New Zealand boat certification

I've recently been reading about the safety requirements for New Zealand registered boats. Their new laws require all recreational boats leaving the country to be certified for Category 1 (offshore) racing.

I had a look at the requirements for Category 1 yachts, and they certainly are thorough. Perhaps too much so.
http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/sites/...ulations of Sailing 17-20 (Final) (small).pdf

They have a separate set of requirements for power boats departing the country. They seem to be much more lenient on power boats. Here's the requirements.


MOTORYACHTS EMBARKING ON OFFSHORE PASSAGES
BASIC REQUIREMENT (Based On Category 1 Requirements)

Any vessel venturing offshore shall be of sufficiently robust construction and be of a volume to be able to carry:
(i) Sufficient fuel in safe tankage, with strong preference for internal tanks.
(ii) Sufficient stores to make a safe trip.


INSPECTION LIST

1.0 Hull and Design
(a) Minimum 12 metres in length.
(b) All hulls should have Designer’s or Builder’s Certificate as to suitability and fitness for the purpose. This includes stability calculations loaded and unloaded.
(c) Emphasis to be put on the ‘displacement/length formula’ which helps to validate the vessel’s suitability. (d) Minimum of two water-tight bulkheads - one collision bulkhead forward plus one other.

2.0 Tankage
(a) Ideally sufficient fuel capacity in integral tanks for the length of passage plus 10% at coastal cruising speed. Any temporary tankage should be able to withstand a ‘Knockdown’ when full and should not adversely affect the trim of the vessel. All tanks to be accurately calibrated to allow monitoring of fuel consumption.

3.0 Mechanical and Fitted Systems
(a) Suitable main propulsion unit or units.
(b) Exhaust system and air intake suitable for continuous running. (c) Adequate bilge pumps - electrical and hand pump. (d) Alternative steering system to be demonstrated. (e) Adequate starting batteries and house batteries. (f) Dedicated battery for radio is recommended. (g) Ability to charge batteries by alternator plus one alternate method. (h) Secure fuel system with adequate filtering method.
(i) Suitable ground tackle recovery system (windlass).
(j) Appropriate stabilising equipment is recommended (flopper stopper - sail or active fin).
(k) Alternative means of propulsion (sail or secondary independent engine).

4.0 Accommodation
(a) Comfortable berths (with lee cloths when appropriate).
(b) Galley suitable for preparing hot food in rough sea conditions.
(c) Minimal large areas or suitable hand/grab rails for crew safety.
(d) Suitable area for navigation.
(e) Suitable stowage for provisions.

5.0 Safety
(a) Communication - SSB radio or satellite phone and mounted VHF and waterproof hand held VHF radio. (b) Handrails to regulation height around working deck (see SR Part II).
(c) Self draining cockpit and freeing ports in bulwarks.
(d) Suitable ground tackle including 2 anchors, 2 warps and chains.
(e) Sea anchor, drogue/s or tyres with suitable warps and chafing gear to enable the vessel to lie head to sea or slow down in storm conditions. Suitable bollards to be fitted.
(f) Flares, fire extinguishers, lifebuoys, lifejackets and EPIRB and all other relevant safety systems to the same specification as Category 1 yachts.
(g) Jack line plus two harnesses.

6.0 Spares
(a) Sufficient spare oil to effect a complete oil change plus oil filters.
(b) Adequate primary and secondary fuel filters.
(c) Adequate spare V belts.
(d) One or more injector/s.
(e) One or more universal injector pipe/s.
(f) Engine spares as recommended by engine manufacturer and supplier.
(g) Water pump kit/s.
(h) Fuel lift pump kit/s, including tool to bleed fuel system.
(i) Adequate tools.
(j) A schedule of spares must be presented and approved by the Inspector.
(k) Service manuals for all equipment.

7.0 Crew
Crew should be experienced and competent. Reminder: “It is the inescapable responsibility of the master to ensure that the vessel has a crew that is sufficient in number and is:
(a) Able to navigate.
(b) Capable of handling the vessel in offshore conditions.
(c) Able to effect basic repairs at sea.
(d) Able to plan passage including fuel and stores consumption and graphs.

Any idea what the driver for these changes was? I imagine those folks with boats for sale in NZ will not be very happy. Were I buying a boat in NZ I would simply add to the contract words to the effect that any costs associated with compliance to those regs would be met by the seller. They may not be insignificant.

Spares

6.0 Spares
(a) Sufficient spare oil to effect a complete oil change plus oil filters.
(b) Adequate primary and secondary fuel filters.
(c) Adequate spare V belts.
(d) One or more injector/s.
(e) One or more universal injector pipe/s.
(f) Engine spares as recommended by engine manufacturer and supplier.
(g) Water pump kit/s.
(h) Fuel lift pump kit/s, including tool to bleed fuel system.
(i) Adequate tools.
(j) A schedule of spares must be presented and approved by the Inspector.
(k) Service manuals for all equipment.



All nice to have but what use are theses spares unless you have a mechanical person on board ?

Setting aside all the philosophical arguments about regulation, that's a pretty comprehensive list, and on first inspection, a pretty good list of preparations for an off shore voyage in that part of the world. Any trip departing the country means an off shore voyage of what, 1200 nm or more? Personally I think it's all good stuff to do.

I do see one thing that would be a problem if I needed to comply with this. They say you need to carry one or more universal injector pipes. I don't think there is such a thing on a common-rail engine, given the very high pressures. I've never see a formable pipe with a 30,000 psi pressure rating. Perhaps one of our diesel experts can comment?

As for motivation, I expect it's because the NZ gov doesn't want to be out rescuing ill-prepared boaters.

If I remember right, In the mid 90's, NZ passed Section 21 that required a pre-passage/departure inspection on all yachts, including foreign vessels. It caused a huge fight and brought up the question of boaters rights in foreign ports. Eventually foreign yachts were exempt. Right or wrong NZ as twistedtree mentioned,"...the NZ gov doesn't want to be out rescuing ill-prepared boaters".

The Republic of South Africa also has a vessel inspection for their recreational boats. Based on the size and level of inspection, you can be limited on where you can go and you also have to file a float plan before you leave the harbor. Similar to NZ, it is tied to SAR.

1.0 Hull and Design
(a) Minimum 12 metres in length.
(b) All hulls should have Designer’s or Builder’s Certificate as to suitability and fitness for the purpose. This includes stability calculations loaded and unloaded.
(c) Emphasis to be put on the ‘displacement/length formula’ which helps to validate the vessel’s suitability.
(d) Minimum of two water-tight bulkheads - one collision bulkhead forward plus one other.

Click to expand...

12 meters(a) is an odd number and "length" is not specific. Do they mean LWL, LOA, or LOD?

For older boats (b) will not be available.

(c) is interesting in that they are using DLR but do not define what is "suitable." Why not use MCF and/or CSF?

How many boats have water tight bulkheads? I do not see many. Having only two water tight bulkheads, where one is for a collision bulkhead, seems of rather limited utility.

Tis an interesting regulation but it seems full of enforcement problems and the Hull and Design section is full of holes.

Later,
Dan

gaston said:

Spares

6.0 Spares
(a) Sufficient spare oil to effect a complete oil change plus oil filters.
(b) Adequate primary and secondary fuel filters.
(c) Adequate spare V belts.
(d) One or more injector/s.
(e) One or more universal injector pipe/s.
(f) Engine spares as recommended by engine manufacturer and supplier.
(g) Water pump kit/s.
(h) Fuel lift pump kit/s, including tool to bleed fuel system.
(i) Adequate tools.
(j) A schedule of spares must be presented and approved by the Inspector.
(k) Service manuals for all equipment.



All nice to have but what use are theses spares unless you have a mechanical person on board ?

Click to expand...

That person is in 7.0 (c)