Kuster Yachts ensures that all yachts leaving its yard have the CE mark. They meet the requirements drawn up in the ‘Conformité Européenne’ directive, containing 27 standards which must be met for a CE marking to be granted.

 

In the past, yards built their ships in accordance with their own standards and/or the clients’ demands. They went under many different names… Warships, sea ships, boats for inland shipping, fishing boats and even the first small yachts which were used as war ships to hunt down larger vessels and for recreational purposes.

 

Over the last few decades, the number and range of pleasure boats has grown exponentially and yards have been making major investments which they want to earn back in one go. Free trade for quality and reliability was what most yards had in mind, particularly the larger ones.

 

Towards the end of the 20th century, it was the French who insisted on setting certain standards for boats which could be used in the European Union. It took a few years, but on November 29, 1996, the CE marking Recreational Craft Directive was implemented in the EU. Any yard wanting to market boats in Europe must make sure it builds certified vessels. Boats which meet all strict requirements concerning stability, strength, watertightness, safety and all systems on board, fire safety, seaworthiness and taxability.

 

 

Suddenly guard rails had to be a certain height, hatches were given minimum sizes and there were stringent requirements on their accessibility. These and many other requirements had an influence on the sizes and shapes of boats, inside and out. The then young Kuster Yachts yard immediately decided to embrace the CE markings and adjusted its methods accordingly. Designing new yachts in conformity with these regulations, we applied for certification.

 

Now Kuster Yachts is obliged to carry the CE marking so every boat is supplied with a plate containing the CE mark. This plate also mentions the maximum load of the boat, the maximum number of people onboard, and the design category in which the boat was built: A for ocean, B for sea, C for coastal and D for protected waters. The boat then receives a Hull Identification Number (the HIN code) and we supply an owners manual.

 

Using the CE marking implies that the product meets the requirements of the Recreational Craft Directive. European Certification Bureau Nederland BV has been appointed by the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Water Management to perform the legally binding checks.

 

 Sipko van Sluis explains the developments in relation to the CE markings of semi-built to serial-built: “Increasingly, more and more Dutch yards only offer boats that allow for no changes. This is understandable as any tampering with a certified design means tampering with the certification of the design. Changes to a design are always costly so the majority of the features of our boats are pre-determined. Customers recognise that this is necessary and that their boat must be sturdy and safe. We build exceptionally reliable products, and that benefits the owner, his boat and our yard.”