In accordance with the requirements of the Directive, recreational craft are divided into four categories.

Category A – Ocean: Craft designed for extended voyages offshore, capable of withstanding wind force exceeding 8 and wave heights over 4 metres, with largely self-sufficient supplies on board.

Category B – Offshore: Craft designed for offshore voyages, capable of withstanding wind force up to force 8 and wave heights up to 4 metres.

Category C – Inshore: Craft designed for coastal waters, large bays, estuaries, lakes and river basins, capable of withstanding wind force up to force 6 and wave heights up to 2 metres.

Category D – Sheltered Waters: Craft designed for small lakes, rivers and canals, capable of withstanding wind force up to force 4 and wave heights up to 0.5 metres.

In addition, all types of craft must satisfy technical requirements including stability, buoyancy characteristics and other relevant performances (specific requirements apply to individual products).

HWD-Huaweida can assist you in preparing stability calculation reports, buoyancy calculation reports, noise test reports, vibration test reports, as well as emission tests, safety tests and electromagnetic compatibility tests for marine engines.

1) Scope of Products Covered by the RCD Directive:

• Recreational craft and partially completed recreational craft;

• Private craft and partially completed private craft;

• Components listed in Annex II, when circulated separately as goods on the EU market. (The term "components" hereinafter shall have the same definition as herein);

• Propulsion engines already installed, or designed for installation but not yet fitted on or inside craft;

• Propulsion engines installed on or inside craft for engine retrofitting of vessels;

• Craft that have undergone modification or change of primary purpose.

2) Scope of Products Excluded from the RCD Directive:

• Craft intended solely for racing, including racing rowing boats and training boats designated as such by the manufacturer;

• Rowing craft designed to be propelled solely by human power (canoes, dinghies), gondolas and pedal boats;

• Windsurf boards designed to be driven solely by wind and controlled by one or more persons;

• Powered surfboards, personal watercraft and other similar powered vessels;

• Historic craft constructed mainly from original materials and designated by the manufacturer as designed before 1950, or individual replicas thereof;

• Experimental craft not placed on the European Community market;

• Craft built for private use, provided they are not placed on the European Community market within five years after commissioning;

• Commercial passenger-carrying craft, regardless of passenger capacity, without prejudice to paragraph 2, in particular the definition laid down in Directive 82/716/EEC of 4 October 1982 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels;

• Submarines;

• Hovercraft;

• Hydrofoils;

• Vessels powered by external combustion steam engines fuelled by coal, coke, wood, oil or petrol;

• Amphibious craft.

*Note: Craft built for sports and training purposes are subject to this Directive when placed on the European Community market for recreational purposes.

The certification modules for recreational craft mainly include Module Aa and Module B, with design categories A, B, C and D.

• Module Selection

Generally, recreational craft less than 12 metres shall be certified under Module Aa, while craft of 12 metres and above shall be certified under Module B.

• Craft Inspection

Module Aa requires only one craft inspection, whereas Module B requires at least two inspections.

• Design Category

Normally Category C or D is selected for Module Aa, and Category A or B for Module B.