Safety Standards and regulations for sailboats.
So, what about sailboats? Every
other type of boat seems to be covered by some standard. Is
there one for sailboats? The answer is not simple. It's both
a yes and a no.
There are no specific US Coast Guard
Safety Standards for recreational sailboats. They are required to
have a
Hull
Identification Number (HIN) as are all recreational boats in
the US, Canada and countries that use ISO.
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Sailboats are excepted (that is they are an
exception) from the Code Of Federal Regulations for
Safe Loading,
Flotation, and
labeling for capacity and horsepower ratings.
However, what if you sell a boat that is used as
both sail, and manually or outboard propelled? Many boat builders
sell small boats that can be configured either way and come either as a
row/power dinghy or with a sail package. When sold as a dinghy
without the sail package, they are required to meet all of the above and
have a capacity label, but when a sailboat they are not. What most
builders do is simply give them all a capacity label and install
flotation. There is no rule that says you cannot put flotation in
a sailboat or have a capacity label on a sailboat. A capacity label on a
sailboat should not say US Coast Guard at the top, but exceptions have
been made so that small builders do not have to keep duplicate
inventories of labels. Call The US Coast Guard about this.
202-372-1077 or FAX 202-372-1908.
If a sailboat has an inboard gasoline engine,
such as the Atomic 4, then it must comply with the
fuel system,
electrical system and
ventilation system requirements. If the boats has installed
navigation lights, the lights must be certified and comply with the
regulations. If it has to comply with the above then it must have
a
Certification label
But if the boat has an outboard engine, and a
portable fuel tank, or a diesel engine, the fuel, electrical and
ventilation regulations do not apply, unless the portable tank is in an
enclosed (not open to the atmosphere) compartment. If it is, then
the compartment must be ventilated.
If the boat has a battery that is in an enclosed
compartment, then that compartment must also be ventilated.
On the other hand, the
American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) does have specific standards
for sailboats.
ABYCH-5 Boat Load Capacity section 5.6.5 specifies maximum weight
capacity and maximum persons capacity for monohull sailboats under 26
Feet in length.
ABYC H-24 Gasoline Fuel Systems and ABYC H-33 Diesel Fuel Systems
also applies to sailboats
ABYC E-11 Electrical Systems Applies to sail boats.
There are many other
ABYC
standards that apply equally to power and sail boats. The best
thing to do is contact
ABYC
and ask if they have a standard for a specific system rather than a boat
type.
How about Canada? Canada's
Standard For Small Vessels TP1332 has specific sections which apply
to sailboats. You need to consult with their office to determine
which parts apply. Canadian Office of Boating Safety.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp-tp1332-menu-521.htm
ISO has standards that specifically apply to sailboats such as
ISO 12217-2 Small craft -- Stability and buoyancy assessment and
categorization -- Part 2: Sailing boats of hull length greater than or
equal to 6 m
https://www.iso.org/ics/47.080/x/
Beyond this there are classification societies
that have specific construction standards for sailboats, particularly
racing sailboats. The
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has standards for pleasure boats.
See
Ike's List
for other classification societies. The International Sailing
Federation sets most of the rules for racing sailboats throughout the
world. See
World Sailing
Beyond the rules:
There is no law that says you can't go
beyond the basic requirements. As I said above, you can put
flotation and a capacity label on a sailboat if you want to.
Many manufacturers of sailing dinghies do just that.
I recently went to a seminar on capsize
and self rescue of small and medium sized sailboats. It
was very informative. Flotation is one way to help recover a
small sailboat from a capsize. The flotation reduces the amount
of water swampng the boat and assists the occupants with getting
it upright. It also reduces the amount of water you have to bail
out of the boat.
Other things can also help. A line
attached to the side of the boat that the occupants can pull on
to right the boat is a big help. Making sure the
centerboard or dagger board does not fall back into the boat is
crucial. It needs to stay extended so the persons can pull down
on it or even stand on it to right the boat.
Some boats that have open transoms are
essentially self bailing when they are upright and moving
forward. Others have small drains built in that dump the water
when the boats is moving forward.
The idea here is to give a lot of
thought to the design of the boat. Design it in a way that
will make it easier to recover from a capsize.
Copyright 2010
newboatbuilders.com All rights
reserved. Revised 12/26/2020