SSR and bulkhead plaques

Iain C

Iain C

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I've just renamed my new (to me) boat, and I was going to get a new engraved bulkhead plaque made up. For some reason, I thought there was a legal requirement to do this, stating name, SSR number and registered tonnage (my old boat had this).

However I can't find anything confirming this...can anyone help? And if "registered tonnage" does need to be on there somewhere, is it the same as displacement?

Thanks!
 
With SSR you only need to display the number externally in numbers of an approved size. The tonnage is not included.
 
Iain C said:
I've just renamed my new (to me) boat, and I was going to get a new engraved bulkhead plaque made up. For some reason, I thought there was a legal requirement to do this, stating name, SSR number and registered tonnage (my old boat had this).

However I can't find anything confirming this...can anyone help? And if "registered tonnage" does need to be on there somewhere, is it the same as displacement?
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You need the official number and registered tonnage plate for Part 1 registration, plus the name and port at the stern, but for SSR (as far as I know) all you need is the number displayed on the topsides somewhere. Sounds as if someone just made up a nice plaque for your old boat, and why not.

Gross Registered Tonnage is (basically) how many tuns of wine you can carry, and is a measure of the available volume, less space for crew and engine and stuff. There is another thread about it running at the moment.
 
It appears that name and port on the stern is a requirement under international regs for registered boats, which includes SSR. This came to light when Portuguese authorities impounded 24 boats of various nationalities in the yard a couple of years ago until names and port were displayed.
 
GrahamM376 said:
It appears that name and port on the stern is a requirement under international regs for registered boats, which includes SSR.
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I believe that's so, under UNCLOS, but not specifically under SSR guidelines. It would be prudent to have such a name on the stern if venturing out of the UK, and most SSR boats you see overseas do so. To the best of my knowledge there's no official guidance on what that port should be: most seem to adopt their local harbour or, sometimes the location of the ships' register, Cardiff.
 
macd said:
I believe that's so, under UNCLOS, but not specifically under SSR guidelines. It would be prudent to have such a name on the stern if venturing out of the UK, and most SSR boats you see overseas do so. To the best of my knowledge there's no official guidance on what that port should be: most seem to adopt their local harbour or, sometimes the location of the ships' register, Cardiff.
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Home port is a frequent question when registering in a foreign marina. We use Falmouth because that's where we live when not on the boat. I've also put a small label on the SSR document stating that which seems to keep most people happy.
 
RichardS said:
Oooops .... it looks like many of us are heading for a spell in the slammer. ;)

Richard
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Indeed - I've rarely seen it on boats in the Aegean, Adriatic or Ionian and certainly never heard it being asked. But 20 years ago in Spain we were asked and made up London as the port. I wonder whether it's a Western Med thing?
 
Just another example of a rule that is variably enforced, so if you intend travelling widely it makes sense to put the port on the boat and remember what it is when asked by officials who are likely filling in a form or going through a script that includes it.
 
duncan99210 said:
Home port is a frequent question when registering in a foreign marina. We use Falmouth because that's where we live when not on the boat. I've also put a small label on the SSR document stating that which seems to keep most people happy.
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We're often asked that in France. But home port is Portsmouth and port of registry (we're on part 1) is Harwich. Cherbourg asked to see our certificate the first time we took the boat there and they seemed to understand the difference.
(I think they just want to see the certificate to ensure that they get all the spellings right on their computer system.)
 
Penguin is SSR registered and has just her name and SSR number on the transom, but no port of registry (because there isn't one) and no home port (because we don't have one). She was last in the UK in 2011.

In Baltic harbours I'm sometimes asked for a home port and I can never decide. I have tried London and Southampton (which worked fine). Also Södertälje being the port where the boat overwintered and would be overwintering again (which also worked fine).

I have toyed with using Shackerstone which is the nearest port to where I live. Penguin has as much connection with Shackerstone as she does with Cardiff or London.

Almost always it's 'home port' that's asked for not 'port of registry'.
 
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I am tempted to put 'Much Muttering in the Marsh' as the port of Registery of the built in the shed. Likely that will cause too much trouble with officials. SSR no. should be on the side of the boat, not the transom.
 
DownWest said:
. . . SSR no. should be on the side of the boat, not the transom.
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That's not correct, at least for the England and Wales SSR. I don't know if there are different rules under Scottish or N Ireland law.

The MCA instructions say that the number (including the prefix 'SSR')

"must be painted on, or fixed to the exterior of the hull, deck or superstructure where it can be readily seen".

See http://assets.ifloat.biz/products/eaea6a4451cc1db2c026f8a7e3e0436b.pdf

So transom is fine - nicely out of the way and a semi-traditional location.
 
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