RCD conformity

[lewisericeric]

If a boat built in 2018 has an "Annex IV Declaration of Conformity", does that mean that the boat can go on the open market for sale without any problems? Is the boat 'covered' from an RCD perspective? Or would a surveyor have reservations with it not being within the 5-year time period?

 

Boat was fitted out with kitchens, engines, webasto, woodburning stove, gas, BSS issued etc., but not 'complete' in the sense of under the paperwork with the boat builder it was classed as still a sailaway lined? It is CE marked, hull ID number etc and the Declaration of Conformity

[MtB]

1 minute ago, lewisericeric said:

If a boat built in 2018 has an "Annex IV Declaration of Conformity", does that mean that the boat can go on the open market for sale without any problems? Is the boat 'covered' from an RCD perspective? Or would a surveyor have reservations with it not being within the 5-year time period?

 

Boat was fitted out with kitchens, engines, webasto, woodburning stove, gas, BSS issued etc., but not 'complete' in the sense of under the paperwork with the boat builder it was classed as still a sailaway lined? It is CE marked, hull ID number etc and the Declaration of Conformity

 

No.

 

But, it depends on who is your ideal buyer. There are plenty of boaters around who are not 'paperwork enthusiasts', who will buy a good boat with no paperwork (e.g. me), despite what some on here would have you believe! 

 

You do narrow down your pool of potential buyers though. On the other hand  then a box-ticker can be a right PITA to sell to and you might, like me, decide such buyers are best avoided. 

[lewisericeric]

Can you elaborate on this. Which documentation is 'required' for it to be classed as "conforming?

[Alan de Enfield]

If the hull builder issued paperwork at the stage it was sold (Sailaway ?) and then someone did more work to it then they are now the legal "builder" & are responsible for providing a certificate of compliance to the state they are now selling it. (Basically for the additional work they have done).

They need to confirm that it has been built FULLY in compliance with the RCD requirements, if it has not it cannot be sold for 5 years from completion.

 

Since 2017 when the rules changed the RCD is now for the life of the vessel, so if that second owner installed (say) the gas system, they are giving a life time guarantee and the owners manual they provide will show what they have done and what systems are installed when they sell it, this allows any enquiry following an accident to see if anyone has changed anything during the build to completion.

[lewisericeric]

Nothing was done though other than installing a sink in the bathroom? All gas etc., was fitted at the time of the boat build and the Annex IV is provided in the boat builder's "user manual"

[Alan de Enfield]

The builders paperwork should detail the exact stage of build including all the services and equipment fitted - including makes / models and serial numbers (if the item has a serial number)

 

It is very unlikely that youd' be 'caught' and anyway, it is the seller who has broken the law (if indeed it is only shown as a sailaway) not the buyer. But, when the buyer comes to sell it the latest reports on this forum are that increasingly surveyors and brokers will not handle a boat without either the correct paperwork, or a PCA (at a cost of several £1000's)

 

The value of a boat withput the paperwork is considerably less than one with paperwork.

 

Despite all of the 'digs' at me for pointing out the situation and meaning and legalities of the RCD so that sellers / buyers can make an informed decision they all Know that I have purchased more than one boat without the correct paperwork (at very large discounted prices)

 

Buy or don't buy, it is your money and your decision, you know the implications and its your choice. I have 'no dog in the fight' or 'skin in the game'.

 

A post from December 2021 where a seller has been told by his buyers sueveyor that the boat is non compliant - surveyors are now taking the RCD compliance more and more into account :

 

I am selling my beautiful boat which is just over 2 years old ( i bought it brand new), it still has a valid RCD conformity certificate, however, the potential buyers surveyor has highlighted that the "outs" are too low to the water, i presume he's referring to the exhaust outlet which sits virtually on the water line but has a swan neck internally. My question is, What recourse do i have against the builders of my boat or the RCD issuing body themselves if my buyers pull out and i loose the sale because of this?. I did query these "outs" levels before i purchased my boat, which i can prove in an email trail. 

 

And 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

Edited March 4, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[lewisericeric]

If no significant changes have been made though, surely a PCA doesn't need to be completed? If everything matches up with the services and equipment fitted in the boat owners' manual? Or is there something I'm missing here? 

[Bee]

This stuff is a nightmare and UK canal boats have been shoehorned into a situation that they really should never have been in as they are 99% only built for the UK, never intended for sale on the European open market and so far as some features - stability etc - are such an oddity that compliance really is only achievable by witchcraft. The BSS is the relevant standard and the RCD or whatever irs called now is primarily to ensure standards involved in manufacturing and selling and to prevent unfair competition.

       My boat has an annex IV thingy, I fitted it out to a good standard, self declared it as compliant and it has some relevant paperwork, I've also owned it for about 15 years. It never 'passed' an rcd and neither I nor anyone else is likely to care one iota when I sell it, if they do then then they are not likely to be looking for a one off boat like mine and they should be looking in show rooms for a factory produced clone.

[Alan de Enfield]

11 hours ago, lewisericeric said:

If no significant changes have been made though, surely a PCA doesn't need to be completed? If everything matches up with the services and equipment fitted in the boat owners' manual? Or is there something I'm missing here? 

 

No - you are correct.

If the equipment on board matched the RCD paperwork then it would not need a PCA.

 

If there was no paperwork or the paperwork did not match what the surveyor can see then he might say a PCA is needed.

[blackrose]

21 minutes ago, Bee said:

  My boat has an annex IV thingy, I fitted it out to a good standard, self declared it as compliant and it has some relevant paperwork, I've also owned it for about 15 years. It never 'passed' an rcd and neither I nor anyone else is likely to care one iota when I sell it, if they do then then they are not likely to be looking for a one off boat like mine and they should be looking in show rooms for a factory produced clone.

 

You mean it has the RCD Annex 3 declaration of conformity as a partly completed craft? What's the self declaration?

 

You don't need full RCD compliance if you've owned it for 15 years from new, it's legally irrelevant. If a buyer of a used boat of that age wants full RCD compliance then it would likely be a boat fully fitted by the builder as the vast majority of self-fittouts have done exactly the same as you and I and gone the BSS route.