RCD and Quality

[SteveT]

I have seen a lot of discussion around what boat is good or bad quality , of course a lot of it is subjective. So as there is a thing called RCD which categorises boats could this be viewed as an objective view of quality. For example a category C could mean it can take up to a force 4 because the construction reaches certain levels. Of course things like joinery quality will have to remain subjective but basic things like hull strength , thickness , floatability etc could form part of a standard.

Or is this already the case ?

 

[Guest]

It would have to be a very flimsy boat to only be able to take a force 4. A decent Li-Lo can take a force 4 fairly easily, I'd guess.

Also, what would mean as being able to "take" a force 8, for example? Force eight in W approaches is quite different from force eight blowing offshore whilst in the coastal med: one has walloping waves, the other is almost flat.

Although there is some loose "ratings" for boats, I'd be very wary of any boat manufactirer that trumpeted that their product was "approved in a force n" anyway. It would be like people who quote their MENSA score on their cv: only those who aren't quite sure if they are clever or thick would quote the score loudly. The people or products who know that they are good don't need the certificate from any authority.

"Drag Factors are of the greatest interest to car manufacturers who don't know how to build engines" -Enzo Ferrari.

 

[andrewbarker]

If I remember right, the RCD categorises according to things like how many people can safely be on board, whether self-draining cockpit and above all the stability (resistance to tippiness). Wasn't one of the criticisms that it didn't rate strength, construction type or layup?
Don't forget that strength relates to other things than sea state. Most things I've broken have been as a result of pounding fast into head seas. The shock loads are huge. If you go slow, the hull has an easy time.

 

[SteveT]

I understand what both replies are stating but my point is.... If we had a quality grading A-F with A being lower rating than F then it would make like for like comparisons a lot easier. I do not know what measures should be used this would be down to experts but as an example from a non expert perhaps the thickness of the GRP as a % of the weight or the power of the engine or the weight of the non hull and superstructure items. If this comes to A and the price for that boat is 100k and an equivalent priced and speced boat was categorised as B then an objective comparison is made. If they are all categorised as B then great you have equal quality boats so now its down to price , look and feel etc. I only suggest it could become part of the RCD as this is already in place.

I suppose the nearest existing comparison would be to the motor industries crash test results, i can buy a cheap car that i would probably be killed in in a crash but i could also buy a cheap car that my survival chances are greater. Even more interestingly in these reults i could spend a fortune but still get killed. What i buy is still my choice but at least i have some objective information to start with.

 

[Guest]

Re: Seatrial !

I appreciate the difficulty.

I understand that boats do have a loose rating system (help anyone B = offshore 60 miles and so on ?) but the I beleieve design of the boat is under scutiny, not the physical result. Also, boats being handbuilt, unlike cars, there's no g'tee that the production ones will be anything like the test unit....

Which I suppose means that the tests ought to be random! We should lobby for the authorities to be able to descend on a powerboat manufacturer, launch recently-completed boat, and test very thoroughly indeed, ending with wetsuits on, setting the throttles to full power, set autopilot, jump off the back, and watch as large 60 foot sunseeker whams into a cliff, or perhaps into Approved Standard Cliff, this being perhaps one of those Martello towers in the solent.

Then, we ( I'll have changed jobs by this time) go back write up a nice report with piccies, and tellem nah, you only scored a C, giveus a call when you would like another test.

Evidenty the current mag boat tests have some way to go.

 

[BarryD]

Re: Seatrial !

And that my Lord, is how we slowly created the new "Durdle Door" in the White Cliffs of Dover.

Barry D.