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Intro

In this edition of Boat Chat:

• Maritime News - Hurricanes and Migrants

• Boat Chat Focus - Boat Safety Scheme Common Defects

• Latest YouTube Video - Minimum Insurable Thickness

• Surveyor’s Top Tip - Testing testing, one two, one two.

• Great Kit Ideas - Books to read by the fire.

TLDR:

The Boat Safety Scheme isn’t perfect, but it is at least something for boaters to use as a North star when it comes to assessing safety on their boats.

Maritime News

Hurricane Melissa Wreaks Havoc

The strongest hurricane for several years hit Jamaica hard resulting in 4 known fatalities so far and went on to pound Haiti causing another 20 deaths. Now downgraded to a Category 1 storm it continues on its path towards the Bahamas.

Hurricane Melissa is the third Category 5 storm of the 2025 Atlantic season, it is rare to have more than 2 such events. Last time this happened was in 2005, which featured no less that four Category 5 storms: Emily, Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

Small Boat Crossings Eclipse 2024

The number of small boats crossing the Channel so far this year has eclipsed the total for the whole of 2024. As of late October 2025 over 36,700 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats in 2025. The total for 2025 is expected to be one of the highest years on record, though it is not yet confirmed if it will exceed the 2022 peak of 45,774 arrivals.

Boat Chat Focus - Boat Safety Scheme

All craft wishing to use the UK canal network must obtain a Canal & Rivers Trust annual licence. To get one they must have an in date BSS Certificate and these are issued following an examination of the vessel by a registered BSS Examiner. If your vessel passes they issue a BSS Certificate which is valid for four years.

On average 21,000 boats are inspected every year, and whilst the overall failure rates aren’t published many boats are reported to fail first time.  Failing your BSS examination is a pain for sure, it can cost you extra money and it might delay your cruising plans. But on the plus side, it might have highlighted a serious safety defect that was putting you, your crew and your vessel at risk.

So let’s look at the most common reasons for failing a BSS examination according to the BSS Examiners themselves. Here’s what they’ve said are their top ten defects for failing:

1. Battery security - Are batteries secure against excessive movement in any direction?
   That means no more than 10mm in any direction. Batteries are heavy objects, a typical 100Amp hour battery weighs about 25kg, so four of them in a row with space to move will quickly develop a force high enough to pull cables out of connectors.  That could quickly cause either power loss or a short circuit with potential fire risk. That is why it is important to ensure your batteries are secured with proper restraints like straps, brackets, or frames to prevent any movement in any direction. I commonly find skinny 20mm webbing straps (or smaller) secured with just one self- tapping screw to hold two or more batteries in check.  The best question to ask yourself is: ‘If this boat was upside down, would this strap hold these batteries in place?’

2. Portable fire extinguishers - Are the correct number of suitable portable fire extinguishers provided, and do they have the correct combined fire ratings?
   The most common portable fire extinguisher I find on small boats during my survey work in the UK is the 1kg ABC dry powder unit. Rated at 5A or occasionally 8A this is a small, lightweight and inexpensive extinguisher. It is usually the cheapest fire extinguisher on offer in the majority of chandleries. When looking to comply with a mandatory standard such as the Boat Safety Scheme, the minimum requirement is to typically carry two or three extinguishers with a combined rating of 10A, 13A or 21A depending on the vessel’s length.

   My main concern with these extinguishers on boats is that they offer only the most basic level of fire extinguishing capability.  On average they have a discharge time of 5 to 10 seconds giving you just one ‘shot’ at tackling the fire.  You need to be in exactly the right place and at the optimum distance from the fire before activating the extinguisher.

3. Carbon monoxide alarms - If the vessel has one or more accommodation space(s), are the correct number of carbon monoxide alarms provided?
   Unless you have a completely open plan boat, there will be doors linking accommodations spaces.  There needs to be a CO alarm within 10m of any internal door. This helps ensure anyone in any space is likely to hear an activated alarm.

4. LPG system pipework, joints and connections - Are all LPG pipe joints secure, in good condition and competently made?
   Gas systems can vary in complexity from one cylinder feeding one appliance to multiple cylinders supplying several appliances.  The pipework is often out of view so be sure to inspect your LPG flexible hoses, the rigid copper pipe and all connections where you can get to them every month.   Flexible gas hoses have an expected service life of 10 years unless their condition condemns them earlier.  If they are cracked, perished, stiff or have been rubbed thin, get them replaced.  Hoses should be made to BS EN 16436-1 Class 2 for low pressure use or Class 3 for high pressure use between the cylinder and regulator.

5. LPG system tightness - Is the LPG system free of leaks as defined in the tightness test?
   Never ignore the smell of gas!  Mains gas smells like rotten eggs due to the odour additive it has, whilst butane and propane have more of a petrol like smell.  Get used to the smell of gas just before you light your hob.

   Warning signs to watch out for are using more gas than normal, localised smell of gas in a particular locker or cabin and any damaged or crushed sections of pipe or misaligned joints. Given that much of the gas pipework is usually hidden behind the boat’s fit out and furniture, you might want to consider fitting a gas leakage tester (also known as a bubble tester) alongside the gas cylinder.

6. Fuel shut-offs - Are all fuel shut-off valves, or their means of operation, in open view or their location clearly marked?
   Being able to quickly shut off any fuel supply is an essential safety capability, yet all too often the fuel stop cock locations aren’t marked. They must be easy to find by anyone and the best way to do this is with a high visibility sign.

   They also they need to be easy to turn off, best done by using the stop cock every time you start the engine and after you finish for the day. If your boat doesn’t have a fuel shut-off valve or it isn’t easy to access, fit one. On larger vessels a remote pull cable can avoid having to access the engine space during a fire.

7. Battery isolators - Is the location of all battery isolators, or the means to operate them, in open view, or their location clearly marked? 
   Batteries are very rarely on display or easy to get to so battery isolator switches can end up in odd locations.  Like the fuel stop cocks, being able to cut the electrical supply quickly in an emergency is vital.  Ensure the location of all battery isolators is marked by a permanent label, make sure separate switches are labelled separately.  If using a combined rotary switch, 1 or 2 might be obvious to you, but not to anyone else so add ‘Engine’ and ‘Domestic / Service’ labels alongside.   If you have to start lifting panels or moving furniture to get to your battery master switches, they are in the wrong place!

8. LPG system main shut-off valves - Is the LPG system main shut-off valve, or its means of operation, in open view, or is the location of the valve or its means of operation clearly marked?
   Again, like the fuel and electrical systems, being able to quickly shut off the gas supply is an essential safety capability.  Gas stop cocks tend to be quite small and are often hidden alongside or under the cooker and occasionally behind it which is never a great idea.  Be sure to place a high visibility sign close to the gas stop cock so when the time comes to use it in an emergency, anyone can find it.

9. LPG appliance burner operation - Are all LPG appliance burners delivering a proper flame? 
   A well set up gas system should deliver a crisp blue flame that sits on the burner outlet rather than floating above it or being half way into it.  That’s true for your hob, grill, oven, heater and boiler if you have one fitted.   Light all of your gas burning appliances and set them all to maximum then take a close look at each flame. Anything other than a crisp blue flame could be a sign that combustion isn’t complete or the system isn’t gas tight and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning goes up. If you start to see any odd blue, yellow or flickering flames, it’s time to get the gas system tested by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

10. Cable location - Are all electrical cables supported in a safe position? 
    Do not allow boat wiring to cause a trip or snag hazard and protect wires where they are at risk of vibration and abrasion. Tidy electrical cables are easier to fault find, last longer and are easier to replace. If you can, get some labels onto your wires to help you and others indemnify which wire belongs to which circuit.

I see a huge number of defects on vessels of all types every year and many of them are on this list. For private vessels in use on the coast, there is no mandatory regular safety assessment and in my experience, the overall safety standard of vessels on the coast is lower. Carbon monoxide detectors seem to be viewed as a lifestyle choice rather than an essential part of the vessel’s safety systems. They became a mandatory requirement on all inland waterways craft in 2019.

These common defects aren’t hard to spot and every boater, broker and surveyor should keep their eyes open for them and put them right when they find them. Learning from other is always the best way and as Eleanor Roosevelt very wisely said:

The BSS isn’t the perfect solution to boat safety by any stretch of the imagination, but it is something and in my opinion anything that helps raise the safety bar for boaters must be A Good Thing. Perhaps it is time for a similar system for private boats on the coast…

Boat Chat Growth

Boat Chat continues to grow well and now has over 800 subscribers across all platforms.

Alongside that, the White Hat Marine Surveying YouTube channel has now got over 2300 subscribers and continues to make videos for boat owners, brokers and surveyors all intended to:

‘Helping people understand boats better’.

In the most recent YouTube video we looked at what is the Minimum Insurable Thickness for steel boat hulls which is often quoted as 4.0mm, but on what basis?  prepare for a deep dive into the issue to explore how best to look at thickness loss in steel hulled boats and what needs to be considered when making repair decisions.

Surveyor’s Top Tip for this month - With the winter months approaching, work tends to calm down a little so it is time to think about scheduling in the re-calibration of your instruments before work picks up again in the spring.

Great Kit Ideas

With the boating season drawing to a close and thoughts switching towards December and the C word, why not treat the boat owners or marine surveyors to some new kit or as a treat for your boat. I have put together several collections on Kit.Co which are all personally recommended items and most of which I own.

From boat safety equipment to books about sailing and the tools and books a marine surveyor needs; there really is something for everyone!

Boaty Terminology

Squared away - Making sure everything is neat, tidy and ordered prior to an inspection of the ship

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