a new question regarding Navigation category : A class

[Whitebear]

Hi
I have seen this comment posted on web sites of yachts I am looking at to purchase. Could someone explain to me what it means.

Navigation category : A class

Thanks in advance

I as assuming this is the correct forum to ask this question.

Whitebear

[Zanshin]

These are European CE classes and the 3 are:

A - Open Ocean (>25nm from land)
B - Ocean up to 25nm
C - Inland waters

The marks on certified boats will list different numbers of PAX for each type of water.

[sailingdog]

Actually, there are four categories, here they are with their descriptions:

A. Ocean: Designed for extended voyages where conditions may exceed wind force 8 on the Beaufort Scale and significant wave heights of 4 meters and above, and 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 2 m may be experienced.

D. Sheltered waters: Designed for voyages on small lakes, rivers and canals where conditions up to, and including, wind force 4 and significant wave heights up to, and including, 0.5 meters may be experienced.

Significant wave height is considered to be the primary factor and other parameters are descriptions of when these wave heights may be expected to occur. Significant wave height means the average height of the highest 1/3rd of the waves over a given period. Waves of double that height may occasionally be experienced.

It is also possible for a given boat to be assigned to more than one design category with different maximum capacities corresponding to each category. For instance, a boat may be EU RCD B with four passengers, but only EU RCD C with six people aboard.

Be aware, even though a boat may have an EU RCD category of A doesn't necessarily mean it is suitable for making bluewater passages. In many ways these are minimum, baseline standards, and not recommendations for suitability of purpose.

[Zanshin]

Actually, all the CE certified boats have placards for PAX and max gross weight limits. My placard doesn't have any "D" numbers, though. As an example, my boat placard states: "A - 10, B - 12, C - 14"

[sailingdog]

Zanshin-

That means if you sail your boat in any inland protected bodies of water, it will sink immediately.

Actually, the letters and numbers mean that you can have 10 people aboard in EU RCD category A conditions (waves > 8m), 12 people in Category B conditions, (waves ≤ 8m), and 14 people aboard for Category C conditions (waves ≤4 meters).

Of course, if you can find nine people who would be willing to join you in Category A conditions, I'd be very surprised. I'd also be surprised if you could find 13 people you'd want on your boat for any extended period of time in category C conditions.

[Zanshin]

I will avoid inland sheltered water at all costs
I wonder how many ladies are on a cheerleading squad? I don't have any idea where these 14 people would even find room on my boat. I have a sneaking suspicion that these 14 "people" are of the same size and type as those used to measure "double bunks" and "double cabins"; namely `small people`.

[sailingdog]

Zanshin-

If you're talking about dwarfs and midgets, I believe they prefer the term Little People.

[Zanshin]

That was the term I was looking for! I've seen some double cabins on boats which fit comfortable in some of the capsule hotel rooms I've stayed in. For those who are interested -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel

[blt2ski]

Not that this will help right now, I save a link from a post on here, with the categories listed as SD did, but from the actual European group that does the ratings. Unfortunetly, I can not get said link to open, nor can I figure out the actual site address from the favorite file.

There are some better descriptions etc than given above, but those should work in the mean time.

Marty

[sailingdog]

blt2ski-

My wording was from a document from the ICOMIA website. The ICOMIA is the International Council of Marine Industry Associations... and probably has it worded correctly.