Boat Safety Scheme - Is compliance possible in a 32 feet yacht?

[Modulation]

I'm moving my boat (a sea going sailing boat) for a while to a marina which is part of the Inland Waterways and one of the requirements is that the boat must be surveyed under the BSS code. So I downloaded the January 2013 Checking Procedures document to give myself a checklist to go through. It's not the easiest read and seems a bit prone to interpretation and is more than a tad repetitive. That said it's comprehensive.
Much of it is pretty commonsense stuff and effectively acts as a trigger to do things which are a bit overdue anyway - like gas hoses, gas regulators, fire extinguishers etc. But some of it seems to me to be unachievable without huge or unnecessary expense on my 23 year old boat. Two in particular stand out.
Reg 6.3.1 says each accommodation space must have at least two means of escape and each of these must accommodate a 380mm dia circle. My bow cabin has a hatch but it is a bit less then 380 by 380 so it can't comply. A bigger hatch can't be fitted as the deck becomes curved at this point. If the need arose, I can get out through it though. Even more difficult is my quarter cabin which has a single access and nowhere to put a second hatch without compromising the integrity of the boat structure. Very few (if any) boats from this era were fitted with hatches from the quarter cabin.
Part 7 deals with LPG systems and is very thorough. My gas bottle is stored in on open topped cylinder locker located within the rear locker. The cylinder locker has a drain hole at the bottom which drains directly into the rear locker and that in turn drains over the stern well above the waterline. Does this comply or do I need to install pipework to the cylinder locker - in my view totally unnecessary as no escaped gas can get inside?
I suppose my underlying question is whether the surveyors under the BSS scheme have the flexibility to use common sense. Or if they can issue waivers for unachievable requirements and then pass a boat?
Any info anybody?

 

[prv]

Does it define what an "accommodation space" is? Perhaps, despite the plywood partition in between, your stern cabin and your saloon are all one "space"?

Kindred Spirit passed BSS inspections twice in her life before we owned her (the paperwork was in the file) and I doubt that her forehatch was 380mm across either. Perhaps they only measure up if someone really doesn't have a hatch but tries to claim that a tiny port light counts?

I would be wary about the gas bottle draining into the locker unless it's patently obvious that there can be no leaks from that locker into the hull of the boat (eg, it's a box built up above deck level).

The main visible result of KS's time under BSS was a load of pointless labels saying that the fuel filler was the fuel filler and the gas locker was the gas locker, etc.

Pete

 

[Richard10002]

I have a narrowboat so it was built to comply with the BSS - however, my inspection was due in July, and I agonised over things that might fail for months! As you say, it was a spur to do some jobs that needed doing.

In the end, someone said, "there comes a point where you have to get it inspected and see what happens", so that's what I did, and it passed

I enquired for recommended BSS examiners on canalworld.net My goal being to find one that was pragmatic, rather than pedantic, and that's what I got.

Make some enquiries, see who is recommended, pay you £140, and see what happens. A good examiner will tell you if you can comply, and what you need to do.

More chance of recommends on canalworld - where is your boat?

 

[Hugh Foulis]

My experience with the BSS Examiner was that he was looking to find ways of issuing the certificate, not looking for ways to refuse. No short-cuts and turning a blind eye, but a positive approach. He even explained a simple method of correcting something when I proposed a more expensive solution, so much so that he waited until I had finished the job and announced we had passed.

 

[Modulation]

Thanks for this - it'l be at Limehouse Basin in London.
To Pete - you raise a good point re what constitutes accommodation. My reading is that the bow and quarter cabins count as separate spaces from the saloon. I'd be very keen to know the layout of your boat. Does it have a quarter cabin.

I have a narrowboat so it was built to comply with the BSS - however, my inspection was due in July, and I agonised over things that might fail for months! As you say, it was a spur to do some jobs that needed doing.

In the end, someone said, "there comes a point where you have to get it inspected and see what happens", so that's what I did, and it passed

I enquired for recommended BSS examiners on canalworld.net My goal being to find one that was pragmatic, rather than pedantic, and that's what I got.

Make some enquiries, see who is recommended, pay you £140, and see what happens. A good examiner will tell you if you can comply, and what you need to do.

More chance of recommends on canalworld - where is your boat?

 

[ffiill]

Suggest you carefully check out the small print because I think you will find that lots of the regs only applies to recently built boats-and dependant upon the boats age some of the regs can be ignored.
When I has a test(failed) done the main issues were lack of isolation taps next to gas appliances(despite having a gas sniffer isolator);armoured stainless fuel line without current rating printed on it;wrong plastic used for fuel tank filler hoses;soldered fuel supply pipes as opposed to compression;insecure batteries;glassbowl fuel filter;fuel tank filler cap not being labeled diesel!
Comment about the clear plastic filler hoses failing despite having lasted 30 years!or the belief that a soldered joint would be vunerable to melting in a fire by which time the boat would have had it anyway;insecure batteries on the Caledonian Canal? and only insecure in as much as the fitted boxes are lidless.
Suffice to say I gave up the idea of mooring on the Canal.

 

[prv]

To Pete - you raise a good point re what constitutes accommodation. My reading is that the bow and quarter cabins count as separate spaces from the saloon. I'd be very keen to know the layout of your boat. Does it have a quarter cabin.

Nope - she barely has a quarter berth! A low, coffin-like space in which my shoulders are too wide for me to roll over without hitting the deck above. Although I believe her new owner puts his six-year-old son in there and I'm sure he's very comfortable.

Pete

 

[ColleyV8]

I just had my 24ft passed for the BSS, I think you will find most areas are for information only, the 6.3.1 is for advice only, from there documentation

Notes – At the time of examination, if two means of escape meeting the
minimum recommendations cannot be identified; the examiner will record
what was found and alert you so that you are aware of this important
safety issue that may affect yourself and your crew.

It is not a necessity, only those parts marked required need to be done, you LPG maybe more tricky but as long as the bottle cannot move and will drain over board from the locker you will be fine, it is the pipework and length of that is more important

 

[JumbleDuck]

Thanks for this - it'l be at Limehouse Basin in London.
To Pete - you raise a good point re what constitutes accommodation. My reading is that the bow and quarter cabins count as separate spaces from the saloon. I'd be very keen to know the layout of your boat. Does it have a quarter cabin.

There are a lot of boats based in the Crinan Canal which must presumably have BSS certification. I haven't noticed anything unusual about their hatches.

 

[ukmctc]

You have to check the regs with regard to original manufacturers design, a lot of what your looking at doesn't apply to a boat manufactured prior to 1980 something.
The BWBSS is purely aimed at persons walking by your boat and nothing else. So your boat doesn't cause them any injury.
Now gas, simple no BWBSS surveyor (loosely named), has a gas checking qualification unless they are a fully recognised heating engineer.
Having said that, remove the gas bottle, and the cooker or connection to the cooker, then replace when the chap leaves.
The surveyor has his own interpretation of every rule, finding a good one is difficult, best of luck.

 

[AndrewDu]

There are lots of boats apparently permanently moored in the Crinan Canal, which look like total wrecks. It's hard to believe they ever passed any inspection.

 

[prv]

The BWBSS is purely aimed at persons walking by your boat and nothing else. So your boat doesn't cause them any injury.

So why the concern about hatches? And why did my old boat have a big sign saying "Drinking Water" next to what was obviously the water filler?

Pete

 

[Dave_Seager]

I would recommend discussing your questions with a boat safety examiner in your area. As has been said, most are very helpful at solving any problems.

With regard to your means of escape, I had an Albin 25 which passed it BSC without problems. These boats have a centre cockpit. There is a forehatch providing an escape route from the forward cabin but the aft cabin only opens into the cockpit and this was not raised as a problem.

 

[PabloPicasso]

There are a lot of boats based in the Crinan Canal which must presumably have BSS certification. I haven't noticed anything unusual about their hatches.

I went through the Cronin on honeymoon 6 years ago and no one mentioned or asked fro a BSS. Which was just as well as I'd never heard of one. I'm sure we didn't comply

 

[JumbleDuck]

I went through the Cronin on honeymoon 6 years ago and no one mentioned or asked fro a BSS. Which was just as well as I'd never heard of one. I'm sure we didn't comply

You don't need one if you're in the canal for less than a month (I think).

 

[BSSOffice]

Check Item 6.3.1A is an advice item, hence the A in the check item reference. This means that should the check not pass, certification can still happen. In such circumstances the owner is advised of the potential for having crew trapped in a smoke and toxic fume filled cabin should fire occur and prompt them to consider other mitigations.

In regard to the gas cylinder storage, my suggestion is that you send pictures and a description to my colleague Dave Washer via the form on our website. He may be able to advise you on the basis of the information in the form with the pictures as to whether the check would pass without further adaptation or if an examiner needs to see it to see if the requirements have been met.

I hope this helps offer you a way forward.
Kind regards
Rob
BSS Office