Do I need my vessel re-certified?

Surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies gives his advice on the implications to be considered when making changes to your boat

- Ben Sutcliffe-Davies

Firstly, if your boat was built before the inception of the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD), which came into force on 16 June 1998, then you won't need to worry about the next few paragraphs from a compliance point of view.

Those of you who own boats built after that date need to consider what a 'major craft conversion' is and why we need to comply. In 2006, the RCD was amended to include a major craft conversion clause, which covered any significant alterations to a boat's design that may affect its essential safety. In a nutshell, it stated that any modifications, which clearly change the way the boat or its systems are operated, will mean the boat will require a reassessment of its RCD certificate. Since Brexit, the UK equivalent is the Recreational Craft Regulation (RCR). The RCR adopted almost all of the regulations in the RCD when Britain left the EU, so the above still applies.

Reassessment criteria

Examples of significant alterations which change the boat or its systems include: