bat RIB?

[cuttlefish]

(specifiying Categories A, B, C, D, and the relevant conditions for use) is not well-known in the US (at least by customers), but US exporters do often categorise their boats. When we bought a Grady White once (ouch, I know it is not a rib., but I did say bought, in the past), the certification document from S. Carolina specified Cat. B. So, there you go.
Rupert.

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by rupert

(specifiying Categories A, B, C, D, and the relevant conditions for use) is not well-known in the US (at least by customers), but US exporters do often categorise their boats. When we bought a Grady White once (ouch, I know it is not a rib., but I did say bought, in the past), the certification document from S. Carolina specified Cat. B. So, there you go.
Rupert.

If a boat is made outside the EU it has to have a CE certification or if it is imported without one it has to be certified - of course the Channel Islands are not in the EU!

Some US manufacturers do CE certify their boats as they export to Europe.

[Ostroda]

Originally Posted by Cookee

I am not sure of the relevance to insurance, but the CE system is to a large amount self certified, so it gives the customer no guarantees at all but an indication as to its use in terms of the number of people it can carry and the sort of seas it can cope with.

Different companies and indeed nationalities have different views on how to interpret the rules and the categories. Fairly similar looking boats may have category C 7 people and another Category B 14 people and yet there may be no material difference in the boats - indeed it is not an indication that the Category B boat is any better at all!

I would take personal recommendation over a CE rating any day!

I won't go into alot of detail... because i would have to write a book here on ribnet, however in genaral it goes like this.

Ce is not toataly self certified ...

In order to get a boat ce markerd you must submit the build documentation to an notified body... GL/ NORSKE/ PRS ETC...

ONCE THE DOCUMENTAION IS APPROVED YOU MAY BUILD THE BOAT.

Once the boat is built (and during the build) a surveyor from the notified body comes and does a freeboard and stability test.... depending on the results they categorise the boat A B C or D.

for example a C - category boat can easily be changed to B by lowerering the number of people marked on the CE plate.

"A" oceanic
"B" offshore
"C" inshore
"d" - don't even bother when it comes to ribs ;-)


once all documentation is stamped and approved for the first boat, the builder can than self certify the next boats by providing a declaration of conformity that the next boat was built according to the standards in the documentation provided to the notified body. This ofcourse is a guidline as to how the boat will perform, but when it comes to RIBS NOTHING IS BETTER THAN A TEST run , and a recomendation.

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Oldrt

Also it tells me it is CE certification CAT B. What does that mean?

There's a good summary and some more background information here: http://www.ceproof.com/recreational_craft_directive.htm