Isle Royale Forums

The only time I went to IR they never weighed our gear (thankfully since we took way too much) & I can't find a definitive answer elsewhere.

Does the small bag they allow you to carry on the Queen count towards your 70 lbs of gear you are allowed before being charged extra? Or is this bag separate?

I would speculate that anything you bring on board counts toward your weight limit. I'm guessing that the folks are using the US Coast Guard's "Assumed Average Weight Per Person" (currently at 185lbs) and then adding the 70 (total of 255 lbs/person, for this ferry) when determining what their capacity is.
Like you note, things are not always weighed, often because the boat may not be full to capacity and therefore it's not a USCG safety concern. HOWEVER, each service does retain the right to do so, and I would guess they would count any and all things toward your limit.

That is what I was thinking.

But I can still stuff my pockets & wear all of my clothes on the ride over, right? hehe