How Much Do Boats Weigh? (Ultimate Data Chart)

The weight of a boat can vary a lot mostly depending on the length of the boat and the materials used for the boat. There are also many other factors such as size/amount of engines, size of the fuel tank, amount of gear on board, size of the cabin, and much more.

However, if we generalize based on length: small boats that are 17-22 feet weigh around 1,600-3,200 pounds. Boats 23-27 feet weigh around 3,600-4,800 pounds. Medium-sized boats 28-35 feet weigh around 5,800-13,500 pounds. And large boats 36-45 feet weigh around 15,500-29,000 pounds.

Boat TypeBoat Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)
Fiberglass Bass Boats1,800-2,900500-1,200
Aluminum Bass Boats1,100-2,650500-1,200
Bowriders2,000-10,350800-2,300
Pontoon Boats1,500-3,350950-1,900
Sit-down Jet Skis650-1,000200-300
Stand-up Jet Skis300-550200-300
Ski boats3,195-3,5501,100
Wake boats4,300-7,3501,100-1,900
Deep V Fishing Boats1,350-2,800500-1,100
Small Center Consoles (16′-25′)1,570-6,300500-1,650
Large Center Consoles (26′-40′)7,100-21,7001,700-2,000+
Small Sailboats (15′-25′)400-5,000500-1,800
Large Sailboats (26′-40′)6,000-30,0001,700-2,000+
Cuddy Cabins2,000-5,300800-1,800
Small Cabin Cruisers (30′-40′)11,100-25,200NA
Large Cabin Cruisers (41′-50′)27,000-46,800NA
Small Yachts (55′-70′)87,000-150,000NA
Large Yachts (75′-90′)157,500-235,500NA
Boat weight is referring to the wet weight of a boat (dry weight of boat plus engines, fuel, and gear)

These calculations were found by taking many examples of boats within each boat category. However, If you want a more precise answer that considers lengths and material, continue reading to the “Boat and trailer weight based on the type and length of a boat” sub-heading.

It’s important to note that boats made from aluminum tend to be around 300-1,500 pounds lighter than similarly sized fiberglass boats.

Knowing boat weight terms

Before getting specific with all the different boat types, knowing these terms will help you understand the data better.

If you’ve ever tried finding the weight of a boat, you’ll notice that manufacturers use a lot of different wordings. These may include dry weight, wet weight, curb weight, package weight, gross trailer weight, actual boat weight, and more.

Understanding the difference between these is important, especially if you plan on reading the rest of the article. So let’s get into it:

Dry weight

Dry weight is the most common weight statistic you will find on a manufacturer’s website that states the weight of their boats. It means the weight of a boat without any engines, fuel, water, or accessories. In other words, the weight of a boat straight from the factory.

Some manufacturers may include engines in dry weight, but if they do so, they will usually tell you.

Unfortunately, this number isn’t the number boat owners need; however, it’s usually the only number provided. I usually assume that the wet weight of a boat is around 300-1,500+ pounds more, mostly depending on the amount/size of the engines and the size of the fuel tank.

Wet weight/curb weight

Wet weight, also known as curb weight, is the weight of a boat including engines, accessories, fuel, oil, and any other liquids. It does not include the weight of passengers or cargo.

This is one of the most important terms you’ll need to know for your boat as it will help you find your needed vehicle towing capacity, boat lift weight capacity, and other miscellanies things.

Package weight/gross trailer weight

Package weight, also known as gross trailer weight (GTW), is the wet weight of your boat plus the weight of your trailer. This is the weight you need to know for towing.

Most trailers weigh around 600 pounds for small 17′ boats to 1,900 pounds for larger 26′ boats. Most boats over 30′ are not trailerable unless you opt for an oversized load.

Actual boat weight

Actual boat weight means the wet weight of your boat plus any equipment, people, or cargo on board your boat. If a lot of people are on board or if you have a lot of heavy fishing equipment, it will significantly raise the weight of your boat.

Factors that go into how much a boat weighs

Besides the size of a boat, there are some other factors that go into how much it will weigh including:

  • Material used
  • Size of engine(s)
  • Amount of equipment
  • Amount of batteries
  • Size of the fuel tank
  • Amount of fuel in the fuel tank
  • Amount of water within the boat
  • Amount of gear you have on-board

Most of these are accounted for in the averages I’ve provided, but if you are trying to estimate the weight of your boat and you know you have an abnormally heavy or high quantity of these things, make sure to account for it.

Boat and trailer weight based on the type and length of a boat

There are many different boat types, all of which have different weights. Below I’ve listed the weights, trailer weights, and gross trailer weights (wet weight of boat plus trailer weight) of many different boat types. Click on the boat type below to be directed to which one you want to see.

Bass boats

There are two popular materials used to build bass boats, fiberglass and aluminum. Fiberglass is much heavier than aluminum, so I decided to split up the two in order to give more precise averages. So:

On average, fiberglass bass boats weigh around 1,400-2,200 pounds. Aluminum bass boats weigh around 700-2,000 pounds. Their gear, fuel, and engines generally add another 400-700 pounds and their trailers generally weigh around 500-1,200 pounds.

Average fiberglass bass boat weight by length

Length (ft)Dry Weight (lbs)Engine, Gear, & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
161,4004005002,300
171,5004506002,550
181,6505008002,950
191,9006009003,400
202,0007001,1003,800
212,2007001,2004,100

Average aluminum bass boat weight by length

Length (ft)Dry Weight (lbs)Engine, Gear, & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
167004005001,600
178504506001,900
181,2005008002,500
191,5005509002,950
201,8006001,1003,500
212,0006501,2003,850

Related Article: How Much Do Bass Boats Weigh? (17+ Examples)

Bowriders

On average, Bowrider boats weigh around 1,500-8,750 pounds mostly depending on their length. Their gear and fuel generally add another 500-1,600 pounds and their trailers generally weigh around 800-2,300 pounds.

Length (ft)Dry Weight (lbs)Engine, Gear, & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
161,5005008002,800
171,6505508503,050
181,9006009003,400
192,2506501,0003,900
202,9007001,1004,700
213,1007001,2005,000
223,4007001,4005,500
233,6007501,5005,850
243,8007501,6006,100
254,1008001,6506,350
264,4008001,7006,700
274,8008001,8007,100
285,8009001,8508,550
297,8001,1002,00010,900
308,2001,3002,10011,600
318,7501,6002,30012,650
Pontoon boats

On average, pontoon boats weigh between 1,600-2,400 pounds (726-1,089 kg), including the motor. However, some weigh up to 5,000 pounds (2268 kg). Pontoon boat trailers weigh between 1,000-1,700 (454-771 kg) pounds on average. Other weight factors to consider include gas, passengers, and gear.

Length (ft)Dry Weight (lbs)Engine, Gear, & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
161,1503509502,450
171,2504001,0002,650
181,3504501,0502,850
191,5505001,1503,200
201,6505501,2503,450
211,8006001,4003,800
221,9506501,6004,200
232,1006501,6504,400
242,2256501,7254,600
252,3507001,7504,800
262,4507001,8505,000
272,6507001,9005,250

Related Article: Pontoon Boat Weight: Can You Tow Them? (75+ Examples)

Jet skis

Sit-down jet skis weigh around 650-1,000 pounds, and stand-up jet skis weigh around 300-550 pounds. This includes the jet ski’s weight plus the weight for fuel and gear. Jet ski trailers weigh around 200-300 pounds, and double trailers weigh around 350-500 pounds.

Check out the weights of every new jet ski on the market in this article: How Much Do Jet Skis Weigh? (Plus Trailer Weight)

Ski boats

On average, ski boats weigh around 3,100 pounds. Their gear and fuel generally add another 250-600 pounds and their trailers generally weigh around 1,100-1,900 pounds.

There aren’t many true ski boats on the market anymore as they are being taken over by wake boats, however here are the weights of the top 3 on the market.

BoatLengthBoat & Engine Weight (lbs)Gear & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
MasterCraft ProStar20′3,3002501,1004,650
Ski Nautique20′2,9452501,1004,295
Malibu Response TXi20′ 6″3,1002501,1004,450

Related article: How Much Do Ski Boats Weigh? (17+ Examples)

Wake boats

On average, wake ski boats weigh around 4,000-6,700 pounds. Their gear and fuel generally add another 250-600 pounds, and their trailers weigh around 1100-1,900 pounds.

Length (ft)Boat & Engine Weight (lbs)Gear & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
204,0003001,1005,400
214,7003501,2006,250
225,3004001,3007,000
235,5005001,4507,450
245,8006001,6008,000
256,5006001,8008,900
266,7006501,9009,250

Related article: How Much Do Ski Boats Weigh? (17+ Examples)

Deep V fishing boats

On average, aluminum deep V fishing boats weigh around 1,000 to 2,100 pounds. Their engines, gear, and fuel generally add another 350-700 pounds, and their trailers weigh around 500-1,100 pounds. Fiberglass equivalents generally weigh 400 more pounds.

Length (ft)Dry Weight (lbs)Engine, Gear, & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
161,0003505001,850
171,3504006002,350
181,6004508002,850
191,8005009003,200
202,1007001,1003,900
Center console boats

In general, center console boats weigh between 1,100 and 8,500 pounds depending mostly on their size. Their engine, gear, and fuel add another 470 to 2,000 pounds, and their trailers weigh around 500 to 2,000 pounds.

Length (ft)Dry Weight (lbs)Engine, Gear, & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
161,1004705002,070
171,5005506002,650
181,9007008003,400
192,1008009003,800
202,5009001,1004,500
212,8001,0001,2005,000
223,1001,2001,4005,700
233,8001,6001,5006,900
244,0001,7001,6007,300
254,4001,9001,6507,950
265,0002,1001,7008,800
275,9002,4001,80010,100
286,1002,6001,90010,600
296,4002,8001,95011,150
307,2003,0002,00012,200
328,8003,400NANA
3410,0004,000NANA
3613,4004,900NANA
3814,3005,200NANA
4015,5006,200NANA
Note that these are all averages between 4 different models at each length and there are more factors besides length that will determine the weight of a center console boat.

Related Article: How Much Do Center Console Boats Weigh? (10+ Examples)

Sailboats

There are many different lengths and types of sailboats including both single-hull sailboats and catamarans. So their weight of them changes drastically depending on the exact make and model. However, According to Lifeofsailing.com, here are the general statistics:

Sailboat sizeTotal Weight
Small Sailboats (15’ to 20’)400 to 2,500 pounds
Medium Sailboats (21’ to 25’)2,500 to 5,000 pounds
Cruising Sailboats (26’ to 32′)6,000 to 12,000 pounds
Large Sailboats (35’ to 40’)12,000 to 30,000 pounds
Cuddy cabins

On average, cuddy cabin boats weigh around 1,500-4,500 pounds mostly depending on their length. Their gear and fuel generally add another 500-800 pounds and their trailers generally weigh around 800-1,800 pounds.

Length (ft)Dry Weight (lbs)Engine, Gear, & Fuel Weight (lbs)Trailer Weight (lbs)GTW (lbs)
161,5005008002,800
171,6505508503,050
181,9006009003,400
192,2506501,0003,900
202,9007001,1004,700
213,1007001,2005,000
223,4007001,4005,500
233,6007501,5005,850
243,7507501,6006,100
253,9008001,6506,350
264,2008001,7006,700
274,5008001,8007,100
Cabin cruisers

Small cabin cruiser boats (30-40 feet long) weigh around 10,000-22,000 pounds. Larger ones (41-50 feet long weigh around 24,000-42,000 pounds. Their gear and fuel generally add another 1,100-4,800 pounds.

Length (ft)Boat Weight Without Fuel (lbs)Gear & Fuel Weight (lbs)
3010,0001,100
3111,0001,200
3212,0001,200
3313,0001,300
3413,5001,300
3514,0001,400
3616,0001,600
3718,0001,900
3819,0002,300
3921,0002,500
4022,5002,700
4124,0003,000
4225,0003,300
4326,0003,800
4427,0004,000
4529,0004,100
5042,0004,800
Yachts

There isn’t an exact standard that defines yachts; however, in this article, I am considering them to be any recreational vessel over 50 feet long. It’s hard to find averages of boats this big as they vary a lot depending on the make/model. However, my data below is an average of three different models within each length, so it should at least give you an idea of how much a boat around that length should weigh.

On average, yachts that are 55-65 feet long weigh around 75,000-100,000 pounds, yachts 66-75 feet long weigh around 105,000-128,000 pounds, and yachts 76-90 feet long weigh around 137,000-205,000 pounds. Their gear and fuel add another 12,000-30,500 pounds.

Length (ft)Boat Weight Without Fuel (lbs)Gear & Fuel Weight (lbs)
5575,00012,000
6091,00013,000
65100,00017,000
70128,00022,000
75134,00023,500
80145,00025,000
90205,00030,500

How to weigh a boat?

The most accurate way to weigh a boat is to take it to a truck scale. Make sure it has all the gear and equipment in it that you need to have and weigh it. Also, note the amount of fuel that is in the boat as well. Gas weighs about 6 pounds per gallon, and boat fuel tanks can hold anywhere from 15 to thousands of gallons. You can then subtract out the weight of the trailer (which can be found by either weighing the trailer separately or just estimating using my averages).

Here’s what a truck scale looks like:

You can find these by just searching truck scale near me. Then try to contact them in advance or just show up at a location and they will most likely be happy to assist you if it’s within working hours.

If you’re unable to do that, most manufacturers will have the weights listed on their website; however, you may still have to do some estimating for engine, gear, & fuel weight as well as trailer weight. The data I provided above should also help you out with that.

What are the best vehicles for towing boats?

Making sure you are using a capable towing vehicle is crucial for the safety of you and others on the road when you are towing a boat. You can see a vehicle’s towing capacity by searching the make and model of the vehicle and then typing “towing capacity” after in the search bar.

It’s generally recommended to have a vehicle that is capable of towing 1,000 more pounds than the total weight of what you are towing. So in this case, the GTW would be the total weight.

Depending on how much your boat weighs, there will be different vehicles that would fit you best. However, below are a few popular vehicles used for towing boats:

Here are some popular SUVs used for towing boats

Midsize:

  1. Toyota 4Runner (V6)
    • Can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
    • 2- or 4-wheel options.
  2. Dodge Durango (V6 or V8)
    • Can tow up to 7,800 pounds (V8), or 6,200 pounds (V6).
    • All-wheel drive.
  3. Jeep Grand Cherokee
    • Can tow up to 7,400 pounds.
    • Turbodiesel option available.

Fullsize:

  1. Chevrolet Suburban
    • Can tow up to 8,000+ pounds depending on the model.
  2. Ford Expedition
    • Can tow up to 9,300 pounds.
  3. Chevrolet Tahoe
    • Can tow up to 8,300 pounds.

And here are some popular trucks

  1. Toyota Tacoma
    • Can tow up to 6,700 pounds.
  2. Chevrolet Colorado
    • Can tow up to 7,000 pounds with the gas engine, and the diesel model adds around 700 more pounds of towing capacity.
  3. Ram 1500
    • Can tow anywhere from 8,000 to 9,000 pounds.
  4. Nissan Titan XD
    • Can tow anywhere from 9,700 to 10,900 pounds.
Sam