Coding checklist

[freescubauk]

Hi all,
I've been looking through the various posts concerning coding and although there is some really good advise its so spread out that it could take a week to sift out what I need.
I have a 5.3m zodiac rib with a 30hp mariner which is tiller steering. The rib was formally a ships boat and has a solas plaque rated for 6 (picture attached)
I teach diving and have my commercial powerboat and day skipper tickets, a vhf ticket and ENG1 in date medical. What I'm looking for is a check list of what I need to do and buy to get the boat ready for coding for myself plus 4 or 5 passengers
Thanks in advance

[ST6]

Hi freescubauk, I agree wading through even the Small Boat Code from the MCA takes it's time. In my experience if you contact the company/individual you plan to get it coded by they generally have quick check lists you can use.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by freescubauk

Hi all,
I've been looking through the various posts concerning coding and although there is some really good advise its so spread out that it could take a week to sift out what I need.
I have a 5.3m zodiac rib with a 30hp mariner which is tiller steering. The rib was formally a ships boat and has a solas plaque rated for 6 (picture attached)
I teach diving and have my commercial powerboat and day skipper tickets, a vhf ticket and ENG1 in date medical. What I'm looking for is a check list of what I need to do and buy to get the boat ready for coding for myself plus 4 or 5 passengers
Thanks in advance

I think you'll struggle to get a 5.3m boat with 5 or 6 people on board with dive gear, all the coding equipment required on the plane with a 30HP engine. Of course, a boat doesn't need to plane to get coded - but it might to be commercially viable. Your first question should probably be, where are you planning to use it. If its all within 3NM of a nominated departure point* in daylight you could restrict yourself to Cat 6 coding and MIGHT be able to make it work with various restrictions etc - so that you don't need a liferaft etc.

Checklists are all very well - but you need to read the rules to see what their definitions etc are - you'll struggle to simplify beyond just printing MGN280 and working systematically through it scoring out the irrelevant sections.

*there's a weird quirk where if you launch in categorised waters the NDP is the edge of the Cat Waters, so it may be further than you think.

[GuyC]

Welcome to the forum.

Even when the rules appear to be black and white surveyor have a habit of making them grey by applying their own interpretation.

My recommendation is to read the rules so you have a working knowledge of them - surveyors have more faith in people that don't look at them entirely blankly, pick out some bits that you are happy you comply with and some that might need a favourable interpretation. Then have a discussion with the surveyor along the lines of - I'd like to code my boat so I've had a look at the small craft code. I'm happy with a, b and c but I'd like some help with understanding x, y and z etc.

I'm not actually sure which one of the small craft codes you should be reading. I think it might be the 'red code' which is the one I've linked below.

https://assets.publishing.service.go...8/red_code.pdf

[Iankristy]

Post some photos of the boat it’ll help people give advice. I wouldn’t place much weight on the CE plate for numbers of coding it’s more about seating. Also what do you want to do with it in terms of trips? Distance from departure point? Sometimes the easiest/ cheapest/ least painful way would be to sell your boat and buy one that was coded for your intended use. Agree that contact with your chosen coding authority/ surveyor at the earliest point will set you up on the best track [emoji106]

[Dry_Doc]

I would echo the comments regarding speaking to a surveyor at the earliest opportunity. Spending a few quid to get their opinion is definitely the best option and will save you a load of hassle in the long run.

To comply with Category 4 (20nm from a safe haven in favourable weather and daylight) for 6 POB on a 6m boat, I have to have the following:

Main anchor, chain & warp.
Kedge anchor, chain & warp.
Liferaft (to accommodate all POB) with hydrostatic release.
H/H VHF.
Fixed VHF.
Flares (2 x H/H red, 2 x H/H orange smoke).
Torch.
Signal Lamp.
TPAs (x number of POB).
Safety lanyards x 2.
Sound signalling device.
Fixed compass & deviation card.
Hand bearing compass.
Emergency action cards (VHF and SOLAS).
Cat C first aid kit.
First aid guide (inc. malaria precautions).
Sponson pump.
Spare lifejacket x 2.
2 x 2kg powder fire extinguisher.
Throw line.
Lifering with light.
Lifering with 30m line attached.
Automatic bilge pump.
Manual bilge pump.
Bucket with line.
Emergency boarding ladder.
Emergency tiller.
Toolkit.
Drinking water (2litres per person).
Alternative propulsion (paddles).
Anchor ball.
Nav lights.
Radar reflector.
Red ensign.
Reserve fuel tank.
Alternative means of engine starting (dual battery system).
Suitable seating for all POB.

There's also paperwork such as the lifesaving appliances training manual, vessel log, lifejacket & liferaft service records, stability booklet (unless there's a very similar coded vessel you can use as a benchmark).

[Pete7]

There is an alternative, well in some places. Some councils run a boatmans qualification and inshore licence. Its the sort of thing a mackerel fishing trip boat out into the bay may have. Typically max of 3 miles from home port. Its less strict and more likely to be achieved on a 5.m rib. Having coded a 6.5m rib, the amount of stuff you need even for code 4, 20 miles off shore during daylight is astonishing and takes a 6.5m rib to carry it all.

Pete

[Tim M]

Originally Posted by Pete7

There is an alternative, well in some places. Some councils run a boatmans qualification and inshore licence. Its the sort of thing a mackerel fishing trip boat out into the bay may have. Typically max of 3 miles from home port. Its less strict and more likely to be achieved on a 5.m rib. Having coded a 6.5m rib, the amount of stuff you need even for code 4, 20 miles off shore during daylight is astonishing and takes a 6.5m rib to carry it all.



Pete

Agree with Pete - I licensed a couple of RIBs through this scheme. You didn’t originally need a life raft which was a big help on a small RIB. The general requirements were generally much less onerous.

National marine safety boats managed to fully MCA code a 5.4m Searider so it can be done, but you’ll be very limited in terms of passenger numbers.

Pete, did I see you in Morrison’s Gosport last week? Hard to tell with masks on but I was sure it was you.

[Searider]

I'd suggest contacting a local surveyor:

https://www.northeastyachtsurveys.co.uk/mca-coding

I've coded boats this small before, a 5.3m Humber and an Avon Searider 5.4m. The Humber was for training - a maximum of 4 persons and the Avon possibly only 2 persons. Stowing the gear is a challenge.
Local Authority licencing will probably be your best bet and a Local Surveyor best placed to advise you on this.

[Tim M]

Ps. If you want some basic checklists, contact Ocean Safety in Southampton. If you put in a sales enquiry they'll send you a really nice basic checklist for each level of coding along with prices - useful for making a basic assessment of what you need kit-wise.