About Boat Weight

What a boat weighs seems like a fairly simple subject. When selecting a trailer it’s an important consideration. Every manufacturer states their boat weight in their sales literature and sometimes on the Certificate of Origin (title). But it’s sometimes not as simple as it seems. Boats are certified with the Coast Guard when a new model is introduced. The boat as it is configured at that time is weighed and that is the published weight for the life of that model. Over the years granite countertops, a 600 lb. captains stand or a 50-gallon fuel tank may be added, but the published weight remains the same.

Several years ago, when Barletta introduced their luxury pontons it was determined that their boats were sometimes as much as 1,000 lb. heavier than comparable luxury boats. Did Barletta really have that much more “stuff” in their boats? NO, everyone else had outdated weighs. This situation is being repeated with the new Alera and Evotti pontoons (2025). They are often considerably heavier than other boats, but it’s only because they were weighed and certified recently.

This is important not only for selecting the proper trailer but also figuring out if your tow vehicle is sufficient. A mid-sized SUV might be able to tow 3500 lbs., but if the boat weighs 4500 lbs. and the trailer weighs 1200 lbs. you may have a difficulty.

Pontoon boats have almost doubled in weight in the past few years. With larger heavier engines, granite counter tops, 50 gallon fuel tanks, and huge captain’s helms, modern pontoon boats are much heavier than their predecessors. Some pontoon trailer companies recognize this and add extra bracing in the stern, but many do not. The longer your trailer, especially anything over 24’, you should have some lateral braces to tie the front and back together. If you get a trailer without bracing, it will buck and flex at highway speeds.  

The trailers in the photo below have vertical reinforcement (2” x 3” box steel) between the back two cross members in the stern of the pontoon trailer. The second cross member is 44” from the back of the trailer. This provides additional support for the weight in the stern of your pontoon. Few pontoon trailer manufacturers seem to do this. Some don’t seem to recognize the need for extra support. Some have the second cross member (from the back) as far as 6’ or 8’ forward, or none at all. You’ll feel the frame flexing when towing these brands of pontoon trailers.