What is CE Certification for boats, and why is it suddenly important?

One of the suggestions to come out of the inquiry was that Australia looks at introducing a similar rating system for larger boats as the CE Certification system that applies to every boat sold in Europe.

CE certificates are issued via the Belgium-based International Marine Certification Institute, a group set up in 1993 to draw a line under recreational boat safety. It has since expanded its reach to include the US-based National Marine Manufacturers Association as a collaborator.

The idea behind the CE Category rating system is to draw a clear line between the boats that are capable of heading offshore, and those that should stay in or near protected waters.

CE Certifications are governed by a regulation that includes all European Union members and Great Britain. These regulations set safety and environmental standards for every recreational boat up to 24 metres in length, including personal watercraft and project boats undergoing repowering.

The certification process includes an assessment of the boat build’s technical details and, in some cases, a physical inspection of the boat by an approved assessor.

Boats are rated under one of four categories. The classification also limits how many people a boat is allowed to carry, but we’ll overlook that for this article – but be aware that the number of people on board could mean the boat’s CE Category can fall to a lower rating as a result.

CE Certification uses four design categories simply named as A, B, C or D.

The difference between each of the categories rates the boat according to the maximum wind speed and maximum significant wave height that the boat can handle while out on the water, a strong indication of the seaworthiness of the boat.

Of note, no recreational boat receives a design category that covers it for heading out in hurricane conditions or extreme weather. 

A Category A rating is the toughest design category that is given to boats capable of long ocean passages such as flagship models from the Australian luxury motor yacht manufacturers, such as the Riviera 72 Sports Motor Yacht.

What it means is that the boat given the Category A “Ocean” rating is capable of withstanding winds of more than 40 knots (or Force 8 on the Beaufort scale) and a significant wave height of more than 4.0 metres. However, that rating excludes abnormal weather, such as hurricanes.

The boats also need to be self-sufficient for long passages and extended anchoring in remote places.

A Category B boat is still capable of heading offshore but is limited in how much weather it can handle. Significantly, to get this CE Certification “Offshore” rating, a boat must be capable of handling winds up to 40 knots (Force 8 on the Beaufort scale) and significant wave heights of less than 4.0 metres.

This category applies to boats designed for shorter, less arduous sea voyages such as the Maritimo M55, which is still capable of extended trips along the coast, but skippers need to be mindful of the conditions they expect along the journey.

Hypothetically, skippers are straying no more than about 200 nautical miles from shore. 

If you’re in a Category C boat, you’re not going to be pointing the bow far offshore. Instead, the CE Certification C “Inshore” rating means you’re boat is going to be best suited to coastlines, bays and lake systems and winds up to 27 knots (Force 6 on the Beaufort scale) and a significant wave height of around 2.0 meters – not a lot in the scheme of things.

This classification suits boats such as the Grady White 236 Fisherman that, even though it is a sizeable fishing boat, is not certified to tackle stuff that’s too rough with confidence.

A surprising number of small RIBs are included in this category, showing the benefit of having an inflated collar around the boat’s hull.

This is the lowest level of seaworthiness under the CE Certification process. It’s a rating for those boats that should only be used on small lakes or rivers and sheltered waterways such as the Gold Coast Broadwater, with winds restricted to a maximum of around 16 knots (Force 4 on the Beaufort scale) and waves of around 0.5 metres.

The most logical boats in this category are small outboard-engined and sail-powered dinghies. Flicking through this category, though, reveals there are a surprising number of ski and wakesports boats listed.

New recreational boats sold in Australia must be fitted with an Australian Builders Plate that sets out the basic safety needs of the vessel the plate is fitted to.

It includes information such as the boat's maximum loading capacity, maximum engine power and the flotation performance of the boat in the case of an emergency. 

However, the ABP system – Australia doesn’t use the CE Certification system – was criticised by the coroner for providing too little information about the safety of bigger boats.

Of note, the boat at the centre of the coroner’s investigation failed basic safety benchmarks for stability that would have been highlighted in the CE Certification process.

In Australia, there is no need for documentation or inspections that demonstrate that a boat complies with standards. Instead, it is left up to the boat builder or importer to vouch that the boat complies with them. 

In short, the NSW deputy coroner believes there are motor yachts out there that should only be used in enclosed waters, but owners are taking them out in conditions beyond what they were built to tackle.

Because these motor yachts are unrated, it is not known how many of them are out there.

There are two options available for you:

One of the first questions you should be asking a broker or dealer is if the motor yacht you’re looking at has a CE Classification.

If the answer is no, have the boat professionally inspected, including a sea trial that should identify any stability problems. 

In Australia, only Tasmania has something close to a roadworthy certificate for boats, requiring both the sellers and buyers of used boats to certify that what they are buying is in a seaworthy state at the time of the sale.

The bylaws were introduced to try and stop unsafe boats being sold cheaply on social media and getting into trouble out on the water in the hands of their new owners.