Boat Safety

[bandita]

On Inland Waterways there is the Boat Safety Scheme in operation.
While refitting the boat we have been adopting its guidelines.
There are some issues which conflict with safety at sea.
Fuel tank vent in the deck????
Ventilation...
Is there such a scheme for vessels on the coast?
What would insurance companies require?

 

[prv]

The BSS is for inland waterways, so some of its requirements don't necessarily make sense on a seagoing boat. I think ventilation is one of the commonly problematic ones. You will need a fuel tank vent somewhere on deck, though.

There is no equivalent scheme for seagoing vessels. The nearest thing would be MCA coding, but that's only required for commercial use (eg chartering or running a sailing school). People sometimes cite the BSS as a good example to (voluntarily) follow for gas installations, which seems reasonable.

Don't remember any specific technical requirements in my insurance policy, but they do vary. What does yours say?

Pete

 

[bandita]

Still getting it all together. Our gas has Bubble Tester, new pipe, test point and isolation valve for a cooker.
Our fuel tank vent I was planning to bring up the cockpit side a bit to prevent it being 'washed'.
Still got to get survey and insurance.
You gave advice about weight and read your diesel cooker bit in Yachting Monthly last night!!!! Small World.
Planning to move the boat and finishing her off in the water.
Thought it would be best to get the safety things sorted, get survey, get insurance, move.... Finish her off...

Steve

 

[prv]

You gave advice about weight and read your diesel cooker bit in Yachting Monthly last night!!!!

??

Do you have me mistaken for someone else? I'm certainly not an authority on weight (except for personal experience in being a fat git ) or diesel cookers, and I've never written anything for a sailing magazine.

Unless it was one of the snippets they sometimes take from the forum and print in a sidebar?

Pete

 

[ukmctc]

The BSS is for inland waterways only, there is no scheme for coastal or ocean going vessels, you could commercially code it but thats just a bit too far.

The BSS has several problems and for a while BW where considering stopping it, there has been major problems about gas, since the change to gas safe
BSS can't actually certificate gas safety.

But in a nut shell, it just makes you boat safe for people on the tow path, yes people on the tow path not the boat.

There are various rules which do not apply to boats of certain design or age so read the BSS manual very carefully for those which apply to your boat, loads of BSS surveyors apply blanket rules, which makes life easier for them not you. It costs over £3000 to get the BW BSS licence to survey (Survey used lightly), and many years to recoupe that cash, so find a surveyor who has just passed if possible, this makes life easier, take your gas cooker out and reinstall once they have gone. disconnect the engine from fuel and battery, if not connected not part of Survey. reconnect once they leave.

All this sound crazy but I was asked to become a BSS BW surveyor and after studying the books and reading about the course, talking to 3 surveyors only one of which was continueing to practice I decided against it. It wasn't worth the money or effort and unless you reside on BW there is no need at all for one. Its not required for winter berthing in some BW areas due to lack of vessels over wintering.

happy sailing.......

 

[Momac]

The BSS examiners take account of some design issues.
For example my boat has no fixed ventilation to the interior. So the advice is to leave the door slightly open when using the gas hob.

 

[LadyInBed]

Is there such a scheme for vessels on the coast?
What would insurance companies require?

No and Nothing!
Use common sense, it's sensible to have isolation taps, it's sensible to seal the gas locker and vent it to seaward. You need a vent on the fuel and water, it is sensible to put them high and to seaward as you don't want diesel bubbling out into the cockpit when you fill up!
Your insurance would be upset if your boat blew up due to poor or unsafe installation, but there wouldn't be too much evidence after the event They expect you to keep things safe and serviceable and rely on you and a surveyor periodically.
If you are doing up a boat which isn't insured, when you first get it insured they will probably ask for a survey and you appoint the surveyor, so it would be a good idea to sort one out now, establish a relationship, then if you have any questions as to best practice you can ask him.

 

[oldfatgit]

The BSS examiners take account of some design issues.
For example my boat has no fixed ventilation to the interior. So the advice is to leave the door slightly open when using the gas hob.

This is very interesting and shows how different inspectors treat the same standard as I am certain I could find one who would not give that advice. It would be nice if there was a pragmatic standardization over the scheme but, I fear, there isn't. The result is a mix of interpretations of the same standard. I heard of one inspector being investigated after giving a bill of health on a boat which was not safe and discovered by the buyers surveyor when the owner sold.

I'm refurbishing a narrowboat at this time and the current BSS certificate will remain in force despite the radical re-arranging and changes I am making. Result will be that I will have it inspected off my own bat in order for 2 things. First to make sure that it is genuinely safe and that I have not made an unsafe mistake. Second so that when I sell it I can genuinely state that the BSS issued applies to the current configuration.

Actually, since I am simplifying everything and changing form a gas boiler mounted inside the cabin to a diesel heater mounted in the engine compartment, plus will get a tame Gas Safe and boat engineer to do the new gas installation, I am confident that it will be ok but time will tell.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

The BSS is for inland waterways only, there is no scheme for coastal or ocean going vessels, you could commercially code it but thats just a bit too far.

The BSS has several problems and for a while BW where considering stopping it, there has been major problems about gas, since the change to gas safe
BSS can't actually certificate gas safety.

But in a nut shell, it just makes you boat safe for people on the tow path, yes people on the tow path not the boat.

There are various rules which do not apply to boats of certain design or age so read the BSS manual very carefully for those which apply to your boat, loads of BSS surveyors apply blanket rules, which makes life easier for them not you. It costs over £3000 to get the BW BSS licence to survey (Survey used lightly), and many years to recoupe that cash, so find a surveyor who has just passed if possible, this makes life easier, take your gas cooker out and reinstall once they have gone. disconnect the engine from fuel and battery, if not connected not part of Survey. reconnect once they leave.

All this sound crazy but I was asked to become a BSS BW surveyor and after studying the books and reading about the course, talking to 3 surveyors only one of which was continueing to practice I decided against it. It wasn't worth the money or effort and unless you reside on BW there is no need at all for one. Its not required for winter berthing in some BW areas due to lack of vessels over wintering.

happy sailing.......

I'm sorry you had such a problem with BSS, but 99% of the rules are common sense and I cannot see any point at which the rules deviate from common sense and good engineering practice, other than solid fuel stoves, but that is being worked out. The rules are not onerous and contribute to the safety of the boat owner as well as others. Things like not making gas systems up with christmas trees, well that's just keeping joints to a minimum. The rules on filters has changed from Jan 1st. I can't see where you have a problem.