Alan de Enfield

If only everyone doing a DIY fitout employed a surveyor to oversee their work (like the council come out and at various stages to inspect your house being built.) life would be so much easier, and it'd be signed off as compliant by the surveyor.

I now understand your question. GB is one of the few countries in the world that does not have boat registration under Government control (certainly mainland Europe- seems to have) the HIN/WIN/CIN is used on the boat registration as its 'identifier' The RCD/RCR is used across many countries - we are an 'outlier'. Here is the Government registration document from Croatia for my "Cat" - you can see the RCD HIN is part of the registration. So, similar to a car, the VIN number is quoted in the logbook/registration documents, and a 'number plate' number is allocated to the vehicle. In the case of the "Cat" the 'number plate' is "KR1463" which must be displayed on both side of the bow : I disagree - the certificate of compliance with the RCD/RCR is the "RCD Certificate", and is issued with every boat built in conformance with the RCD/RCR. If you have a PCA, then you will get a new certificate of compliance (assuming it is compliant)

Not exactly - the BMF notify Trading Standards who are responsible for the actual enforcement, but there have been few cases taken to court. A forum member has been involved in several court cases, so some action is being taken. The BMF have been active in ensuring that their members and Brokers apply 'the law' and many now in insist on either RCD/RCR documentation, or a PCA to ensure compliance. ABNB Brokers statement Statement re Self builds and sailaways. RCD compliance The exception to the above, is for a vessel that has been self-built in its entirety (including the shell) by a DIY boatbuilder for their own personal use. However, if the vessel is placed on the market within 5 years, it must be CE marked to satisfy the requirements of the RCR (RCD). The vessel does not have to be complete for the 5 year period to start, but does have to have been used as a boat (e.g. cruised on a waterway). The '5-year rule' does not apply to a private boatbuilder who is building a boat for their own use from a shell or sailaway that has been purchased from a professional builder. These vessels have to be assessed under Post Construction Assessment by an Approved Body when put into service. In the Inland Waterways, the industry as a whole believed that a self-fitted out boat fell under the 5-year rule, ie. as long as the boat owner kept the boat for 5 years, it did not need to comply with the RCD and could be sold legally. However, a recent Independent legal review and clarification from Trading Standards in early 2024 has highlighted that this is not the case. A forum post from 2021 re a boat for sale on ebay It turns out that the boat had to be withdrawn from sale as it was not RCD compliant (being a self-build) and under 5 years old. The BMF contacted the seller and explained that it could not be sold without a PCA (Post Construction Assessment), it is now going thru a PCA (cost around £2k if it passes, or £2k plus rectification costs if it fails) and will then be going on sale via a brokerage. And another one from September 2021 hi all,a friend of mine is going to sell her 2018 widebeam, she fitted it out herself and is a live aboard,after having a word with the local broker she was told that before it can be sold it would have to be inspected and have an RCD certificate and the price of this is nearly three grand,does this sound right? many thanks Other examples :

0.5mm hull thickness will mean it wont sink - until you hit a shopping trolly - then it will ! If you are planning to have it insured fully comprehensive (so the boat and contents are covered) you will need a full survey AND any work identified will need to be carried out. Insurers will not provide cover if anywhere on the hull is below 4mm thickness. If you can afford to potentially lose the £10,000, then you can insure it 3rd party only, so, if you hit someone / something the damage will be paid for, but the damage to your boat (or total loss) will not be covered. You will not be required to present a survey to get insurance.

The inside looks dated but functional. I reckon considering the price it'll be the hull that is the problem - but it'll - cost you ~£1000 to find out.

Similar to a car VIN number - it is a legal requirement, (on post June 1998 leisure boats). In GB there was little in the way of enforcement - unlike 'the mainland'. The RYA were initialy given responsibility for monitoring the compliance, providing the HIN numbers, and provison of technical assistance of the RCD - they eventually told the Government that they were wasting their time as no one in authority supported it, contraventions were ignored and 'weights and measures' had little interest in pursuing enforcement so they refused to continue and handed back the 'poisoned chalice', which eventually the BMA agreed to take on.

If it was built / fitted out by a commercial company then sold to the user, by law, it required compliance with the RCD And all that goes with it - if it doesn't have a HIN/WIN in the starboard quarter of the rear of the boat (transom) it should have ! The Hull Identification Number (HIN) on a boat should be marked on the starboard side of the transom, near the top edge. This location is standardized by law and is essential for the boat's registration and identification. The HIN must be visible and easily accessible, even when the boat is in the water. It is typically found on a metal plate or embossed into the hull material. The HIN serves as a unique identifier for the boat, similar to the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for cars, and is necessary for legal transactions and safety compliance

A 600w air con would take 100% of a 400 Ah battery in just over 6 hours The 2000w air con would take 100% of a 400 Ah battery in just over 2 hours My experience of aircon is that during the day the temperatures are generably liveable with, it is evening and overnight with temps at 25C+ when sleeping is a problem, that's when I tend to use air con the most.

He wants to maximise the power (watts) of his solar He will not get any more power - exactly the same number of watts at varying voltages. He may be able to use cheaper components but that will not alter the power input - he will get the same number of watts He cannot get 'much more into the MPPT' whatever he does or spends.

Yes he edited his post after my post.

But the OP suggested using 24v would MAXIMISE the output of the solar panels, no question re reduction in installed costs.

I'm not sure how a 24v system maximises the output from solar panels. My panels are 120v My MPPT takes that down to "12 volts" to feed the batteries - if the MPPT output is (say) charging the batteries at 10 amps, then on a 24 volt system it would only charge at 5 amps. You effectively get the same number of watts. I don't see how 24 volts maximises you solar output. What am I missing ?

So, "watt" size battery bank would you need to support a 600w (at 230v) aircon which will be drawing ~60amps from your batteries, via an inverter. A single 110Ah battery would last around 30 minutes ! And then you have to replace it somehow - running a Jenny ?

We nearly had aircon fitted to the boat - does that count ? In the end we made the decision not to have it due to the 'huge' power usage - the only way it would work was if you were an a shoreline permanently. If you are cruising it's not possible without a Jennifer running. If on a permanent shore line - go ahead.

Pre 1997 is 1976 and earlier. To be pedantic (which is very unlike me) the RCD was introduced in 1994 and after the 'feed in period' it became mandatory in GB on 16th June 1998 So, a boat predating 16/6/1998 would not be required to be RCD compliant - but - it could be, if the builder chose to do so.