FLC DEVIATES AROUND WX WITH CONCERN THEY MIGHT VIOLATE THE 162 NAUTICAL MI OFFSHORE LIMIT FOR THEIR TYPE ACFT.

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WHILE DEVIATING E FOR WX ATC REQUESTED NOT TO DEV ANY FARTHER E THAN 77 W. WE ADVISED THAT WOULD NOT BE A PROB. ATC ALSO REQUESTED EXPEDITE TO FL330. ACFT WAS CLBING SLOW OUT OF FL310 BECAUSE OF A HIGH GROSS WT WITH ENG AND WING ANTI-ICE ON. CLB RATE WAS 300-500 FPM. UPON CHANGING ATC FREQ WE WERE ADVISED TO INCREASE SPD TO .80 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE DUE TO TFC BEHIND US DOING .84. ONCE LEVEL AT FL330 ATC ADVISED OF A TFC AND WE MUST TURN R 30 DEGS FOR TFC. WE ADVISED THAT 30 R WOULD PUT US VERY CLOSE TO OUR OFF SHORE LIMIT. ATC SAID EITHER 30 R OR EXPEDITE TO FL310. A DSCNT WOULD PUT US IN A TSTM. WE CHOSE THE R TURN DEEMING IT THE SAFER COURSE OF ACTION. HAD WE NOT HAD TO TURN 30 R WE WOULD HAVE REMAINED CLR OF OUR LIMIT. WITH A 30 R TURN WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO OUR OFFSHORE LIMIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT WAS CALLED TO VERIFY ACCURACY OF RPT; BECAUSE AS IT IS TURNED IN; IT IS INCOMPLETE BY ASRS STANDARDS. FLC WAS CERTAIN THEY MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE 162 NAUTICAL MI LIMIT OF THEIR ACFT FROM THE COASTLINE; WHICH WOULD POSSIBLY VIOLATE THE DISTANCE LIMIT. THEY WERE VERY MUCH AGAINST DECLARING AN 'EMER' FOR TFC SEPARATION SO DECIDED TO CHANCE THE FACT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE VIOLATED THE LIMIT AND IF THEY SHOULD HAVE VIOLATED IT THEY WOULD FILE AN ASRS RPT. RPTR COUNSELED ON WHEN TO USE THE WORD 'EMER;' PLANNING WX DEVS FURTHER IN ADVANCE; AND INFORMING CTLR EARLIER OF WHAT IS NEEDED.