How Many People Can Sunfish Really Carry?

[sgtpepperoni00]

How many people can you really put on a sunfish? Ive heard 3 people from many places. The manufacturer only says 2 people. 315 pounds. Can the boat really only carry 2? I would like to be able to take 3 If it can support the weight of 3 people. i dont care if theres no room. Does it just say 2 people becuase can only fit 2 people comfortably or could it support the weight of 3 people? (I will be using the boat in saltwater too. Will that effect it in anway. Maybe be able to support 3 people becuase salt water is more boyoant = can float more weight. Would that be true?)

 

[mike4947]

Way back when at the North Americans they had a relay race where at the end of each leg they added another person. IIRC at the finish they had 6 people on the boat...LOL
BUT, the older small cockpit boats are tight with two people and the larger new cockpit boats are tight with three.
Make sure to see the rig at "recreational" height. If you set it as racing height (3-4" off the deck) you'll have a lot of capsizes and bruises from booms.

 

[Crim]

Honestly, I would say one. I've had two on my boat, and it was way too crowded to actually sail. I dont think I'd ever put two on the boat again...but that's just my opinion....

 

[DanB]

There's capacity and there's capacity. Since you say you are already an experienced boater then you are probably already aware of the nasty little citations the coastal cops hand out for over loading beyond the rated capacity. No different for a sailboat than a motorboat. The other side of the coin is how much displacement you have. That's probably along the lines of the phonebooth stuffing said earlier. Only at boating carnaval events in sheltered waters have I observed the practice to be tolerated or marginally sensable.