Trailering a deck boat is not something that every car can do, so it’s a good idea to check the weight of your deck boat before you hook the trailer to your car.
The average weight of a deck boat is 3,500 pounds (1,587 kilograms). If you add the fuel and a few equipment on board a deck boat will have an average weight of 3,800 pounds (1,723 kilograms). The average weight of a trailer is around 1000 pounds (453 kilograms). And on average a deck can hold around 2,600 pounds (1174 kilograms).
While this is not a definitive rule, in general a deck boat will weigh more, the longer it is. But as the materials that are used for a deck mboat get lighter with each new model, this “rule” is getting very outdated. So let’s take a look at some deck boat models made in the last year and see which is their average weight.
Table of Contents
The Average Weight of 17 Different Deck Boats
| Deck Boat Model | Weight (pounds) | Weight (kilograms) | Length |
| Bayliner Element M15 | 1,385 lbs | 628 kg | 15 feet |
| Stingray 172SC | 1,900 lbs | 862 kg | 17 feet |
| Bayliner Element E18 | 2,000 lbs | 907 kg | 18 feet |
| Stingray 182SC | 2,050 lbs | 930 kg | 19 feet |
| Chaparral 19 SSI | 2,540 lbs | 1152 kg | 19 feet |
| Stingray 192SC | 2,600 lbs | 1179 kg | 20 feet |
| Chaparral 21 SSI | 2,800 lbs | 1270 kg | 21 feet |
| Bayliner DX2000 | 2,810 lbs | 1274 kg | 19 feet |
| Four Winns HD1 | 3,000 lbs | 1361 kg | 18 feet |
| Stingray 212SC | 3,100 lbs | 1406 kg | 21 feet |
| Chaparral 23 SSI | 3,600 lbs | 1632 kg | 23 feet |
| Four Winns HD 2 | 3,760 lbs | 1706 kg | 20 feet |
| Bayliner DX2200 | 3,805 lbs | 1726 kg | 21 feet |
| Four Winns HD 3 | 4,170 lbs | 1891 kg | 22 feet |
| Bayliner Element XR7 | 4,464 lbs | 2024 kg | 25 feet |
| Four Winns HD 5 | 4,860 lbs | 2204 kg | 24 feet |
| Four Winns HD 8 | 5,350 lbs | 2427 kg | 26 feet |
As you can see there is no exact rule to estimate the weight of a deck boat . A 20 feet deck boat can weigh 3,000 pounds, as well as 4,000 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 deck boat , in some cases they can add more than 1000 pounds.
How Do I Find Out the Weight of My Deck Boat?
As I said there is no proper way to estimate the weight of a deck boat, 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 Deck Boat?
If you are trying to figure out the weight of your deck boat 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 3,500 pounds, add the weight of the fuel, luggage, water sport equipment, we get the approximate weight of 3,800 pounds. Now we have to add the trailer weight, so we will add an extra 1000 pounds. We get a total of almost 4,800 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 Deck Boat Carry?
As I said in the beginning of the article that the average extra weight on a deck 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 deck boat.
On average a deck boat between 19 and 21 can hold up to 10 passengers.
On average a deck boat between 21 and 24 can hold up to 12 passengers.
On average a deck boat between 24 and 28 can hold up to 15 passengers.
On average a deck boat of 30+ feet can hold more than 16 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 deck boat.
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 Deck Boat
Here are steps that you have to take when you calculate the capacity of a deck:
- 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 deck is 3,500 pounds, but if you add up everything that might be on the boat you get to a weight around 3,800 pounds.
And if you want to see if your car can pull the deck boat, don’t forget to add the weight of the trailer as well. The trailer will usually add another 1000 pounds to the total weight.
And while you can estimate the weight of a deck 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.