Walk any marina in Kuwait on a Friday and you see it: coolers stacked at the transom, kids perched on the bow, gear wedged into whatever gap is left. The problem is rarely how much goes aboard, it is where that weight sits.
Every certified boat carries a capacity plate, usually fixed near the helm. It states the maximum weight, the maximum number of people and the maximum engine power. That number is not a suggestion. It is the result of the manufacturer's flotation and stability testing, and it assumes calm conditions with a full tank. Read yours before you load anything.
Overloading the bow is the most common mistake on small boats. Weight forward pushes the hull down, so the boat runs bow-heavy and slaps each wave instead of riding over it. You get spray over the windscreen and a hard landing on every crest. Worse, anyone sitting forward in chop is exposed to impacts that can injure a back or neck. Keep the hull level or slightly stern-down, with heavy items amidships or aft.
People forget that fuel, fresh water and ice are weight, not just supplies. A full tank is heavy, and melted ice weighed the same when you loaded it. Add up the numbers before you leave: passengers plus fuel plus water plus ice plus gear, then compare with the plate. An overloaded boat takes longer to reach the plane, may not plane at all, and burns more petrol every trip.
Extra weight shortens the distance between the waterline and the deck edge. That distance is your freeboard, and it is what keeps water out when a wave or another boat's wake arrives. Low freeboard in chop is the difference between a comfortable run home and a serious situation.
When the boat gets on the plane its attitude changes and small weight shifts matter more. Set the rule before you leave the dock: nobody walks around while you are on the plane. If someone must move, slow down and have them move along the centreline, never the gunwale or over the bow. Keep kids amidships with life jackets on.
Small dinghies carry very few people and the limit is usually marked on the hull. Most incidents happen when a whole group piles onto a hull never designed for that many. Jet skis are stricter: the rider limit is set by the manufacturer, and extra riders compromise flotation, stability and engine load. Do not assume there is tolerance.
Load for the day you will actually have. Open the B7R app before you plan your loading: it gives you tide times and heights for Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ports, sea state, the fish guide, catch log, seasons, navigation tools, and an SOS button for emergencies. If the sea is building, leave weight at home or postpone the run.
Smart loading is a routine, not a one-off calculation. Read the plate, count live weight, keep heavy items low and centred, protect the bow, secure everything, and move people deliberately. Do it every trip and you will feel the difference in comfort and fuel burn. Download the B7R app free on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.q8dm.b7r