What standard is my new boat built to?

Under Australian law, pretty much anyone can start a boat-building business. However, there is a certain level of expectation built into the way boats are registered that ensures they’re safe to take out on the water.

In 2006, Australia introduced something called the National Standard for the Australian Builders Plate for Recreational Boats.

This new standard set a number of benchmarks that every new recreational power boat had to meet before it could be approved for sale here.

The standard states that as well as meeting certain safety goals, almost every new boat built or sold in Australia must be fitted with a permanent plaque called an Australian Builders Plate (ABP) that shows it meets or exceeds the minimum standards. 

Exemptions apply for specialist vessels such as commercial boats, race boats and any boats that are built to use sails as their main means of propulsion. 

Likewise, older boats built before the standard was first introduced in 2006 may not have one fitted and are still okay to buy. If an older boat is fitted with an ABP, it could mean the vessel was significantly modified after 2006.

This ABP stays with the boat for its entire lifespan. It is fitted in a highly visible area and displays all the basic safety information about a boat, including how powerful and heavy an engine it can use, the maximum number of people and weight of gear it can carry, and for boats measuring less than 6.0 metres, how well it floats when it sinks.

The ABP can also show how many people can safely be on the flybridge, or upper deck, of a boat.

Those numbers are calculated according to the standard. The standard is reviewed regularly to help improve the safety of recreational boating and is currently up to its fifth edition.

It’s up to boat builders and importers to run the calculations outlined in the standard and ensure that their product meets or exceeds it. Some of these numbers, especially for the engines, will come from real-world testing, while others will be theoretical based on hard numbers such as the length and beam of the boat.

The ABP also shows who built the boat and when, and the boat’s unique Hull Identification Number (HIN). The HIN is similar to the Vehicle Identification Number that is stamped on a passenger car and important for tracing it if ever it is stolen.

From time to time, the state or territory-based marine safety watchdogs, such as Marine Safety Queensland, Transport NSW or Marine Safety Victoria, can ask boat makers or importers to show how they calculate that their product meets the standard.

They can also ask a boat maker or importer to provide the numbers for three of their boats to ensure the standard is being applied consistently across the model range.

The short answer is no, as using a vessel contrary to the information on the ABP is currently not an offence.

However, police and other marine authorities can stop a boat and inspect the ABP if they believe the vessel is overloaded.

That’s not a green flag to overload a boat or amp up its performance, though. If something happens and you’ve not followed the advice on the ABP, the boat’s skipper may be asked to justify why they turned a blind eye to the manufacturer’s sound advice.

Another reason to check the ABP is that a quick skim of your boat’s insurance policy is likely to show that if you’re using your boat outside of the manufacturer’s guidelines and something goes wrong, you’re probably not going to be covered.

The hidden risk of upgrading a boat’s engine is to fit an engine that is too heavy. Boats are built to keep a certain amount of the hull above the waterline, even when people are standing down the back of it, and adding a heavier engine will make it more likely that a boat can be swamped.

In the end, failing to comply with the ABP could prove very expensive for a boat owner.