All You Need to Know About the Recreational Craft Directive

The new Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) 2013/53/EU superseded the RCD 2003/44/EC on the 18^th January 2017.  The main difference between the old and the new directives is that boat owners whose craft fall within the scope are now responsible to ensure that their craft is compliant. Now, almost all recreational craft built after the 16^th June 1998 must comply.

This directive sets out the minimum requirements of a recreational craft for its suitability for sale within the EU (European Union) and EEA (European Economic Area). It applies to all craft, whether imported into or built within the EU, that are between 2.5 and 24 metres in hull length.

Owners, builders and importers of the crafts are under legal obligation to follow the rules of this legislation. If they import a boat from outside the EU or make fundamental changes to a boat which was previously certified, they must get it the boat assessed for the RCD. Previously, only commercial importers and boat builders were responsible.

The directive covers the construction of the boat as well as some of the equipment on it such as the engine and the steering system, including hydraulic pumps for autopilots on motor yachts.  Equipment covered by the directive should be supplied with an EU Declaration of Conformity.

The Hy-Pro range of PR+ pumps for use with autopilots are supplied with a Declaration of Conformity for the RCD.  For us to do this, they have been tested to the following:

• EN 28846:1993 Electrical devices – Protection against ignition of surrounding flammable gases.
• EN ISO 10592:1995 Small Craft – Hydraulic steering systems.
• EN60945:2002 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Preventing interference with other equipment including the radio and navigation.

We are very proud of this status, and it puts us ahead of our competitors with the protection against ignition.  Any electrical device without this certification should not be used where there are petrol fumes.

As well as this certification, our PR+ pumps are also certified to IP67, which means they are resistant to immersion in water up to 1 metre in depth for 30 minutes. For obvious reasons, this is important for boats, but it is another area where we stand out in the industry.

For more information about our PR+ pumps, please click here.

 

The Royal Yachting Association  have published a Compliance Guide which provides more information about the Recreational Craft Directive that can be found here.