbs | 1099 kg | 19 feet |
| Chaparral 19 SSI | 2,540 lbs | 1,152 kg | 19 feet |
| Four Winns Horizon 190 | 2,800 lbs | 1,270 kg | 19 feet |
| Bayliner VR4 | 2,822 lbs | 1280 kg | 19 feet |
| Bayliner VR5 | 2,895 lbs | 1313 kg | 20 feet |
| Monterey M-205 | 3,100 lbs | 1,406 kg | 20 feet |
| Four Winns Horizon 210 | 3,450 lbs | 1,565 kg | 21 feet |
| Monterey 224FS | 3,500 lbs | 1,588 kg | 23 feet |
| Chaparral 230 Suncoast | 3,500 lbs | 1,588 kg | 23 feet |
| Chaparral 23 SSI | 3,600 lbs | 1,633 kg | 23 feet |
| Bayliner VR6 | 3,797 lbs | 1722 kg | 22 feet |
| Chaparral 250 Suncoast | 4,100 lbs | 1,860 kg | 25 feet |
| Monterey M4 | 4,500 lbs | 2,041 kg | 24 feet |
| Four Winns Horizon 260 | 4,900 lbs | 2,223 kg | 26 feet |
| Formula Boats 240 | 5,000 lbs | 2,268 kg | 24 feet |
| Monterey M-65 | 5,200 lbs | 2,359 kg | 27 feet |
| Formula Boats 270 | 6,200 lbs | 2,812 kg | 27 feet |
| Four Winns Horizon 290 OB | 8,600 lbs | 3,901 kg | 29 feet |
| Formula Boats 290 | 8,950 lbs | 4,060 kg | 29 feet |
| Formula Boats 310 | 9,875 lbs | 4,479 kg | 31 feet |
As you can see there is no exact rule to estimate the weight of a bowrider boat . A 23 feet bowrider can weigh 3,500 pounds, as well as 4,500 pounds.
This big difference is created by a lot of factors, but the most influential ones are the materials used and the furniture.
The material that is used to make the boat can have a major impact on the weight. A lot of manufacturers simply state that the floor is made out of wood, but there are multiple types of wood, and each type can weigh more or less. Or they say that it has vinyl, but the thickness of the vinyl can greatly influence the weight.
The furniture used on the boat will also have a huge impact on the weight of the bowrider boat , in some cases they can add more than 1000 pounds.
How Do I Find Out the Weight of My Bowrider Boat?
As I said there is no proper way to estimate the weight of a bowrider, the best and safest way is to check the website of the manufacturer, if they don’t produce the same model any longer don’t look at a similar one. A 2018 model won’t necessarily weigh as much as a 2021 model.
Instead you can simply call or email them. They always keep notes on the previous models for situations like these. They should be able to give you an exact answer without any problem.
Can My Car Pull My Bowrider Boat?
If you are trying to figure out the weight of your bowrider to make sure that your car can pull it, make sure that you add the weight of the trailer as well. Even if the trailer has wheels and can move, your car will still need to pull it.
If we go with the average weight of 4,500 pounds, add the weight of the fuel, luggage, water sport equipment, we get the approximate weight of 4,700 pounds. Now we have to add the trailer weight, so we will add an extra 500 pounds. We get a total of almost 5,200 pounds.
To make sure that your car won’t be overburdened and that you won’t have any problem driving it you will need a car that has a towing capacity of at least 6,000 pounds.
How Many People Can a Bowrider Boat Carry?
As I said in the beginning of the article that the average extra weight on a bowrider boat will be around 400 pounds. But this doesn’t include the people that will be on the boat.
Knowing how much weight a boat can carry is just as important as knowing how much the boat weights.
The exact number can differ from boat to boat, but there is an average. And this average differs based on the length of the bowrider boat.
On average a bowrider boat between 19 and 21 can hold up to 8 passengers.
On average a bowrider boat between 21 and 24 can hold up to 10 passengers.
On average a bowrider boat between 24 and 28 can hold up to 12 passengers.
On average a bowrider boat of 30+ feet can hold more than 14 passengers.
But this number can slightly differ depending on the weight of the boat, so make sure to check what the plates of the boat say, and don’t just assume that the average applies to your bowrider .
If you don’t have the plates any more, lucky you can still calculate the exact number, here is how you can do it.
Calculating the Capacity of Your Bowrider Boat
Here are steps that you have to take when you calculate the capacity of a bowrider:
- Find volume in cubic feet
- Calculate the area: π × r(2)
- Multiply by length (in inches)
- Divide the cubic inches by 1728 (1728 is the cubic inches in a cubic foot 12 × 12 × 12)
Or you could use this simple calculator that will tell you the weight capacity by simply a couple values: Boat Capacity Calculator.
Final Thoughts
So the average weight of a bowrider is 4,500 pounds, but if you add up everything that might be on the boat you get to a weight around 4,700 pounds.
And if you want to see if your car can pull the bowrider boat, don’t forget to add the weight of the trailer as well. The trailer will usually add another 500 pounds to the total weight.
And while you can estimate the weight of a bowrider boat, if you are not 100% sure you can always give a call, or email the manufacturer, they always keep notes on all of their products.