[Home](/)/[Resources](/resources)/Recreational Craft Directive CE marking EUDirective guide # Boat CE Categories A, B, C and D under the Recreational Craft Directive 2013/53/EU A boat's CE category is its design category: the wind and wave conditions it was built to handle. Category A covers winds above Beaufort force 8 and significant waves above 4 m, B up to force 8 and 4 m, C up to force 6 and 2 m, and D up to force 4 and 0.3 m. The category also decides whether the builder can self-certify or needs a notified body. The Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) covers recreational boats from 2.5 m to 24 m hull length (measured to EN ISO 8666), personal watercraft under 4 m, certain components, and propulsion engines for their exhaust and noise emissions. It applies to new boats and to used boats imported from outside the EU for the first time. Copy Link[Share on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=https%3A%2F%2Fkrono-labs.com%2Fguides%2Frecreational-craft-directive) At a glance Design categories A, B, C, D Hull length in scope 2.5–24 m (PWC under 4 m) Self-certification (Module A) Category D; C under 12 m with harmonised standards Noise limit, single engine >40 kW 75 dB(A) ## Boat CE design categories: wind and wave limits These values come from Annex I Part A point 1 of Directive 2013/53/EU. Wind force is on the Beaufort scale; wave height is significant wave height (H1/3). The old names (Ocean, Offshore, Inshore, Sheltered waters) came from the previous Directive 94/25/EC and are no longer part of the legal text. Category Wind force (Beaufort) Significant wave height What it means A Exceeding 8 Exceeding 4 m Designed for winds that may exceed force 8 and significant waves of 4 m and above. Abnormal conditions (storm, violent storm, hurricane, tornado, extreme seas, rogue waves) are excluded. B Up to and including 8 Up to and including 4 m Offshore-capable design. Typical of larger cruising yachts and offshore motor boats. C Up to and including 6 Up to and including 2 m Coastal and inshore design. The most common rating for day boats, RIBs and small cruisers. D Up to and including 4 Up to and including 0.3 m (occasional waves of 0.5 m max) Sheltered waters: small lakes, rivers, canals and calm bays. ## Conformity routes by category and hull length Article 20 sets the design and construction routes. Module A is self-certification. A1 adds tests supervised by a notified body. B is EU type-examination followed by a production module (C, D, E or F). G is unit verification of a single boat. H is full quality assurance. Craft Allowed modules Notified body needed? Category A or B, hull 2.5 m to under 12 m A1, B+C/D/E/F, G or H Yes. A1 needs a notified body to supervise stability, buoyancy and noise tests. Category A or B, hull 12 m to 24 m B+C/D/E/F, G or H Yes. A1 is not available. Category C, hull 2.5 m to under 12 m, harmonised stability and buoyancy standards applied A, A1, B+C/D/E/F, G or H No, if Module A is used. Category C, hull 2.5 m to under 12 m, those standards not applied A1, B+C/D/E/F, G or H Yes. Category C, hull 12 m to 24 m B+C/D/E/F, G or H Yes. Neither A nor A1 is available. Category D, hull 2.5 m to 24 m A, A1, B+C/D/E/F, G or H No, if Module A is used. Personal watercraft A, A1, B+C/D/E/F, G or H No for design (Module A). Noise and engine emissions follow their own routes. ## Engine exhaust and noise emissions ### Exhaust emissions (Annex I Part B) The engine manufacturer proves exhaust compliance, always with a notified body (B+C/D/E/F, G or H when the harmonised test standard is used; B+C1 or G when it is not). For spark-ignition engines the limits are, for example, 75 g/kWh CO and 5 g/kWh HC+NOx for sterndrive and inboard engines up to 373 kW, and CO of 500 − 5.0 × PN g/kWh (300 g/kWh above 40 kW) for outboard and PWC engines. Compression-ignition limits depend on swept volume and power (Annex I Part B, Table 2). Some engines already type-approved under EU non-road or heavy-duty rules are accepted. ### Noise emissions (Annex I Part C) Maximum sound pressure level (LpASmax) for a single engine: 67 dB for 10 kW or less, 72 dB above 10 kW up to 40 kW, 75 dB above 40 kW. Twin and multiple engine installations get a 3 dB allowance. Inboard and sterndrive boats without integral exhaust can skip the noise test if the Froude number is 1.1 or less and the power-to-displacement ratio is 40 or less, with the engine and exhaust installed to the engine maker's specification. In that case Module A applies. ## Essential requirements (Annex I) Design category, watercraft identification number (14 characters, EN ISO 10087) and builder's plate Protection from falling overboard and a means of reboarding that a person in the water can use unaided Visibility from the main steering position and an owner's manual in the user's language Structure, stability and freeboard, buoyancy and flotation (points 3.1 to 3.3 of Annex I Part A) Openings in hull, deck and superstructure, flooding, maximum recommended load, liferaft stowage, escape, anchoring, mooring and towing Handling characteristics with the most powerful engine the boat is rated for Engine installation, fuel system, electrical system, steering, gas system and fire protection Navigation lights and shapes (COLREG) and holding tanks or other discharge-prevention arrangements Exhaust emissions of propulsion engines (Annex I Part B) Noise emissions (Annex I Part C) ## Key harmonised standards Check the edition cited in the Official Journal before you test. Presumption of conformity only comes from the cited edition. EN ISO 8666 Principal data, including how hull length is measured (this decides whether the RCD applies) EN ISO 12217-1 / -2 / -3 Stability and buoyancy: non-sailing boats 6 m and over, sailing boats 6 m and over, boats under 6 m EN ISO 12215 series Hull construction and scantlings EN ISO 14945 Builder's plate EN ISO 10087 Craft identification coding system (the 14-character CIN/WIN) EN ISO 9094 Fire protection EN ISO 10133 / EN ISO 13297 Electrical systems: extra-low-voltage DC and AC installations EN ISO 10088 Permanently installed fuel systems EN ISO 11812 Watertight and quick-draining cockpits EN ISO 14509 series Measurement of airborne sound emitted by powered recreational craft ## Importing a boat into the EU or UK **EU.** A boat bought outside the EU and brought in for the first time is in scope, whether new or used. If the builder never did the EU conformity assessment, a private importer (someone importing for their own, non-commercial use) must have a notified body carry out a post-construction assessment (PCA) under Article 23 and Annex V before using the boat. Expect the PCA to cover the hull, the engine's exhaust emissions and the boat's noise emissions. Older engines often cannot meet the current exhaust limits without replacement. **Great Britain.** The Recreational Craft Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/737) apply the same requirements, including emissions. A private importer of a boat not previously placed on the GB market needs a PCA from an approved body. CE marking stays accepted in GB alongside UKCA. For more detail, see our [UK recreational craft guide](/guides/uk-recreational-craft). ## Common mistakes 01 Treating the design category as a sailing licence. It is a design rating. Where you may legally take the boat is set by national rules, insurance and common sense, not by the CE plate. 02 Assuming a used boat is exempt. A boat imported from outside the EU that has never been placed on the EU market is treated as a first placing, whether it is new or second-hand. 03 Forgetting the engines. Exhaust emission conformity belongs to the engine manufacturer; noise conformity for inboard and sterndrive boats without integral exhaust belongs to the boat builder. 04 Using Module A for a Category C boat without applying the harmonised stability and buoyancy standards. That route only exists when those standards are met. 05 Calling a commissioned one-off boat 'built for own use'. If a yard builds it for you, it is in scope. Only a boat substantially built by its future user is excluded. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does the CE category on a boat mean? The CE category is the design category (A, B, C or D) shown on the builder's plate. It states the wind force and significant wave height the boat was designed for: A for winds above Beaufort force 8 and waves above 4 m, B up to force 8 and 4 m, C up to force 6 and 2 m, D up to force 4 and 0.3 m with occasional 0.5 m waves. It is set by the builder's conformity assessment under Directive 2013/53/EU. ### Can I take a Category C boat offshore? The RCD does not regulate where you sail. It only rates the boat's design. A Category C boat was assessed for up to force 6 and 2 m significant waves, so using it in worse conditions means operating outside its design envelope. National rules, charter contracts and insurers often use the category to set limits, so check those before you go. ### Does the Recreational Craft Directive apply to charter boats? Yes. Article 2(3) says a boat placed on the EU market for recreational purposes stays in scope even if it is used for charter or recreational sports training. What is excluded is a craft specifically intended to be crewed and to carry passengers for commercial purposes, along with racing craft labelled as such, canoes and kayaks, surfboards, submersibles, hovercraft, hydrofoils and amphibious vehicles. ### Does a used boat imported from the USA need CE marking? Yes, if it has never been placed on the EU market. The RCD covers products imported from third countries whether new or second-hand. If the original builder did not carry out the EU conformity assessment, a private importer must have a notified body perform a post-construction assessment (Article 23 and Annex V) before putting the boat into service. That includes the engine's exhaust emissions and the boat's noise emissions. ### What are the UK rules for importing a yacht for private use, including engine emissions? Great Britain applies the Recreational Craft Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/737), which mirror the RCD, including the exhaust and noise emission requirements. A private importer bringing in a boat not previously placed on the GB market must arrange a post-construction assessment by an approved body before use. Since 1 October 2024 the UK recognises CE marking alongside UKCA with no end date, so a boat already CE marked under the RCD can generally be used in GB. ### What is the difference between Module B and Module G for boat certification? Module B is EU type-examination: a notified body assesses a representative design once, and every boat built to that type is then covered through a production module (C, D, E or F). It suits series production. Module G is unit verification: the notified body assesses one specific boat, design and build, and certifies only that boat. It suits one-offs and small runs. ### What must the builder's plate show? Annex I Part A point 2.2 requires: the manufacturer's name or registered trade mark and contact address, the CE marking, the design category, the manufacturer's maximum recommended load (excluding the contents of full fixed tanks), and the number of persons the boat was designed for. After a post-construction assessment, the notified body's details are added along with the words 'post-construction assessment'. The plate must be separate from the 14-character watercraft identification number. ### How is a kit boat or a home-built boat treated? A boat substantially built by its future user for their own use is outside the RCD, as long as it is not placed on the EU market within five years of being put into service. Selling it earlier triggers a post-construction assessment. A kit boat is not 'built for own use'. Whoever supplies a partly completed boat issues a declaration covering the requirements met at that stage, and the person who completes it takes responsibility for full compliance. **Disclaimer:** Educational resource only. Recreational craft CE marking involves specialist naval architecture and marine engineering assessment. Always verify design category scope and standard applicability with a qualified marine surveyor or Notified Body. [ Map your product, free Every standard, document, and test that applies — free, no account required. Start mapping](/platform/new)[ Want an expert to handle your compliance for you? One consultant from Krono's compliance team takes your product from requirements to legal sale, with a fixed quote before any work starts. 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