Lithium. Really?

[st599]

Now that the MCA have got.off the fence and defined what is required for lithium batteries in coded vessels, we might see some guidance appearing.

 

[geem]

I kicked off this thread in the hope/expectation that it would draw out - beyond the usual wild-assertions-without-substance - lots of informative observations and knowledge.

Today I'm aware that Yachting World has published an article which should add a little more to the discussion:
YW's take on Lithium onboard

I'd like to have a Lithium batteries installation. I really would. But.... I'm not in the market for buying-in a potentially lethal problem I could not overcome on my own, at sea.

It amazes me how incompetent the journalists are that write these articles. The fundamental requirement when discussing lithium batteries is to seperate the 5 commonly used lithium chemistries into their specific batterytypes. Then when you mention fires occurring with lithium, identify which chemistry caused the fire. Lumping all lithium chemistries together is stupid. Lifepo4 is the chemistry used in batteries installed on boats for domestic energy storage. It's very hard to cause thermal runaway, unlike some of the other lithium chemistries. It's not associated with the fires that have been occurring frequently on superyachts. These are the voltile chemistries used in e- bikes, e-foils and other superyacht toys.
The ABYC technical committee did everything in their power to cause a fire in lifepo4 batteries in a test to destruction and couldn't cause thermal runaway.

 

[Sea Change]

Now that the MCA have got.off the fence and defined what is required for lithium batteries in coded vessels, we might see some guidance appearing.

Unfortunately they don't make any distinctions between the different chemistries.

 

[Stemar]

It reads like one of those "we're all gonna die" fearmongering articles beloved of certain newspapers. Loads of examples of things that went wrong with something almost entirely unrelated to the only Li batteries suitable for boats, next to nothing about LiFePO, apart from installation advice that appears to be written to inspire more fear than confidence.

I'm sure someone will buy cheap batteries from China without their own BMS, and just fit them in place of their LA jobs. I expect they'll be fine, just like the bloke who puts a butane cylinder in the saloon, Until, maybe, they aren't, and we'll be regaled with another story of the dangers of lithium batteries or gas on boats, when the real problem is stupidity.

 

[st599]

It amazes me how incompetent the journalists are that write these articles. The fundamental requirement when discussing lithium batteries is to seperate the 5 commonly used lithium chemistries into their specific batterytypes. Then when you mention fires occurring with lithium, identify which chemistry caused the fire. Lumping all lithium chemistries together is stupid.

Unfortunately that's exactly what the new MCA small vessels documents do - for coded vessels you need to follow their guidance irrespective of chemistry. For non-coded vessels, the document states that it is a recommended practice, so I'd assume we'll start to see insurers asking for recommended practice to be followed.

“Lithium-ion battery” means a rechargeable battery containing lithium in any chemical form

 

[lustyd]

Is there a thread somewhere with a precis of the new MCA recommendations? I can’t be bothered to read the whole thing to extract the battery bits

 

[Marsali_1]

Is there a thread somewhere with a precis of the new MCA recommendations? I can’t be bothered to read the whole thing to extract the battery bits

Try asking an AI bot

 

[dgadee]

Try asking an AI bot

And then wonder whether what it told you is accurate. Twice the fun.

 

[PWLS08]

Is there a thread somewhere with a precis of the new MCA recommendations? I can’t be bothered to read the whole thing to extract the battery bits

I

Thread 'The Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code'

20 Nov 2025

New document out from MCA:

The Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code The Safety of Small Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport or Pleasure – A Code of Practice

https://assets.publishing.service.g...QhZU8KSxRYLgkSQGBB_aem_tV5lWRsidocOXOPrZiq8Fw

• ImpImp
• Replies: 19
• Forum: Yachting Monthly's Scuttlebutt

 

[lustyd]

Thats just the document again. I didn’t want to read the whole thing

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Thats just the document again. I didn’t want to read the whole thing

There’s an index. I did look at the battery section, but I have to say, that was 5 mins of my life wasted I’ll never get back.

 

[lustyd]

There’s an index. I did look at the battery section, but I have to say, that was 5 mins of my life wasted I’ll never get back.

Hence my asking if someone had made a precis.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Hence my asking if someone had made a precis.

Hence my saying you don’t need to read it all, just the section on batteries, perhaps. But there’s absolutely nothing relevant there.

 

[lustyd]

Hence my saying you don’t need to read it all, just the section on batteries, perhaps. But there’s absolutely nothing relevant there.

In theory, but no. The engine start, construction, bilge pumps, radio, nav lights, fire, and various other sections might very well contain relevant info too so someone will need to read the whole document and extract any and all information relevant to lithium installs.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

In theory, but no. The engine start, construction, bilge pumps, radio, nav lights, fire, and various other sections might very well contain relevant info too so someone will need to read the whole document and extract any and all information relevant to lithium installs.

I doubt that, unless it’s a very large bilge pump

 

[lustyd]

I doubt that, unless it’s a very large bilge pump

Hard to say what crazy stuff they dreamt up. I can imagine a certain type (several on this forum) insisting that the BMS could shit the battery down at any time so lead must be used for bilge pumps and VHF. Unfortunately those are exactly the kind of people that enjoy being on committees

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Hard to say what crazy stuff they dreamt up. I can imagine a certain type (several on this forum) insisting that the BMS could shit the battery down at any time so lead must be used for bilge pumps and VHF. Unfortunately those are exactly the kind of people that enjoy being on committees

I’d ordinarily suggest a little edit, but actually it’s brilliant.