MCA Cat0 coded production boats

[Roberto]

Is there any production boat which is (or could easily be) coded to MCA Category 0 ?

Or basically all would need major modifications, especially with regards to stability and watertightness ?

 

[Simondjuk]

None available off the peg as far as I'm aware. There are some OD fleet boats built as such though.

Looked into the modification of production boats, and it can be done, just, and at a price. It's a large price however.

 

[Bajansailor]

Hi Roberto - Not much use, but the Joint Services Sail Training Centre in England - https://pdevportal.co.uk/adventure_training/sailing - commissioned a fleet of modified Victoria 34s some years ago for their sail training operations - I dont know if they meet Cat 0, but they do have watertight bulkheads between the forecabin and the saloon, in order to meet the requirements of their particular category.
Sadly Victoria Yachts are no longer in business.

And even less use to this topic, but possibly of interest to anyone interested in re-fitting a vessel to meet Cat 0 standards, James Baldwin has posted lots of interesting articles on his website about completely re-building his 28' Atom.
Here is an article about building in watertight compartments to make her theoretically 'unsinkable' (excluding effects of fire, etc of course).
http://atomvoyages.com/articles/improvement-projects/258-unsinkableboat-1.html

 

[capnsensible]

I reckon watertight bulkheads are required for vessels over 15 m or carrying more than 15 passengers.

Avalook here, especially chapter 11, Intact Stability.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/blue.pdf

Good luck!

 

[westernman]

My boat was coded MCA Cat 0 when I bought it. She is 15.6m LOD. I have 5 watertight compartments. There is a requirement that the boat must float with at least a certain freeboard (I can't remember what the definition is, but it might mean water level before flooding/sinking occurs) with a compartment holed and completely flooded. This is obviously done by calculation rather than pratical testing.

The bulkheads and the doors through them are very heavy and substantial.

There is a list of extra equipment you must have. The most onerous items are a second liferaft (each liferaft much be big enough for the whole crew) and a very substantial medical kit (including stretchers, splints and morphine). For the morphine you will need a medical qualification (I think it is a weeks course if you are not otherwise qualified). It is also likely to cause problems with customs in some places.

NB this applies for my boat which is more than 15m. I think less than 15m might be a little bit less onerous.

 

[Roberto]

thanks all for the interesting comments

 

[wklein]

Pretty sure any boat builder will do it for you for a price.

 

[prv]

Pretty sure any boat builder will do it for you for a price.

Not a production boat though, if it's done as a one-off project.

Pete