MCA response to charging for berths on the ARC

[capnsensible]

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers is a race?

Please do not take this personally...

As I understood you get lower insurance for crossing this way...
There is certainly safety in numbers...

Or is it more like the Gum Ball Rally
Having not been involved with it I would not know...

You can look at their web page for details of the racing classes.

 

[Neil_Y]

This seems to have generated more debate than I thought it would...

My reason for posting was to hopefully make it clear for those running boats and also those wanting to crew that there is an easily defined difference between a commercial and pleasure crossing. What I have seen over the past 23 years is a muddying of this difference, with more people wanting to charge for berths and hence make a bit extra or cover some of those running/maintenance costs. As a boat bum back in the 80's when hitching or helping with deliveries was always free, just food or sometimes paid, I'd hate to see this cheap way to get experience disappear with people charging more than just shared food. The MCA will always have trouble policing this but if the crewing public are aware of the law then it may help. So I hope those wishing to crew on some ocean passages will find this, it's a great way to get around the planet, exchanging your time and effort for a free ride and meeting many interesting people. You may also meet some complete mavaric nutters, I did!

Regards racing, it is true that section 28 allows yachts to race and also be on passage to the start of a race charging for berths if they comply with ISAF conditions. I don't know if the ARC race does, but their race division is under the auspices of RORC so I guess it should but that should be checked.

Here's the text
Vessels Operating under Race Rules
28.1 A coded vessel chartered or operated commercially, for the purpose of racing need not
comply with the provisions of the Code whilst racing, or whilst in passage directly to or from
a race, provided that the vessel complies with the following:-
.1 It complies with the racing rule provisions of either the International Sailing Federation
(ISAF) or the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM).
.2 It complies with the racing rule provisions of the affiliated Member National Authority, of
either the ISAF or UIM, in the country where the race takes place.
.3 It complies with the safety rule provisions of the race Organising Authority affiliated to
the Member National Authority and thereby recognised by the ISAF or UIM to organise
races in the country where the race takes place.
.4 If it is a yacht racing offshore, it complies with the appropriate parts of the ISAF Offshore
Racing Committee’s special regulations or the similar requirements of the affiliated race
Organising Authority.
.5 When on charter and in passage in any Area Category to and from the race, the race or
equivalent safety cover shall be in force, or the vessel is to be in its coded condition for
the passage.

In answer to some of the YM points, yes you can have YM Ocean commercial (I have, although Ineed a new medical!)

The medical kit for Cat 0 is quite extensive with a number of injectable drugs which needs some training, and the requirement for a spare life raft that can accomodate all crew/passengers adds quite a bit of cost. I don't think there was a requirement for a water tight bulkhead? and the only other differences from a Cat 2 boat as I had was stability, interestingly the Bav came close to ocean. STOPS figure required for cat 2 is 30 Bav 390 came out as 39 with slab reefed main.

Manning for cat 0 is a minimum of YM Ocean commercial skipper and YM offshore as 1st mate.

The whole code thing looks a bit heavy when you read through it but for most boats thinking of offshore sailing it makes sense. My boat need very few changes for cat 2 and those changes were nearly all things that I had planned on doing before heading off cruising. So the extra cost of codeing was mostly down to the survey or a few hundred £.

Happy travelling all you boat bums and cruisers, I'll be desk sailing for a few more months

 

[westernman]

..... snipped.....

I don't think there was a requirement for a water tight bulkhead? and the only other differences from a Cat 2 boat as I had was stability, interestingly the Bav came close to ocean. STOPS figure required for cat 2 is 30 Bav 390 came out as 39 with slab reefed main.

Manning for cat 0 is a minimum of YM Ocean commercial skipper and YM offshore as 1st mate.
....

The whole code thing looks a bit heavy when you read through it but for most boats thinking of offshore sailing it makes sense. My boat need very few changes for cat 2 and those changes were nearly all things that I had planned on doing before heading off cruising. So the extra cost of codeing was mostly down to the survey or a few hundred £.

From the MCA code of practice:-

4.4.1.5 Watertight bulkheads should be so arranged that minor hull damage which results in the
free-flooding of any one compartment, will not cause the vessel to float at a waterline
which is less than 75mm below the weather deck at any point. Minor damage should
be assumed to occur anywhere in the length of the vessel but not on a watertight
bulkhead. Standard permeabilities should be used in this assessment as follows:-
Space Permeability %
Appropriated for stores 60
Appropriated for stores but not by
a substantial quantity thereof 95
Appropriated for accommodation 95
Appropriated for machinery 85
Appropriated for liquids 0 or 95 whichever
results in the more
onerous requirement
4.4.1.5 In the damaged condition, the residual stability should be such that the angle of equilibrium
does not exceed 7 degrees from the upright, the resulting righting lever curve has a
range to the downflooding angle of at least 15 degrees beyond the angle of
equilibrium, the maximum righting lever within that range is not less that 100mm and
the area under the curve is not less that 0.015 metre radians.
4.4.1.5 The strength of a watertight bulkhead should be adequate for the intended purpose and to
the satisfaction of the Certifying Authority.
4.4.1.4 When pipes, cables, etc penetrate watertight bulkheads, they should be provided with valves
and/or watertight glands as appropriate.
4.4.1.5 A doorway fitted in a watertight bulkhead should be of watertight construction and be
kept closed at sea, unless opened at the discretion of the skipper.

This is the difficult part for Category 0.

The boat has to float when holed in any place (except where it would damage a watertight bulkhead), and be stable in that condition, and float high enough in the water.

I agree that Category 2 is mostly just common sense and the requirements are not at all onerous.

 

[capnsensible]

Isnt that for vessels over 15 metres or carrying 15 or more people?

 

[Neil_Y]

Thanks Michael, I only ever got through the cat 2 details which is enough reading for me.

As far as size of vessel and number of passengers...
"
The Code has been developed for application to United Kingdom (UK) vessels of up to 24
metres Load Line length which are engaged at sea in activities on a commercial basis, which
carry cargo and/or not more than 12 passengers,

"

 

[capnsensible]

Neil, sorry I was referring to the watertight bulkhead bit, item 4.4 in the code.

 

[Neil_Y]

On further reading!
Some details only apply to vessels for Cat 0 or 1 with more than 7 people on board...

I can't find anything detailing the requirement for water tight bulkheads? although they are mentioned???

"
11.2 Damage Survivability
11.2.1 This section applies to all monohull vessels carrying 16 or more persons and those operating
in Area Category 0 or 1, with 7 or more persons, subject to minimum safe manning levels
being agreed by the Certifying Authority.
11.2.1.1 Vessels should be so arranged that after minor hull damage or failure of any one hull fitting
in any one watertight compartment, it will satisfy the residual stability criteria below. This
may be achieved by fitting water-tight subdivision or alternative methods to the satisfaction

Taken from http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mgn_280-2.pdf which I think is the latest version, but again it's worth checking with MCA and they are quite helpful, and dare I say it efficient.

 

[capnsensible]

Ta.

 

[Neil_Y]

My last response for today...there seem to be lots of boats looking for bits before Christmas..

This appears in what was the old blue code (which was sipler to read through and was what I used to code ny boat), so you're right about the 15m
"

4.4 Watertight Bulkheads and Damage Survival (vessels of 15 metres in length and over or
carrying 15 or more persons).
4.4.1 New monohull vessels
When a new vessel is of 15 metres in length and over or intended to carry 15 or more
persons, watertight bulkheads should be fitted in accordance with the following
requirements, except that consideration will be given to the continued acceptance of an
existing design which does not meet the requirements in full but is part of a building

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

 

[Neil_Y]

If you are in racing class and selling berths you need two water tight bulkheads according to ISAF rules as I understand them.
"
3.13.3 A yacht shall have at least two watertight transverse
main bulkheads in addition to any bulkheads positioned
within the forward and aft 15 percent of the boat's LOA.
"

From http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/OSR2010Parts1to6101209-[8164].pdf

 

[estarzinger]

If you are in racing class and selling berths you need two water tight bulkheads according to ISAF rules as I understand them.
"
3.13.3 A yacht shall have at least two watertight transverse
main bulkheads in addition to any bulkheads positioned
within the forward and aft 15 percent of the boat's LOA.
"

From http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/OSR2010Parts1to6101209-[8164].pdf

Actually not, that's an ISAF cat0 requirement and the ARC racing is run as an ISAF Cat 1 race, NOT ISAF cat 0. (Note this is confusing because the MCA cat's discussed above are different than the ISAF cat's). This is stated on page 4 of the ARC safety regulations

Very very few races are run as ISAF cat 0 - the volvo is the only one I am aware of.

As to the MCA exemption for racing . . . that would seem to apply, but only to yachts entered in the specific ARC racing class, not to yachts in the cruising/rally class. This year there were 138 boats in the cruising class and 26 in the RORC racing class.

 

[Neil_Y]

That seems odd to me as the ISAF cat 0 is trans ocean and cat 1 is well offshore, I'd be fairly certain Canaries to the West indies is trans ocean being 2700miles long and not getting any closer to land than the shores you leave or arrive at? But what ever it states it requires more work (on an AWB) than a cat 0 MCA coded for less than 7. people.

Found it...
"
2.01.1 Category 0
Trans-oceanic races, including races which pass
through areas in which air or sea temperatures are
likely to be less than 5 degrees Celsius other than
temporarily, where yachts must be completely selfsufficient
for very extended periods of time, capable of
withstanding heavy storms and prepared to meet
serious emergencies without the expectation of outside
assistance.
MoMu,0
2.01.2 Category 1
Races of long distance and well offshore, where yachts
must be completely self-sufficient for extended periods
of time, capable of withstanding heavy storms and
prepared to meet serious emergencies

Cat 1 still requires a water tight bulkhead or lots of foam at the front.
Cat 1 - 3.13.1 A hull shall have either a watertight "crash" bulkhead
within 15% of LOA from the bow and abaft the forward
end of LWL, or permanently installed closed-cell foam
buoyancy effectively filling the forward 30% LOA of the
hull.

Cat 0 - 3.13.3 A yacht shall have at least two watertight transverse
main bulkheads in addition to any bulkheads positioned
within the forward and aft 15 percent of the boat's LOA.

 

[estarzinger]

That seems odd to me as the ISAF cat 0 is trans ocean and cat 1 is well offshore, I'd be fairly certain Canaries to the West indies is trans ocean being 2700miles long and not getting any closer to land than the shores you leave or arrive at?

Yes, completely agree, but in fact almost no-one uses the ISAF cat 0. In addition to the extra watertight bulkheads it also requires the ability to self right in flat water, which essentially requires movable ballast/swing keel. This requirement is somewhat hidden in Appendix K.

I sit on the US committee that oversees the US application of the ISAF special regulations, and because of the lack of use, there has been some discussion about simply removing the Cat 0 and making the description of Cat 1 broader.


Cat 1 - 3.13.1 A hull shall have either a watertight "crash" bulkhead
within 15% of LOA from the bow and abaft the forward
end of LWL . . . or foam . . .

'Most' yachts already have a bulkhead that closes off the aft end of the anchor locker that allow them to comply with this. So, this is usually no problem.

......