A. OCEAN: Designed for extended voyages where conditions may exceed wind force 8 (Beaufort scale) and significant wave heights of 4m and above but excluding abnormal conditions. Vessels are largely self-sufficient.

B. OFFSHORE: Designed for offshore voyages where conditions up to and including, wind force 8 and significant wave heights up to and including 4m may be experienced.

C. INSHORE: Designed for voyages in coastal waters, large bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers where conditions up to and including wind force 6 and significant wave heights up to and including 2m may be experienced.

D. SHELTERED WATERS: Designed for voyages on sheltered coastal waters, small bays, small lakes, rivers and canals when conditions up to and including wind force 4 and significant wave heights up to and including 0.3m may be experienced, with occasional waves of 0.5m maximum height, for example from passing vessels.

Recreational craft and components as referred to in Annex II shall comply with the essential requirements in so far as they apply to them.

Manufacturer’s Identification Code

Each craft shall be marked with a Manufacturer’s Identification Code including the following information:

1. Manufacturers Code.
2. Country of manufacture
3. Unique serial number
4. Year of production
5. Model year

Builder’s Plate

Each craft shall carry a permanently affixed plate mounted separately from the boat hull identification number, containing the following information:

1. Manufacturer’s name
2. CE marking
3. Boat design category
4. Manufacturer’s maximum recommended load
5. number of persons recommended by the manufacturer for which the boat was designed to carry when under way

Depending on the design category, craft shall be designed to minimise the risks of falling overboard and to facilitate re-boarding.

For motor boats, the main steering position shall give the operator, under normal conditions of use (speed and load), good all-round visibility.

Each craft shall be provided with an owner’s manual in the official community language or languages which may be determined by the member state in which it is marketed in accordance with the Treaty. This manual should draw particular attention to risks of fire and flooding.

The choice and combination of materials and its construction shall ensure that the craft is strong enough in all respects. Special attention shall be paid to the design category and the manufacturer’s maximum recommended load.

The craft shall have sufficient stability and freeboard considering its design category and the manufacturer’s maximum recommended load.

The craft shall be constructed to ensure that it has buoyancy characteristics appropriate to its design category and the manufacturer’s maximum recommended load.

Openings in hull, deck(s) and superstructure shall not impair the structural integrity of the craft or its weather tight integrity when closed.

Windows, portlights, doors and hatch covers shall withstand the water pressure likely to be encountered in their specific position, as well as point loads applied by the weight of persons moving on deck.

Through hull fittings designed to allow water passage into the hull or out of the hull, below the waterline corresponding to the manufacturer’s maximum recommended load, shall be fitted with shutoff means which shall be readily accessible.

All craft shall be designed so as to minimise the risk of sinking. Particular attention should be paid, where appropriate, to:

1. Cockpits and wells, which should be self-draining or have other means of keeping water out of the boat interior
2. Ventilation fittings
3. Removal of water by pumps or other means

Reference standards: ISO/CD 11812 - Cockpits and cockpit drainage

The manufacturer’s maximum recommended load (fuel, water, provisions, miscellaneous equipment and people) for which the boat was designed, as marked on the builder’s plate, shall be determined according to the design category, stability and freeboard and buoyancy and flotation.

All craft shall be provided with one or more stowage points for liferaft(s) large enough to hold the number of persons the boat was designed to carry, as recommended by the manufacturer. This stowage point will be readily accessible at all times.

All habitable craft shall be provided with a viable means of escape in the event of fire.

All craft, taking into account their design category and their characteristics shall be fitted with one or more strong points or other means capable of safely accepting anchoring, mooring and towing loads.

The manufacturer will ensure that the handling characteristics of the craft are satisfactory with the most powerful engine for which the boat is designed and constructed. For all recreational marine engines, the maximum rated engine power shall be declared in the owner’s manual in accordance with the harmonised standard.

Inboard Engine

All inboard engines shall be placed within an enclosure separated from living quarters and installed so as to minimise the risk of fires or spread of fires as well as hazard from toxic fumes, heat, noise or vibrations in the living quarters.

Engine parts and accessories that require frequent inspection and/or servicing shall be readily accessible.

The insulating materials inside the engine spaces shall be non-combustible.

Engine Ventilation

The engine compartment shall be ventilated. The dangerous ingress of water into the engine compartment through all inlets must be prevented.

Exposed Parts

Unless the engine is protected by a cover or its own enclosure, exposed moving or hot parts of the engine that could cause personal injury shall be effectively shielded.

Outboard Engines Starting

All boats with outboard engines shall have a device to prevent starting the engine in gear, except:

1. When the engine produces less than 500 Newtons of static thrust.
2. When the engine has a throttle limiting device to limit thrust to 500N at the time of starting the engine.

Reference standard: EN ISO 11547 - Small craft - start in gear protection.

General

The filling, storage, venting and fuel supply arrangements and installations shall be designed and installed so as to minimise the risk of fire and explosion.

Fuel Tanks

Fuel tanks, lines and hoses shall be separated and protected from any source of significant heat. The material the tanks are made of and their method of construction shall be according to their capacity and the type of fuel. All tank spaces shall be ventilated.

Liquid fuel with a flash point below 55 degrees Centigrade shall be kept in tanks which do not form part of the hull and are:

1. Insulated from the engine compartment and from all other sources of ignition.
2. Separated from living quarters.

Electrical systems shall be designed and installed so as to ensure proper operation of the craft under normal conditions of use and shall be such as to minimise risk of fire and electric shock.

Attention shall be paid to the provision of overload and short-circuit protection of all circuits, except engine starting circuits, supplied from batteries.

Ventilation shall be provided to prevent the accumulation of gases which might be emitted from batteries. Batteries shall be firmly secured and protected from ingress of water.

General

Steering systems shall be designed, constructed and installed in order to allow the transmission of steering loads under foreseeable conditions.

Emergency arrangements

Sailboat and single-engine inboard-powered motor boats with remote-controlled rudder steering systems shall be provided with emergency means of steering the craft at reduced speed.

Gas systems for domestic use shall be of vapour-withdrawal type and shall be designed and installed so as to avoid leaks and risk of explosion and be capable of being tested for leaks. Materials and components shall be suitable for the specific gas used to withstand the stresses and exposures found in the marine environment.

Each appliance shall be equipped with a flame failure device effective on all burners. Each gas-consuming appliance must be supplied by a separate branch of the distribution system, and each appliance must be controlled by a separate closing device. Adequate ventilation must be provided to prevent hazards from leaks and products of combustion.

All craft with a permanently installed gas system shall be fitted with an enclosure to contain all gas cylinders. The enclosure shall be separated from living quarters, accessible only from the outside and ventilated to the outside so that any escaping gas drains overboard. Any permanent gas system shall be tested after installation.

Emergency arrangements

The type of equipment installed and the layout of the craft shall take account of the risk and spread of fire. Special attention shall be paid to the surroundings of open flame devices, hot areas or engines and auxiliary machines, oil and fuel overflows, uncovered oil and fuel pipes and avoiding electrical wiring above hot areas of machines.

Fire-fighting equipment

Craft shall be supplied with fire-fighting equipment appropriate to the fire hazard. Petrol engine enclosures shall be protected by a fire extinguishing system that avoids the need to open the enclosure in the event of fire. Where fitted, portable fire extinguishers shall be readily accessible and one shall be so positioned that it can easily be reached from the main steering position of the craft.

Where navigation lights are fitted, they shall comply with the 1972 COLREG or CEVNI regulations, as appropriate.

Craft shall be constructed so as to prevent the accidental discharge of pollutants overboard.

Craft fitted with toilets shall have either:

1. Holding tanks
2. Provision to fit holding tanks on a temporary basis in areas of use where the discharge of human waste is restricted.

In addition, any through-hull fitting for human waste shall be fitted with valves which are capable of being sealed shut.

Reference standard: ISO 8099-1 - Small craft - Waste water retention and treatment.

The manufacturer of the engine shall supply engine installation and maintenance instructions, which if applied should mean that the engine in normal use will continue to comply with the above limits throughout the normal life of the engine and under normal conditions of use.

Owner’s Manual 

Each engine shall be provided with an owner's manual in the Community language or languages, which may be determined by the Member State in which the engine is to be marketed. This manual shall: a) provide instructions for the installation and maintenance needed to assure the proper functioning of the engine to meet the requirements for durability (see clause 8.3) b) specify the power of the engine when measured in accordance with the harmonised standard c) contain a copy of the Declaration of Conformity for the engine

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