Does RCD Category influence you when buying a boat

Would RCD category bother you

  • No. Would buy boat anyway

    Votes: 47 61.8%

  • Maybe - would want to pay less as resale would be hard

    Votes: 14 18.4%

  • Yes - would refuse to buy unless was certified at sellers expense

    Votes: 6 7.9%

  • Yes would walk away.

    Votes: 9 11.8%
  • Total voters
    76
jac

jac

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On another thread the claim has been made that purchasers might be turned off a boat by it's RCD category. Specifically if a boat was self certified as Cat D but was obviously an Ocean Capable thoroughbred then people might not buy it.

So if a boat had a cat D but looked up to the job, would you be bothered.
 
I bought mine 15 years ago on the very unscientific basis of 'if it looks right, it is right'.

I've never regretted my choice of design but I wish I'd paid more and bought one in better condition.
 
This is a loaded and pointless poll as it only deals with a rare and theoretical possibility, and unconnected with the issues on the other thread.

Once a boat is placed on the market legally the RCD has no practical impact on the owner.

Your situation only arises when a self build boat is sold in less than 5 years from completion or the boat is imported. Former is very rare given the tiny number of home builds in recent years and the latter are uncommon and atypical,
 
Tranona said:
This is a loaded and pointless poll as it only deals with a rare and theoretical possibility, and unconnected with the issues on the other thread.

Once a boat is placed on the market legally the RCD has no practical impact on the owner.

Your situation only arises when a self build boat is sold in less than 5 years from completion or the boat is imported. Former is very rare given the tiny number of home builds in recent years and the latter are uncommon and atypical,
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Is this really the case?
Can you sail a cat d/c boat anywhere in say european waters. Are there any insurance implications?
 
A small boat (dinghy etc) which is genuinely certified C or D, I might pay some attention to the difference as a guide to the conditions it was designed for. In the case described, where an oceangoing yacht has been self-certified D, it's simply an irrelevant paperwork exercise and would have no bearing on my decision.

Pete
 
I don't understand the question and/or the alternatives.

A boat can be required to have a RCD category but it's missing - In that case the boat is put on the market illegally - would affect resell price in the future.

The boat can be without because it's a self build (guess the price would reflect this) or put on the market in EU before RCD.

The boat have a lower RCD class than the planed usage..
 
When my boat was designed the RCD didn't exist, but when she was built, it did. The surveyor could not find the HIN number and I have never found it since. She is impeccably prepared for sea and I know that I will quit long before she ever does. That's all I need. RCD is a nice guide for cash rich newbies buying 40 footers. Otherwise, by which I mean in every circumstance, it is irrelevant. An owner-skipper knows his boat and does not set sail into a force 8 because a certificate says its OK to do so.
 
knuterikt said:
I don't understand the question and/or the alternatives.

A boat can be required to have a RCD category but it's missing - In that case the boat is put on the market illegally
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I think the point is that one way to avoid that situation (as the builder) is to simply certify it as Cat D. Because the requirements are so low, I believe you can do this simply by filling in a form, no need for tests or inspections of any kind. Your boat is then legal to put on the market. It would be grossly miscategorised, but the poll above suggests that hardly anybody will care.

Pete
 
Tranona said:
This is a loaded and pointless poll as it only deals with a rare and theoretical possibility, and unconnected with the issues on the other thread.
Click to expand...

+1

I think anyone buying a boat without checking that it's fit for "his/her" purpose is pretty dumb. The RCD may be used as a criteria or, in the case of pre-rcd boat, plenty of info is available from which to make a decision. I wouldn't for instance buy a boat for circumnavigation which was RCD cat D so, yes I think rcd can be useful and would make me walk away from some boats.
 
GrahamM376 said:
I wouldn't for instance buy a boat for circumnavigation which was RCD cat D
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But what if it was self-evidently physically suitable for a circumnavigation, and categorised D for wholly bureaucratic reasons? As I understand it, that's the situation being posed.

Pete
 
As far as i am concerned the RCD is responsible for the destruction of the British boatbuilding industry. It does absolutely nothing for safety & is solely there for large scale manufacturers. It is a prime example of a solution to a problem that didnt exist. The sooner it is abolished the better.
 
If I were buying a boat which was 'under-catetgorised' would I be worried if it was self-evidently seaworthy?

Yes. Because at some point I will want to sell it on, and potential buyers might prefer to choose a boat which had a higher category than mine - or might offer only a derisory price. Plus you can't guess future legislation - it might become law that boats can only be used for voyages for which they carry the appropriate category. Then you'll be left with a seagoing vessel that can only be used on the town pond.

On that subject, I believe skippers have been fined in some European jurisdictions for being further out to sea than their vessels are categorised for.
 
andrewbroadbent said:
I find that rather difficult to believe. I'd be surprised if any 40 footers have been brought to the EU market in the last 10 yrs which weren't cat A rated.
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Nauticats, as posted above.

You're not allowed a Cat A if you have doors in the sides of a deckhouse. Such doors are apparently very important to the Nauticat philosophy, so they have continued to fit them and accepted a Cat B in consequence. I believe a number of boats to which this applies have circumnavigated.

Pete
 
GrahamM376 said:
I think anyone buying a boat without checking that it's fit for "his/her" purpose is pretty dumb. The RCD may be used as a criteria or, in the case of pre-rcd boat, plenty of info is available from which to make a decision. I wouldn't for instance buy a boat for circumnavigation which was RCD cat D ...
Click to expand...

Would you consider a boat with no category at all?
 
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