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Chartering a Boat - A few things to think about

Q: What does coded mean?
All charter boats are operated on a commercial basis. This means that they must comply with government regulations. For UK registered vessels these are "Codes of Practice" which are policed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Coding defines the qualifications of the crew, how many people the boat can take, how far it can go out to sea and what safety equipment it must carry.

It does not cover diving equipment such as ladders, lifts or compressors. If you book to go out on an uncoded boat it will probably be cheaper but it may not be there on the day you booked because it has been locked up by the MCA for being unsafe and uncoded.

Q: How do I find out if a boat is coded?
The easiest way is to ask the operator or skipper when you are discussing the booking. If you do not fancy doing that,have a look at the MCA website where coded boats are listed by name and port? go to http://www.mcga.gov.uk, and then click on Code Vessel Database. If a boat is shown here it means that it is definitely coded and you will also find a link to the boat's web site and other contact information. If the boat is not on the web site, it may still be coded but you will need to phone 023 8032 9549 and ask the MCA office directly. You can also e-mail your enquiries to HQ_inspection@mcga.gov.uk.