MCA Coding

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zalophus

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I'm considering getting my Sadler 34 coded to Category 2 over the winter. Any tips or recommendations on who to use for advice and support through the process would be gratefully received. I'm reasonably handy and plan to do the work myself wherever possible, so what I think I need is top advice rather than detailed (and expensive) project management. Emsworth based, the boat has never previously been coded.
 
zalophus said:
I'm considering getting my Sadler 34 coded to Category 2 over the winter. Any tips or recommendations on who to use for advice and support through the process would be gratefully received. I'm reasonably handy and plan to do the work myself wherever possible, so what I think I need is top advice rather than detailed (and expensive) project management. Emsworth based, the boat has never previously been coded.
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If I was doing this from scratch as you are I would first contact RYA Technical. (email/phone call.) They will then email the forms and surveyors on their list.
You can then go through the list doing everything that is required and contact the surveyor when you are ready for inspection.
The reason I would use the RYA is because they are a fraction cheaper at time of renewals.

Note: you can't use any surveyor. They have to be on the list of an approved organisation.
 
Thanks for links and tips. I'm considering doing some occasional sail training - it certainly won't be a money spinner, so what I'm looking for is an up front assessment to help me work out whether the coding process is going to be prohibitively expensive.
 
zalophus said:
Thanks for links and tips. I'm considering doing some occasional sail training - it certainly won't be a money spinner, so what I'm looking for is an up front assessment to help me work out whether the coding process is going to be prohibitively expensive.
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RYA Coding (occasional sail training) is a different coding to that required by MCA for charters.

How occasional?
Are you a recognised school?
Even those doing regular sail training find it difficult to make ends meet, so hope your not hoping to get rich. Suggest you look at it in detail first, before spending any.
 
alant said:
RYA Coding (occasional sail training) is a different coding to that required by MCA for charters.
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Coding whether through the RYA or other approved establishment is the same.
However, boats used as RYA training boats have a separate check list that is in addition to the coding. This checklist repeats most of what is in the coding but requires things like : a range of training material and student log books to be kept on board. I can't remember the other things but basically a boat used for instruction should have teaching materials on board as well as being coded.
I'm sure others will add to list.
 
Get a copy of the code (I did mine when it was the blue code, it hasn't changed much as far as I could tell) read it through and highlite any areas that are open to interpretation as many areas are. These are areas you can come to a reasonable agreement with the surveyor on, or he can suggest options. As an example we had a foreward heads that I really could re route the pipe work on to give an anti syphon bend, so it was labelled as not for use at sea, as were two small portlights in the hull, we used a cable tie to stop them from being opened.

Then do as much as you can leaving the areas that are questionable, our surveyor then offered suggestions for how to comply.

The whole job on a 1991 stock Bavaria was a few £100 in extra work that I hadn't already planned on doing to make the boat good for offshore passages. Most of the items covered make sense for an offshore vessel but some areas have clearly been written for larger vessels and need an interpretation.

The costs are in the tonnage survey and inspection survey.
 
zalophus said:
I'm considering getting my Sadler 34 coded to Category 2 over the winter. Any tips or recommendations on who to use for advice and support through the process would be gratefully received. I'm reasonably handy and plan to do the work myself wherever possible, so what I think I need is top advice rather than detailed (and expensive) project management. Emsworth based, the boat has never previously been coded.
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Find someone who has coded a Sadler 34, and pay him to go through the check-list with you. The code is not an easy read, and some things are open to interpretation. Take everything literally and it will cost you £££ more than a safe but more pragmatic approach. It will be money well spent.
 
Talulah said:
Coding whether through the RYA or other approved establishment is the same.
However, boats used as RYA training boats have a separate check list that is in addition to the coding. This checklist repeats most of what is in the coding but requires things like : a range of training material and student log books to be kept on board. I can't remember the other things but basically a boat used for instruction should have teaching materials on board as well as being coded.
I'm sure others will add to list.
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Agreed, but from memory, the RYA have their own surveyors.
Easily checked by contacting RYA training 0845 345 0384.
 
zalophus said:
I'm considering getting my Sadler 34 coded to Category 2 over the winter. Any tips or recommendations on who to use for advice and support through the process would be gratefully received. I'm reasonably handy and plan to do the work myself wherever possible, so what I think I need is top advice rather than detailed (and expensive) project management. Emsworth based, the boat has never previously been coded.
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As others have said, some things are must-dos and must-haves, and other things are open to interpretation:

For example it is often possible to label forward-opening deck hatches as "not to be opened at sea" instead of turning the hatch around, which is a bitch of a job if the frame is sikaflexed to the deck.

On my coded boat I fitted an removable inner forestay and hanked-on storm jib, but instead of having an expensive and heavy highfield lever left clanking around the shrouds when the inner forestay was not in use (in 6 years all bar a couple of hours), used a removable block and tackle made up for the job. Only slightly cheaper but a block and tackle has other uses.

Have an in-use working first aid kit and keep a Cat C one sealed. Every two years decant contents of sealed kit into working one and buy a new Cat C sealed pouch. Buying Cat C kits much cheaper from medical outlets than yachty chandlers.

If you are going to be on board the common 'charterer nuisances' should not occur, such as gas-inflation lifejackets fired and repacked with empty cylinders, odd bits like chargers for the handheld VHF and rechargeable spotlight going AWOL. Or resetting the offset on the depth sounder from below keel to below waterline - there is a special place reserved in hell for the charterer who did that to my boat without saying anything. Fortunately I was just thinking, "surprised there's this much water here" and slowing down when I ran aground with the sounder showing 1.8 metres.
 
jwilson said:
Or resetting the offset on the depth sounder from below keel to below waterline - there is a special place reserved in hell for the charterer who did that to my boat without saying anything.
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Not that I would ever charter her anyway, but KS's sounder has the offset set via DIP switches inside the brain unit which is inside the cockpit moulding above the quarter berth. No rogue fiddling going on there :)

Pete
 
I found it much cheaper to build the medical kit to the list in the code myself from http://www.spservices.co.uk/

I was also advised by paramedics to have a number of the sealed gel pads for burns, and had some training for inserting airways, as it can be difficult to get an unconscious person into the recovery position on a small yacht especially if it's rough.
 
Hiya. Typically it goes like this:

http://www.ydsa.co.uk/mca.html

Whenever I do it, the first thing is to get a Stability Category Application form from the YDSA, fill in and submit. I suspect a Sadler 34 should be ok for cat 2, getting the measurements can sometimes be a pain thogh.

Apply for Survey using form SCV1.

Using form SCV2, prepare the yacht for code inspection, remember you will need to lift out. The 'reference book' is this:

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

Use it as a guide but talk to your surveyor, they are generally very helpful and you are paying them!

When you are ready, book the survey and dont be surprised if a re visit is necessary. Ive done loads now but always remember the frustrations of the first one!

Finally, if you are going to train you can of course do that privately but if you want some kind of certificate to prove your students ability then you will need to register with a Sail Training organisation and be prepared to comply by their rules. Typically in the UK this will be the RYA who have an additional vessel checklist.

Avalook at RGN1 from the RYA, Guidance notes for Training Centres.

Hope this helps!

CS
 
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