Mine is the express
For me, passenger load depends on the event.
I will load differently for the annual Saturday Night Before Christmas Eve Boat Parade,
www.puntagordaboatparade.com which is held entirely within the local canal system than say an offshore trip to 100' water for fishing, which is an entirely different animal.
I take the responsibility for the safety of my crew very seriously.
That's why I upgraded the three factory bilge pumps to 1500GPH
and added two entirely seperate, independently wired and powered additional 3500 gph emergency bilge pumps, one in the ER and the other at the lowest point of the boat at rest - the forward bilge.
In addition to these now 5 bilge pumps, I have fitted both diesel engines with simple ball valve crash pumps.
On top of all that, the factory bilge alarmsystem is tested regularly and is in tip top condition.
Your fuel tank at 242 gallons, full of diesel at 7 lb/gallon is 1,700 lbs.
Add 40 gallons of fresh water at 8.4 gallons to that and your hauling around OVER 2,000 lbs of liquid !
Add to that food, drinks, gear, spares, tools, beer, tackle, ice, a few watermelons, …. oh my
The number of souls you can safely haul aboard really depends on your TOTAL LOAD
The PUBLISHED WEIGHT is 12,500 DRY
THis is for a NAKED, EMPTY boat with no accessories, no anchor, anchor chain, genny, fridge, icemaker, deck furniture, spares, tools, fuel, waste water, fresh water, ice, food, drinks, yadaydayada
You must also conider SEA CONDITIONS. A trip out to the harbor for lunch on a calm day is TOTALLY DIFFERENT than going 30 miles offshore.
I don't know how well you know your own boat, but could you imagine what would happen if a hose blew off the exhaust riser as you began your return trip? The engine would VERY QUICKLY PUMP the bilge full of exhaust AND WATER.
What is your plan to deal with that kind of situation?
Suppose you had an elctrical fire out there?
If your prop picked up a floating line, do you have an underwater flashlight, mask, sharp knife and someone experienced enough to swim the boat and clear the line?
The reason you are not getting the textbook answer to the question of HOW MANY is because there really isnt any one answer.
Truth is it depends on MANY FACTORS, all of which are related.
I hope this helps you evaluate your equipment, the condition of the vessel and the risks that increased exponentially with the necessary fuel/water weight, and the actual condition of the boat and it's operating systems.
BEST !
RWS