H-35 by Artekno. Any experience?

[Tranona]

I'm bringing this thread back from the dead because it has a number of useful comments in situ, in order to set the scene.

My question is: Can anyone explain why this boat is said to carry a Cat D classification - Sheltered waters?

The Artekno H35 has a self draining cockpit, plenty of ballast and a modest sail area - so why does it end up in the lowest classification below an Etap 22?
Is it because it was never formally assessed and people are just making it up? Baffled.

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It was designed and built long before the RCD was even thought of so is unlikely to ever have been formally assessed against the standard. "It is said to carry" almost certainly means that somebody has self certified to CAT D which requires no independent endorsement. The requirements for CAT D require only that it floats and minimal equipment requirements that can be met by a simple rowing boat. The H35 would certainly meet that.

All as bit of a nonsense, but in the early days of RCD it was not unknown for private individuals to import non RCD compliant boats into Europe and self certify to CAT D to be "legal". Not sure that it was particularly widespread as other barriers to such imports (mainly from US) such as transport costs currency rates, duty and VAT made it non viable.

As with almost all pre 1998 boats it is difficult to say what category it would meet, although the designer and builder would probably aim for CAT A which is what buyers would be looking for. However it is quite possible with that shape of hull it would not meet the minimum STIX requirement for A even though its AVS would probably be fine. There could of course be other factors of design construction and equipment that would not meet the standard. Does not mean it is not a capable and "safe" boat just that it does not meet the perceived design requirements for that intended use.

Very few "old style" boats less than 35' in length made the transition to RCD A, partly because many did not have the demand to justify the cost of mods and certification and partly because some simply could not meet the standards. I was involved with the certification to CAT A of the GH31 as one of my students assisted the builder in preparing the paperwork as a project for his course. Main modification was a significant increase in ballast to improve the AVS which was a good thing because it also allowed a bigger rig. Other changes were minor but the paperwork including the revised drawings and calculations was extensive and cost the thick end of £10k in 1998. My GH, one of the last of the original run would not of course meet the standard.

 

[ridgy]

Ask rorc if they have ever given an IRC ticket to one. If so they will have an SSS number on file that can be roughly compared to cat A/B/C.