Super-yacht Classification Rules

The low dollar has a lot to do with it.

 

Just a couple of notes:
- Yachts over 24 m length are not covered by the EU's RCD. IMO, SOLAS, etc norms are the ones applicable.
- I have colleague and friend who designs superyachts. He says owners are deeply involved in the design/construction process and they use to be a pain in the ***.

 

I went to a seminar in Seattle about 10 years ago where a builder gave a presentation about a custom yacht built for a private party. The buyer was a sheer pain in the ***. The builder lost a lot of money on the contract. Now he has clauses in his contract that the buyer has to sign up front that covers changes and costs due to changes a limits the buyer involvement in the actual construction has begun.

 

just a few years back there was no rules except colreg ( IMO)and whatever your flag state asked for but never checked coz ya made sure never to go to that country.
Keep under 12 guests on charter on you where home free.

Insurance companies ( do did?) look at mega yachts as money for old rope.

I left that industry in 95 and an owner could build anything and get anybody to drive and crew it and even charter it???
Things have improved somewhat now but I can say from 85 to 95 most mega yachts where NOT built to class as it added to the price and ones that were let it drop.
Just ask someone that worked on one of those Broward **** heaps, even Americans are scared to go out to sea on those and those guys led the world in the most feet of mega yacht launched in those years ...most ( if not all ?) not built to class.

 

Building to class MCA ect.

A note to add to the general conversation. I don't know how familiar most of you are with the MCA LY2 (the updated MCA) however, the crux of the MCA is this: the MCA puts most of the regulation of standards on a class society and the flag state. The class society can be GL, ABS, Lloyds ect. And of course every flag state has its own requirements. The US has the USCG, the Caymen Islands has the Caymen Island registry ect. Occasionally the MCA tosses in requirements of its own. Other than that, the rest of the MCA is a rebadging of SOLAS requirements particularly when it comes to life saving and fire requirements. Sooooo, if you are interested in building a boat and having it meet MCA requirements, perhaps a good place to start would be obtaining a copy of the MCA LY2, consider the state where the vessel is to be flagged and then look for a set of rules that you easily understand.
A small note: While IACS signers must accept the results of other class societies, they only have to accept those results if the vessel is classed. Meaning the vessels plans must be reviewed, all comments resolved, and appropriately stamped. IACS signers do not have to accept the DESIGN of a boat to another rule set.
Also, generally what sends a super yacht to the MCA or a class society is this: The Commercial notation (meaning it can earn its keep by chartering) and its resale value on the secondary market. Even if you didn't plan on chartering your superyacht, MCA (and therefore a class society notation) greatly increases the secondary market value as the notation says that it was designed and built to some set of standards that have been agreed upon (by a large body of people with considerable history in the marine field) to produce a safe, seaworthy vessel vs. some builder and designers personal experiences that determine the safety of the vessel.
Regardless, it is a crazy stack of obtuse paper to read and understand and it is guaranteed to put any insomniac to sleep!

 

Maybe the future is MCA, as a tax payer funded organisation, it will be more useful than the others LLoyds, DNV, ABS. RINA, etc who earn money by agreeing to certify what you tell them to although thats not what their mission statements say they are competing with each other for a builders / owners money. A fundamental conflict of interest.

 

re owners being a pain
I always welcomed their input, building boats is a very personal thing, the relationship between builder and owner has to be close and personal if not you end up in litigation
On the other hand many nouveau riche are a pain, seemingly ill mannered with no breeding)
i understand the yard Huisman, which is undoubtedly the top world yard, gives a price in hours, once the hours exceed that specified time, the owner is paying the extra. Sounds like a very good idea
I often built on chargeup, that is all costs were met by the owner, month by month, all that was set was the hourly rate
Works well but the owner has to completely trust the builder