CE Marking and Design Category: what your boat can withstand

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CE markingCE Marking is not only a guarantee of quality, but is a standard designed to represent how well a product complies with the essential safety requirements of European Union regulations. Therefore, it is not only a safety certification, a protection to the consumer, but is primarily an index. A quality index related to the entire production cycle. Including design, production, market introduction and utilization.

CE Marking and Design Categories

Obviously, if we talk about it is because recreational boats, for free marketing within the European Economic Market, are among the cases where CE marking is mandatory. And consequently, certain standards must be met.


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In the marking criteria, or similarly, in order to be able to Enable navigation in different marine weather conditions, there are some ‘Design Categories. And this is the interesting point, because it is precisely these ‘Design Categories’ that establish the operational limits and design criteria under which the craft falls. And so it is here that we find the indices within which the marine weather conditions in which a vessel is considered adept to operate are defined. All of this, of course, is certified by special Notified Bodies which, if they ascertain conformity in relation to the prescribed parameters, issue a special certificate: the certificate of conformity precisely.

Design Categories – Recreational Boats

That is why we are interested in knowing the categories: because they indicate the limits within which a craft can operate. Knowing the Design Categories involves knowing the wind strength and sea state within which one’s boat, or one in which one is interested, Is able to operate in terms of design and production.

Next, the 4 categories as reported by the Recreational Boating Code:

  • A: All boats that are designed to withstand winds greater than force 8 (according to the Beaufort scale) andwave heights greater than 4 meters (excluding extreme circumstances such as storms, hurricanes, rogue waves);

  • B:
    All boats that are designed to withstand winds of force 8 and awave height of up to 4 meters;

  • C
    : all boats that are designed to withstand winds of force 6 and awave height of up to 2 meters;

  • D:
    All boats that are designed to withstand winds of force 4 and awave height of up to 0.3 meters.

Vessels that do not have CE Marking, on the other hand, face different limits, and may sail, depending on the rating, without limits from the coast, or up to 6 miles from the coast and without limits in inland waters.

Design Categories – Recreational Craft Table

DESIGN CATEGORY WIND STRENGTH (BEAUFORT SCALE) SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT (H1/3, METERS)
A ABOVE 8 ABOVE 4
B UP TO AND INCLUDING 8 UP TO AND INCLUDING 4
C UP TO AND INCLUDING 6 UP TO AND INCLUDING 2
D UP TO AND INCLUDING 4 UP TO AND INCLUDING 0.3

 

Design Categories – Recreational Vessels

In the case of Vessels, however, regulations vary slightly. First of all, to keep in mind is that, ‘special’ Vessels (skates, the muskies, paddleboats, sailboards, jet skis, etc.) can only sail within 1 mile from the coast, that is, not more than 1852 meters.

Vessels proper, on the other hand, if CE marked, can sail within the limits set by the Design Category (A,B,C,D) and in any case within 12 miles from the coast. In this regard, it is indeed necessary to keep in mind that the Design Categories do not indicate a ‘distance limit,’ but are relative only to marine weather conditions. Next, the four categories related to Vessels:


  • A:
    navigation without any limitation;

  • B:
    sailing in winds up to force 8 and waves with significant height up to 4 meters (rough sea);

  • C:
    Sailing in winds up to force 6 and waves of significant height up to 2 meters (very rough sea);

  • D:
    Sailing in wind force 4 and waves of significant height up to 0.3 meters.

I Vessels, on the other hand, that do not have CE marking can navigate within 6 miles of the coast or, if approved for navigation without any limitation (or recognized as suitable for this by a notified technical body), Within 12 miles of the coast. In the last case, remember that a copy of the type approval certificate, with attached declaration of conformity or statement of suitability, are to be kept on board for the duration of all navigation.


For more information, consult official bodies or the‘Annex 2 to Legislative Decree July 8, 2005, no. 171. Relating to the Recreational Boating Code.


 

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