MCA Safety Guidance Pleasure Boat 2010

MCA Guidance for
Pleasure Vessels
A brief guide to regulation
and safe practice
MCA Guidance
Around three million people enjoy going afloat in the UK every

year. Although pleasure boating in the UK is not heavily regulated,
there is still some legislation that must be followed. This leaflet
provides a handy guide to the regulations that apply to pleasure
vessels and where to find out more about them. It also gives some
useful general safety advice.
This leaflet is for owners and crew of small pleasure vessels including sailing
boats, windsurfers, motorboats, ski boats, powerboats, sports boats, dive
boats, personal watercraft, canoes, kayaks and non powered craft. For the
purposes of this leaflet, all of these are referred to as ‘pleasure vessels’.
For more information visit the MCA Pleasure Vessel Information Pack
(see page 9).
If your boat carries more than 12 people (in addition to the crew) please
contact your local MCA marine office for advice. Your boat will be considered
as a ‘passenger ship’ and will be subject to more stringent regulations.
Safety advice for going afloat:

• Contact the national governing body for your activity and get trained
by the experts.
• Wear a lifejacket or buoyancy aid.
• Check the tides and weather forecast.
• Carry a communications device and detection aids (for example
VHF radio and EPIRB). Make sure that you know how to use them
and who to call in an emergency.
• Avoid alcohol – don’t drink and drown.
Other advice:
• Be courteous to other water users and respect their space.
• Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return.
Ask them to call the Coastguard if you are not back soon after you’re
expected.
• Register with our voluntary safety identification scheme, CG66.
See page 8 for more information.
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Pleasure Vessels
Legislation applicable to pleasure vessels

Prevention of Collision Regulations
All pleasure vessels must comply
with the International Regulations
for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
The International Regulations for
Preventing Collisions at Sea can be
found in Merchant Shipping Notice
(MSN) 1781 (M+F) as amended.
Visit www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/colregs
Safety of Navigation
(SOLAS Chapter V)
While most of the SOLAS Convention
only applies to large commercial ships,
parts of Chapter V deal with safety of
navigation for all pleasure vessels.
The requirements are that:
• any voyage is properly planned prior to being undertaken
(Regulation V/34);
• pleasure vessels must, as far as practicable, be fitted with a radar reflector
(Regulation V/19);
• an illustrated table of lifesaving signals must be carried on board where
possible (Regulation V/29);
• the skipper of a pleasure vessel must report any dangers to navigation
and respond to distress messages. This can be done by contacting the
Coastguard and reporting directly to them (Regulations V31, V/32
and V/33);
• distress signals must not be misused (Regulation V/35).
The MCA produces a SOLAS V leaflet and a lifesaving signals leaflet.
See page 9 for details.
3
MCA Guidance
Safety Equipment
Pleasure vessels of 13.7 metres in length or over are obliged to comply with
the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for ships other than ships
of Class III to VI (A)) Regulations 1999 and the Merchant Shipping (Fire
Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998. These vessels are classified as
being Class XII in these Regulations. Please see the MCA Pleasure Vessel
Information Pack (see page 9) for more details on the requirements for these
vessels
Inland Waterways
When using your pleasure vessel on inland waters there may be local
navigational requirements and you should check with the navigation
authority to find out what they are. You can get information about
navigation authorities from the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities
(AINA) (www.aina.org.uk)
Some larger navigation authorities will require your vessel to be registered
with a navigation licence if it is kept or used on their waterways. Your vessel
may also need to be inspected in accordance with the Boat Safety Scheme
(BSS) (www.boatsafetyscheme.com)
Harbours Acts – Powers of Harbour Masters

The Harbours Acts of 1946 and 1996 and the Fisheries Centre Harbours
Act 1980 give harbour masters the power to create bye-laws within the
limits of their port areas. Whilst the majority of shipping within such ports
is commercial, all pleasure vessels need to comply with relevant bye-laws.
Details of these are available from the harbour masters’ offices.
Prevention of Pollution (MARPOL)

There are various laws governing the dumping of waste at sea, including
oil and garbage. We therefore strongly recommend that you do not dump
waste into the sea, but retain it on board. You can then dispose of it in
reception facilities ashore, to avoid breaking these regulations.
4
Pleasure Vessels
Alcohol
The sea and alcohol do not mix. We recommend that
you avoid drinking alcohol whilst afloat.
Don’t drink and drown
Operation of Pleasure Vessels

– Minimum Age
Although not legislation, it is widely
recommended that children under 16 should
not operate a personal watercraft
or fast power vessel and that children under
12 should not operate a vessel with an
engine rating of more than
5 hp.
Enforcement
Anyone failing to adhere to the
regulations listed in this leaflet can be
prosecuted, face imprisonment and/
or a substantial fine.
5
MCA Guidance
Lifejackets and buoyancy aids

Whilst there are no laws in the UK requiring
buoyancy aids or lifejackets to be worn,
they have been proven to save lives; so we
recommend that you wear one. Make sure
that you select and wear the correct type for
your particular recreational activity.
Buoyancy aids
Buoyancy aids are simple foam filled waistcoats that provide limited
buoyancy when immersed in the water. You should wear one when you
go canoeing, kayaking, dinghy sailing, windsurfing, or use a personal
watercraft. A buoyancy aid, however, will not have enough buoyancy
to help people who cannot help themselves. You should take this into
consideration when selecting a personal floatation device.
Lifejackets
If you’re buying a lifejacket make sure that it’s fitted with a whistle and light,
retro-reflective tape, a lifting strap, crotch-straps and a spray hood. All of
these features will help increase survival times and the likelihood of rescue.
Emergency inflation toggles should be clearly visible and accessible.
Lifejackets are intended for general coastal and offshore use in a variety of
conditions. Some lifejackets are designed to automatically inflate if you fall
into the water and a good lifejacket should provide at least 150 newtons
of buoyancy. If you fall into the water, you will begin to gasp and your
breathing will become more rapid. This could result in you breathing in
water. A good lifejacket will keep your airways clear of the water during this
time. You should wear a lifejacket when sailing or motor boating.
Look for the ‘wheelmark’ and ‘kite mark’ as the primary indicators of a
quality product ask for a products newton rating, and always purchase from
a reputable source.
Lifejackets and buoyancy aids should be inspected before and after use,
and serviced regularly. Many lifejacket manufacturers provide information
on correct wear, user checks and service intervals. Further advice is readily
available from the MCA (www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/lifejackets) RYA
(www.rya.org.uk/go/lifejacket) and RNLI (www.rnli.org.uk/wearone).
6
Pleasure Vessels
A lifejacket
is useless
unless worn!
7
MCA Guidance
EPIRBS
The primary type of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
(EPIRB) is a 406 MHz beacon.
406 MHz beacons transmit a digital signal for reception by satellites,
forming a system that covers most of the world. They have a unique
identification code transmitted as part of the distress signal that provides
information about the boat carrying the beacon, including the owner’s
emergency contact details.
Registration of your beacon is mandatory and can be done at the UK 406
MHz Beacon Registry at Falmouth by e-mailing [email protected] or
phoning 01326 211569. It is also essential that you notify us if you change
ownership. See MSN 1816 under publications on the MCA website for more
information or visit www.mcga.gov.uk/epirb.
CG66 voluntary safety identification scheme

The CG66 voluntary safety identification scheme is a database of vessel
details, available to all our Coastguard co-ordination centres throughout
the UK. It can be used to help find you quickly should you need search
and rescue action at sea. To join the scheme we will need this information
about your vessel:
• its size and colour;
• its radio and navigation equipment;
• the lifesaving equipment it carries;
• your usual area of operation and mooring; and
• an onshore contact whilst you are at sea.
You can join on-line by visiting www.mcga.gov.uk/cg66, or get the forms
from your local Coastguard station, MCA marine offices, RNLI boathouses
or your local marina or sailing club.
8
Pleasure Vessels
Additional Information
For more information visit the MCA website (www.mcga.gov.uk)
and the MCA Pleasure Vessel Information Pack (www.mcga.gov.
uk/c4mca/pleasurevessel).
The MCA also produces a number of free leaflets with further detail about
regulations for pleasure vessels, safety equipment and navigation.
Maritime Safety Information (MSI) – Leaflet MCA/064
NAVTEX – Leaflet MCA/080
Channel Navigation Information System (CNIS) – Leaflet MCA/013
Automatic Identification System (AIS) – Leaflet MCA/183
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS V) – Leaflet MCA/098
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) – Leaflet MCA/103
Emergency Alerting-leaflet MCA/nav/001
Contact [email protected] to request copies. Tel: 0845 603 2431
9
MCA Guidance
Useful Contacts
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (www.mcga.gov.uk) is the
government agency responsible for safer lives, safer ships and cleaner
seas.
The RYA (www.rya.org.uk) is the national governing body for sailing,
motor boating and windsurfing.
The British Canoe Union (www.bcu.org.uk) is the national governing
body for canoeing and kayaking.
The RYA is the national representative body for using PWC, and the
Personal Watercraft Partnership (www.pwpuk.org), is a committee
made up of industry experts whose aim is to expand and support
PWC activities.
The RNLI (www.rnli.org.uk) is an independent charity helping
to save lives at sea.
In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the coastguard
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Pleasure Vessels
11
Further information
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG
Tel: 02380 329100
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mcga.gov.uk
This publication is available in a number of languages and formats.

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MCA Guidance for

Around three million people enjoy going afloat in the UK every

Safety advice for going afloat:

Legislation applicable to pleasure vessels

Harbours Acts – Powers of Harbour Masters

Prevention of Pollution (MARPOL)

Operation of Pleasure Vessels

Lifejackets and buoyancy aids

CG66 voluntary safety identification scheme

This publication is available in a number of languages and formats.

An executive agency of the

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