Sailing Gift experience Vouchers and certificates

Vessel Certification

A charter yacht should carry the following certification, originals of which should be held in a file (or sometimes attached on the inside of a port light) which is kept on board the yacht. When booking seek confirmation that these are held and will be available for inspection when joining the yacht.

1) Certificate of Coding.
This is a Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) requirement for charter vessels in commercial use. Certificates are renewed annually and additionaly there is a disc (similar to a car tax disc) which must be attached to the inside of a port light. The coding category is shown on the certificate and disc. Make sure that the yacht which you are intending to charter has the Certificate of Coding relevant to the voyage you are planning as this will have a bearing on the safety features and equipment carried. The coding categories are:

Category 6 - Up to 3 nautical miles(nm) from a nominated departure point or land in favourable weather and in daylight
Category 5 - Up to 20 nm from a nominated departure point in favourable weather and in daylight
Category 4 - Up to 20 nm from a safe haven in favourable weather and in daylight
Category 3 - Up to 20 nm from a safe haven
Category 2 - Up to 60 nm from a safe haven (ie across channel)
Category 1 - Up to 150 nm from a safe haven

2) Liferaft Certificate of Servicing and Testing.
Charter yachts should carry liferafts conforming to SOLAS B requirements. This stipulates a greater degree of equipment and capability than a liferaft for private pleasure yacht use. SOLAS B liferafts have to be serviced annually and a new certificate issued.

3) Ships Radio Licence
This is authority to use the VHF equipment on board, usually a fixed installation and a hand held. The license is issued by OFCOM and must be renewed annually. The licence is a car tax disc style which must be attached to the inside of a port light.

4) Certficate of Insurance
Issued annually, this must be endorsed for bareboat and skippered yacht charter with a 3rd party liability minimum of £2,000,000. There is no requirement to cover charterers personnal property, so private travel insurance arrangements should be made if it is felt necessary.

5) Certificate of British Registry
Issued every 5 years, this is the ships ownership document with details of the registered owners.Essential to carry on board if crossing the Channel as failure to produce if boarded by officials can result in the impounding of the vessel. The registration number is required to be shown on the coachroof port and starboard and on the stern.

6) Gas Installation Certificate
Gas being one of the biggest risks on board a yacht, an annual inspection should be carried out by a CORGI approved technician and a certificate issued.

7) Engine Service Record
A marine diesel engine requires regular service. One hours running equates approximately to 50 miles of a car engine, so 200 running hours are equivalent to 10,000 miles on the road. The oil needs to be changed every 100 hours approximately. Other important items are annual change of the coolant, sea water impeller and fan belt. The service record should be up to date.

8) Sea Start membership.
No statutory requirement for this but a must nevertheless. Covers engine/transmission failure and fouling of the propeller up to 3 nautical miles offshore. Permit attaches to inside of port light.

Skipper Certification

The skipper must be commercially endorsed by the MCA. He should be able to show you his licence which contains name, date of birth, photograph and expirey date (licences lasts for 5 years). To qualify for a commercial endorsement a skipper must obtain:
- an RYA sailing qualification appropriate to the range of voyages planned
- a First Aid certificate
- a practical sea survival course certificate
- a VHF radio operators licence
- a Seafarers Medical Report Certificate (ML5) issued by the MCA

Defects

The can expect that the yacht on handover should have no major defects affecting the safe operation and minimal minor defects. Good practice is for the operator to maintain a defects list a copy of which is given to the charterer at hand over.

Standards of Cleanliness

In the height of the season, popular yachts can be chartered continuously and little time is available between charters for cleaning and repairs. However it is reasonable that the following have been thoroughly cleaned prior to handover to the new charterer:
Inside
- Heads,WC bowl, sink and floor, new toilet rolls provided
- Galley, including sink and work surfaces, all previous washing up checked. Fridge cleaned and at temperature
- Cooker top surfaces clean and oven trays and shelves washed
- Floors swept and washed if necessary
Outside
- Topsides hosed down
- Teak cleaned

General

- clean tea towels for galley
- water tanks topped up
- diesel topped up

A Guide Only. The above is intended to give visitors to this web site an insight of licencing requirements and some views on good practice. It is not intended and does not claim to be an authoritive work. Hurst Point Yacht Charters accept no liability for errors or omissions and no reliance should be made on the contents. If you require definitive advice on any aspect we can advise the contact details of the relevent organisation. Otherwise, the Maritime Coastguard Agency should be contacted for official advice on any aspect covered above.

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