CE Classifications

[welch]

As I shop/ compare yachts there is a "CE Classification" ranking. What is this? Stability rating? TNX! Dave.

[Jeff_H]

As a part of combining the myriad laws and regulations of the European Union member countries, the EU developed a series of uniform standards and regulations that permit the products from one member nation to be sold in another. In developing standards for boats, the EU directives included a wide range of standards and indexes. Depending on the level of compliance with these standards a boat is issued a ''rating'' in one of four categories (depending on the country A thru D or 1 thru 4) between ''Open Ocean Use'' and ''Solely for protected waters use''.

In the original draft of these regulations included a stability index (STIX) that rated a boat on the likelihood of capsize and downflooding. I have been getting conflicting information about whether or not STIX was incorporated into the final form of the CE Directive for Small Craft. I don''t know if this website is still active but the standards used to be at http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg03/directs/dg3d/d5/reccraft.htm

Regards
Jeff