What is ‘boat coding’ and why is it so important?
Any boat used for charter (or any alternative commercial operation) will need to have been coded by the owner. Coding certification is a measure enforced by the MCA to ensure that any boats used commercially are safe to take afloat and meet legal requirements.
Quite simply, if you receive payment for the use of your vessel or by an individual sailing with you then this is classed as commercial use and will need to adhere to the MCA Code of Practice (MGN280)
Coding Categories
Depending on the nature of use, the size of the vessel, and the distance intended to travel will determine the category of coding. All yachts on our charter fleet are commercially coded to category 2 which is 60 miles from a safe haven (a point at which you can safely tie up and make repairs to the vessel)
How many passengers can a vessel carry?
The maximum number of passengers you are allowed to carry is 12 (skipper and crew can be in addition to this)
Ultimately the number of people you are allowed to carry depends on the stability of the vessel. As a guide you can consult the ISO Design category of your vessel which can be found on your CE conformity plaque normally located in the cockpit. This will give you a category A – C and a number of persons.
This rating equates as follows :-
- A – MCA category 0 / 1
- B – MCA Category 2 / 3
- C – MCA category 5 / 6
What’s involved?
The amount of equipment needed to bring a yacht up to a coded level will vary depending on what equipment the yacht already has, a comprehensive inventory is absolutely essential. Vessels will also be subject to a full out-of-the-water survey before a certificate is issued including;
- Hull, machinery, system, and electrical inspection.
- Stability assessment.
- Fire safety assessment.
- Verification of lifesaving equipment.
- Safety & medical equipment inspection.
You will find some small modifications will be required to the vessel, alongside a fairly standardised list of safety equipment and other onboard items. Modifications necessary are detailed in the MCA Harmonised Code MGN 280. This can seem overwhelming to digest so we provide support and full assistance with the preparation for the registration of your boat. This includes organising the survey, lifts, and storage of your vessel, undertaking modifications in an aesthetic manner, servicing or fitting all required safety equipment, liaising with surveyors to assist with forms and paperwork, and renewals of current coding requirements whilst your vessel is in our care.
Once coded a certificate is valid for up to 5 years, but inspected annually this is to ensure that the yacht’s structural integrity and equipment continue to conform to the highest standards required.
Contact us if you have any questions about registering your yacht on our charter fleet or coding requirements.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
This is truly a 5 * service. The team really looked after us both ashore on arrival and also while at sea. We were a relatively inexperienced crew but always felt the team ashore had our backs. Thoroughly recommended.
I just wanted to say Thank-you very much for the weekend charter. It was exactly what we were after (albeit cold!) plus Andy was an awesome teacher and great company. We’ll definitely be keen to book again soon!
We had a fabulous four days. Marina is ideally placed for the Solent, boat was in great condition, well equipped and a joy to sail. We were well briefed and the shore side team including the dog very friendly.
We charted one of the sailing yachts for a fantastic weekend cruise in the Solent. The boat was in superb condition and well equipped, the staff was very helpful explaining how things work on the yacht and there was also a video available with all the important information. 10/10 would recommend!
Had a fantastic week chartering Blue Otter, Alex was incredibly helpful and sent loads of information and date checking prior to booking. There was a handover video and both the handover and return were really smooth. The boat was lovely and well maintained and Lee was really helpful in recommending places to visit (and helping identify the steering issue as an autopilot takeover - doh!). Definitely will be back and would fully recommend!
Just back from a lovely week in the Solent. Great service from HPYC from first inquiry through to return handover. Very straightforward to deal with, and the yacht was in excellent condition. We've chartered from many companies in the UK and abroad and the attention to detail (and flawless inventory!) was second to none. Everything about the yacht and equipment had clearly been well looked after and was in immaculate condition. Great service, will use again.
Always very friendly service, and well-maintained yachts. Easy check-in and checkout. Will be back...
We had a great time and were very happy with everything. Your team were genuinely friendly and were very helpful when we needed it. Is a big contrast to many charter companies I have dealt with in the past.
Watching the sun go down with a glass of bubbly on the deck of a sparkling yacht was unbelievable. What a treat, and a much needed change of scenery in these troubled times. We will be back for sure
Fab service, nothing too much trouble, including my daft questions. I'll be a repeat customer for sure!
We had a great time sailing with Lee for a few days at the beginning of September. Hamble Point Yacht Charters supplied us an impeccable 45 ft Hanse yacht, which was handled with complete mastery by Captain Lee. It was a privilege to sail with Lee, who is clearly a highly skilled professional taking great pride in his work ... but who is also a fantastic character with a great sense of humour and plenty of fun stories to keep the whole family entertained. He balances the serious side of safety and learning about sailing with a whopping dose of amusement and good cheer. We sailed the Solent in some decent seas, visited Bucklers Hard on the banks of the Beaulieu River and learned lots about British nautical history. Our boys started somewhat of a fishing trend catching bass off the back of the boat in Portsmouth and we would love to sail with Lee again in the future. The man truly knows his stuff, maintained the boat impeccably and went to every effort to ensure that we had a great time. Many thanks to “Shippers” and Hamble Point Charters. We’ll be back.
Chartered bareboats with HPYC on numerous occasions most recently in Sept 2020. Always helpful and accommodating. Highly recommend.
We had a fantastic weekend sailing on Loxley B. Boat in super condition and spotlessly clean, Alex. and the team very thorough and always on hand to answer any questions. A great experience. We will be back. Thank you!
Lots of information from office with a friendly service. We selected a one of the cheaper yachts and was please with find everything work and was cleaned and tidy. We will definitely be back
This was the first time we had tried chartering and as experienced racing sailors we didn't know what to expect. Covid has closed down all our events this year so this was a chance to get afloat at least once in 2020. What a great experience and Alex and all the Hamble staff could not have been more friendly or helpful. We had a great three days and we will be back !! We would have no hesitation is recommending Hamble Point Yacht Charters.