Boat stretch survey?

[tonyreptiles]

Hi all, 

 

We've recently had our boat stretched and are about to move back aboard in the next week or so, once the final bits of interior fit-out are finished. 

 

Can anyone tell me what kind of survey/pre-sign off precautions we ought to do? I'm thinking there must be some way we can be reassured that the steelwork has been done to a good standard?

 

Thanks in advance

TR

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, tonyreptiles said:

Hi all, 

 

We've recently had our boat stretched and are about to move back aboard in the next week or so, once the final bits of interior fit-out are finished. 

 

Can anyone tell me what kind of survey/pre-sign off precautions we ought to do? I'm thinking there must be some way we can be reassured that the steelwork has been done to a good standard?

 

Thanks in advance

TR

May I just suggest that you read / look at / take advice on the implications of the new additions to the RCD regarding 'major modifications'.

Is your boat RCD CE marked ?

 

The new responsibility in the Directive:

Article 19

3. Any person placing on the market or putting into service a propulsion engine or a watercraft after a major modification or conversion thereof, or any person changing the intended purpose of a watercraft not covered by this Directive in a way that it falls under its scope, shall apply the procedure referred to in Article 23 before placing the product on the market or putting it into service.

The Applicable conformity assessment procedure that must be carried out:

Article 23 - Post-construction assessment

What does this mean?

What this now means is that any CE marked vessel that undergoes a Major Craft Conversion must undergo a post construction assessment before being placed back on the market or put into service (whichever is the earlier). The legal responsibility for this is placed on the person who is placing the vessel back on the market or putting it back into service after the works have been carried out.

[Momac]

25 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

May I just suggest that you read / look at / take advice on the implications of the new additions to the RCD regarding 'major modifications'.

Is your boat RCD CE marked ?

 

The new responsibility in the Directive:

Article 19

3. Any person placing on the market or putting into service a propulsion engine or a watercraft after a major modification or conversion thereof, or any person changing the intended purpose of a watercraft not covered by this Directive in a way that it falls under its scope, shall apply the procedure referred to in Article 23 before placing the product on the market or putting it into service.

The Applicable conformity assessment procedure that must be carried out:

Article 23 - Post-construction assessment

What does this mean?

What this now means is that any CE marked vessel that undergoes a Major Craft Conversion must undergo a post construction assessment before being placed back on the market or put into service (whichever is the earlier). The legal responsibility for this is placed on the person who is placing the vessel back on the market or putting it back into service after the works have been carried out.

Is that directive accepted as law in the UK? 

Will it be accepted as UK law any time soon given the proposal for the UK to leave the EU?

.

[tonyreptiles]

The boat was originally built over 30 years ago. Am I right in thinking the boat pre-dates the CE and RCD directives?

 

Thanks

TR 

[Momac]

34 minutes ago, tonyreptiles said:

Hi all, 

 

We've recently had our boat stretched and are about to move back aboard in the next week or so, once the final bits of interior fit-out are finished. 

 

Can anyone tell me what kind of survey/pre-sign off precautions we ought to do? I'm thinking there must be some way we can be reassured that the steelwork has been done to a good standard?

 

Thanks in advance

TR

You have left a structural inspection a little late as the work is mostly covered by paint or interior fit out.

3 minutes ago, tonyreptiles said:

The boat was originally built over 30 years ago. Am I right in thinking the boat pre-dates the CE and RCD directives?

 

Thanks

TR 

Correct

[matty40s]

39 minutes ago, tonyreptiles said:

 

 

 I'm thinking there must be some way we can be reassured that the steelwork has been done to a good standard?

 

 

You should have been re-assured that the boatyard steelwork was reputable BEFORE you went in that particular yard.

[tonyreptiles]

4 minutes ago, matty40s said:

You should have been re-assured that the boatyard steelwork was reputable BEFORE you went in that particular yard.

To be honest, having owned this boat that they originally built 30 years ago, and having the same guy do the stretch work who welded the original shell all those years ago, I think due diligence has been observed in that respect. Do ya think?

Still, if there is a survey of some type that might add a piece of paper to the peace of mind, then it's something I'd like to engage. 

 

Thanks

TR

[dmr]

I expect if you read the legislation in detail (Warning, Risk of Death by Boredom) you will find several intentional loopholes. These will be exploited by everybody else in Europe but in Britain we like to take EU legislation very seriously and then moan about it. You can probably sign off the change yourself as long as you or your mates define yourself as a competent person.

 

Urban myth has it that the Chinese completely circumvented all the CE regulations by making their own CE sticker in a similar typeface, but theirs stands for "China Export".

 

If you want to make sure your stretch has been done well then get a survey from a man (or woman) understands boats, if you want some paper then employ a bureaucrat.  Hopefully you had the stretch done by a yard with a good reputation.

 

However as we travel the canal system we do see literally hundreds, if not thousands, of boats that have been stretched then snapped clean in two ?

 

................Dave

[tonyreptiles]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

However as we travel the canal system we do see literally hundreds, if not thousands, of boats that have been stretched then snapped clean in two ?

 

 

 

For reals?
I've not seen many stretched boats at all, less still any that snapped!
 

I think you're having a giggle you cheeky chappie! ?

The stretch is being done by a boatyard with near 4 decades of trade and a reputation for producing neat shells. (I'd rather not name, out of politeness.) I'm pretty cool about it all, but think that now might be a good time to get something on paper. 

TR

[Rickent]

1 hour ago, tonyreptiles said:

For reals?
I've not seen many stretched boats at all, less still any that snapped!
 

I think you're having a giggle you cheeky chappie! ?

The stretch is being done by a boatyard with near 4 decades of trade and a reputation for producing neat shells. (I'd rather not name, out of politeness.) I'm pretty cool about it all, but think that now might be a good time to get something on paper. 

TR

Why not name the boatyard ? If they have a great reputation then I don't see the problem.

[tonyreptiles]

Just because it seems like asking about verification here indicates a worry - which isn't the case. 
I'll be writing about the stretch process in Waterways World soon though, so it'll all be revealed then. 

 

TR

[Bee]

If I were you I wouldn't worry about anything. In fact I wouldn't tell anybody you've had it done, just get the new bit painted to match and if you can't quite fit on your old mooring just shove a few boats around till you fit and hide all the tape measures you can find. Edit. Too late, you're going to write about it! now you'll have to fork out for a more expensive licence!

Edited May 1, 2018 by Bee

[tonyreptiles]

1 minute ago, Bee said:

If I were you I wouldn't worry about anything. In fact I wouldn't tell anybody you've had it done, just get the new bit painted to match and if you can't quite fit on your old mooring just shove a few boats around till you fit and hide all the tape measures you can find.

Tempting!!!!

[Rickent]

1 hour ago, tonyreptiles said:

Just because it seems like asking about verification here indicates a worry - which isn't the case. 
I'll be writing about the stretch process in Waterways World soon though, so it'll all be revealed then. 

 

TR

Ahh, I see where you are coming from now, look forward to reading about it at a later date.

[dmr]

5 minutes ago, tonyreptiles said:

For reals?
I've not seen many stretched boats at all, less still any that snapped!
 

I think you're having a giggle you cheeky chappie! ?

The stretch is being done by a boatyard with near 4 decades of trade and a reputation for producing neat shells. (I'd rather not name, out of politeness.) I'm pretty cool about it all, but think that now might be a good time to get something on paper. 

TR

A bit of paper won't make your stretch any better, it will make your pocket lighter. It will likely have lots of exclusion clauses such as "we could not examine both sides of the welds" etc etc etc. It just might be of use if you ever sell the boat to a buyer who likes paper and I fear this will happen more in the future.

I Have never heard of a stretch failing, I have noticed quite a few stretched boats, though I expect I don't see the ones that are done perfectly. Only really see the ones where there has not been a complete repaint. If your stretch was done by a yard that builds shells then it will be fine, they likely have more expertise than many surveyors.

 

................Dave

 

.......Dave

Whatever you do don't tell CaRT, they'll put your licence fee up ?

[matty40s]

anyhow, Stoke boats are known for their good steelwork so nothing to see here. 

[tonyreptiles]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

A bit of paper won't make your stretch any better, it will make your pocket lighter. It will likely have lots of exclusion clauses such as "we could not examine both sides of the welds" etc etc etc. It just might be of use if you ever sell the boat to a buyer who likes paper and I fear this will happen more in the future.

I Have never heard of a stretch failing, I have noticed quite a few stretched boats, though I expect I don't see the ones that are done perfectly. Only really see the ones where there has not been a complete repaint. If your stretch was done by a yard that builds shells then it will be fine, they likely have more expertise than many surveyors.

 

................Dave

 

.......Dave

Yeah, I think that's how I feel too.
I'm more than confident of the yard's ability, if I'm honest. And I can't see us selling the boat any time soon - by the time that point arrives the boat'll have been afloat for some number of years. 
It's reassuring that nobody has come on here saying "You need a XXXX survey" or something like that. 

Thanks for your posts. I think I'm happy enough. 

TR

[tonyreptiles]

11 minutes ago, matty40s said:

anyhow, Stoke boats are known for their good steelwork so nothing to see here. 

Spys. Everywhere. Spys. 

 

?

 

[dmr]

Look at this way, your boat has just had the ultimate survey, somebody who understands steel has actually just cut right through the baseplate and sides and then welded to them, so if you had any significant rust it would have been spotted.

 

................Dave

[tonyreptiles]

39 minutes ago, dmr said:

Look at this way, your boat has just had the ultimate survey, somebody who understands steel has actually just cut right through the baseplate and sides and then welded to them, so if you had any significant rust it would have been spotted.

 

................Dave

That's a very good point well made. ? 
Cheers Dave, you've been most helpful. 
Thanks

TR

[MtB]

2 hours ago, dmr said:

 

However as we travel the canal system we do see literally hundreds, if not thousands, of boats that have been stretched then snapped clean in two ?

 

................Dave

 

Ignore Dave, he's been probably drinking. I doubt if he's seen any more than a few dozen.

[Rob-M]

10 hours ago, matty40s said:

anyhow, Stoke boats are known for their good steelwork so nothing to see here. 

As there was only one The Watchman on the boat listing it didn't take much detective work ?