NA required

I designed a couple of boats for village use in developing countries. The boats are slab sided, flat bottomed, recycled foam/fibreglass flat panels, filleted and glassed together. As simple, cheap and long lasting as possible, the aim being the ability to build them on the uneven floor of the village hall with no power tools. Several of the 4m double canoes and a couple of 6m catamarans have been built.

However, the authorities have refused to certify them, based on a report from a local ship's captain, employed as an advisor.

He would not approve them as:
They were not shipshape
They had flat bottoms
They were not well finished
They were not painted with marine paint
They had no stems, knees or gunwhale strakes

I am writing a rebuttal, would like advice on the following.

Are any of the terms in italics (shipshape, flat bottoms, well finished, marine paint) included in any certification rules? If so, which?
Are stems and knees included in any certification rules for 4m and 6m one off foam/fibreglass recreational boats?
Are there certification rules for 4m double canoes for 2 people, paddling? If so, which?

It is possible that I will need expert witnesses if I cannot get the ship captain's report rebutted. If any of you are qualified NA's and prepared to write a report on the boats and/or the report, please email me at harryproa@gmail.com. Please include a likely cost quote.

Thanks.

 

Rob,
Simply - no.
There are no such rules for these "terms" that dictate what a boat should be.
Sounds like a typical "im a surveyor treat me like a god" of old that I used have to deal with when i was wet behind the ears.
Write your rebutted and politely tell him to read the rules!

But before you do, you need to establish WHICH rules he is using for surveying the boat to elicit such comments.

 

That local ship's captain 'adviser' is talking complete bollocks.

Maybe you could come back to him and ask him to define 'shipshape' if he thinks your boats are not.
And what is wrong with 'flat bottoms' - many commercial craft have them.
How does he define 'well finished' - what is he comparing your boats against?
He is really showing his ignorance when he starts going on about 'marine paint'.
He has a definite wooden boat mentality if he is obsessed with stems, knees and gunwhale strakes - on a fibreglass boat.
Can you ask him to tell you what certification rules need to be applied to your boats? I doubt that he can find any.
I have sent you an email - I would be keen to try to help.

 

Sounds like the "Advisor" is confusing simplicity with seaworthiness. Fool.
I would think it easy to discredit him with sound reasoning especially around
the cost - benefit to the community.
Perhaps there is value in having one of our "resident" NA's proof read your rebuttal
before you submit it.