Certificate of Compliance

[Wolakrab]

Mac,
I recently had a USCG Auxiliary safety inspection on my 28 and the only thing the inspector made a comment on is the lack of a capacity placard. By federal law, it is not required on this boat, but some states require the placard or a certificate of compliance. Do you know how I go about getting a certificate of compliance?

[Mac]

The capacity placard you refer to does not go beyond 20' in length. The Coast Guard gives us a formula to calculate the capacity and HP based on displacement (size). This formula does not go beyond 20' and anything you do beyond is speculative. We have chosen to use their formula and not put placards on rather than make up a label.

The only capacity we do have comes from the European label (EU) which list the capacity at 850 kg and 10 people.

Bottom line, good old "common sense" applies. The explanation the US Coast Guard inspector gave was that most boat owners in the 21'+ market were savy enough to make a common sense decision and that construction normally was such that it was a non issue.

[Wolakrab]

Thanks, Mac.
Is there any way I can get a copy of that EU label?